Construction Technician (merged)

[PuckChaser]

Dormant or not, this thread is the 5th ranked page when you search Google for "Construction Technician". Your offer to help prospective applicants to your trade is greatly appreciated.

 

[ConsideringCareers…]

Make sure you know where on this spectrum you want to be.  As a CE guy, you will not be doing any of the infantry stuff.  If this is important to you, you might be happier as a Cbt Engr.
I've watched the 1 CER Construction Troop build a house for Habitat for Humanity, Construct the CFB Edm conflict resolution centre, deploy almost as a whole on Op ARCHER R00 to develop the facilities of Camp Nathan Smith, Expand rec facilities in CFB Shilo for the move of 2 PPCLI, deploy to Jamaica to conduct several improvements to the Jamaican staff school . . .  Basicly, life in a CT should involve a lot of projects which achieve needs of the army & maintain/develop the skills of the troop (It happens that we may not always be able to do both at the same time).

I am sorry for my unknowledgeness (good word, eh?), but I am interested in being a Combat Engineer for many reasons but I am not sure about it because of the amount of construction work it seems like they do, how much construction (or building stuff) do you do if you are not a construction tech and you are just a Combat Engineer.

Thanks

 

[mariomike]

how much construction (or building stuff) do you do if you are not a construction tech and you are just a Combat Engineer.

•Construct and maintain roads, airfields, heliports, bridges, causeways, rafts, permanent and temporary buildings
•Construct field defences and obstacles
•Construction of roads, airfields and helicopter landing sites
•Construction of rafts and bridges
https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/services/caf-jobs/career-options/fields-work/engineers/combat-engineer.html

Combat Engineer - construction
https://www.google.ca/search?rls=com.microsoft%3Aen-CA%3AIE-Address&rlz=1I7GGHP_en-GBCA592&dcr=0&q=site%3Aarmy.ca+%22combat+engineer%22+construction&oq=site%3Aarmy.ca+%22combat+engineer%22+construction&gs_l=psy-ab.12...0.0.0.43563.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0..0.0.dummy_maps_web_fallback...0...1..64.psy-ab..0.0.0....0.CwWTLHXZjfw

 

[cdnjarhead]

Do they hire many Construction techs?
Anyone have experience with this trade?
How prepared are you for a civilian job if/when the time comes?

My thinking is as follows. I'm currently in an application process for air weapons systems and aerospace control. I have a good aptitude  score apparently so these are the trades I chose based on personal interests and they were recommended as things I would be competitive for. If and when I go to aircrew intake I suppose I will also be considered for pilot.

However, although I plan to stay until retirement, I understand that there are no guarantees, and the military life sometimes sees people leave and enter civilian life using their trade once their mandatory period is up, or leave for personal reasons, etc

I thought to myself, if I had to re-enter civilian life for some unforeseen reason down the line, would it not make more sense to know how to build things rather than how to attach missiles to planes? Building things and construction also interests me greatly and I didn't even know there was a trade for it.

Conversely, if an air weapons systems technician has to re-enter civilian life, what does he do?

Although it's important to follow the dream and do what you love, I've also realized many people end up back in the civilian sector for many reasons and as a family man I guess it is my responsibility to think of these long-term things at all times.

I plan to have this conversation with my recruiting officer but I wanted to see what people's opinions were as well. Thank you.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

 

[Eye In The Sky]

Do they hire many Construction techs?
Anyone have experience with this trade?
How prepared are you for a civilian job if/when the time comes?

I can't answer the specifics you're looking for, but I'd say the folks I've known who were Construction Tech's I've met all seemed to really like the trade/their job.

My thinking is as follows. I'm currently in an application process for air weapons systems and aerospace control. I have a good aptitude  score apparently so these are the trades I chose based on personal interests and they were recommended as things I would be competitive for

Personal interests and CFRC staff saying you would be competitive are both positive things to consider.

If and when I go to aircrew intake I suppose I will also be considered for pilot.

Aerospace Control Operators don't go to the Aircrew Selection Center and only need an Air Factor 4 for trade requirements.  If you're not applying for pilot don't expect to be assessed for that trade.

As for what trade will make you happy;  you're probably the best person to judge that.  Construction Tech is a job you could do at any base and land deployment Canada has or does;  the other 2 of very specific to the RCAF and are both hard air operations trades and are themselves vastly different. 

 

[blacktriangle]

OP -

If you really want to think outside the box - how can you get a legitimate civilian career without joining the military? Millions of people find lucrative and rewarding careers without joining the military. Assuming that a military career will lead to anything on the outside is also a bit of a gamble.

 

[cld617]

Conversely, if an air weapons systems technician has to re-enter civilian life, what does he do?

Work with storage, handling and transport of DG. Stringent adherence to safety regs, frequent inspections, handling and distribution by lot/batch/whatever. Sure you won't be loading bombs onto airliners in the civilian world, but it's pretty easy to translate a lot of what military trades do to civilian needs.

 

[mariomike]

Conversely, if an air weapons systems technician has to re-enter civilian life, what does he do?

From CAF Recruiting,

Air Weapons Systems Technician

Related civilian occupations

Aircraft Mechanics and Aircraft Inspectors

Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians

Explosives and ammunition magazine Supervisor
https://forces.ca/en/career/air-weapons-systems-technician/

Construction Technician

Related civilian occupations

Mason

Roofer 

Carpenter

Certified Engineering Technician (Civil/Construction)
https://forces.ca/en/career/construction-technician/

Discussions,

Construction Technician (merged)
https://navy.ca/forums/threads/25491.0
3 pages.

Air Weapons System Technician (AWS TECH)
https://navy.ca/forums/threads/99479.50
6 pages.

 

[cdnjarhead]

Thanks for the input gents.

You may find this discussion of interest,

Construction Technician (merged)
https://navy.ca/forums/threads/25491.0
3 pages.

Thanks, that was a good read. I think I gleaned the differences between Combat Engineer and Construction Tech. In layman's terms it sounds like CT is the military's "handyman" (much more skilled than that but, in crude terms of being on base fixing things vs. overseas in the trenches) while the Combat Eng. is the guy more often out in the field with the troops building whatever's necessary ranging from landing pads to bridges to physical barriers impeding enemy progress. I got lost with all the acronyms but it sounds like CT does about 8 months of specific training after BMQ, often in Gagetown NB. Then its 2 years ojt, then 2 months more for certification.

OP -

If you really want to think outside the box - how can you get a legitimate civilian career without joining the military? Millions of people find lucrative and rewarding careers without joining the military. Assuming that a military career will lead to anything on the outside is also a bit of a gamble.

A fair point but I'm not looking to join the military just in order to quickly leave and find a path to civilian employment, I'm joining the military because I wish to serve, there's the pride factor, wearing the flag, and I'd also have stable employment to support my family, travel, a host of reasons. Plus, its generally accepted that military training is above what I could hope for in the civilian world. E.g., if I am interested in construction I feel like I'll learn more with the Armed Forces in a shorter amount of time, vs. going to a community college, plus I'm paid to learn from day 1. If I'm able to continue with the CAF after that until I retire, awesome. If I cannot and I have to re-enter the civilian world I'm farther ahead than if I'd never joined CAF. As I mentioned I'm just aware of the fact that sometimes people leave the military for X number of reasons, so all things being equal I was curious what life after the military looks like for AWS Tech. vs. Construction Tech. Both trades themselves strike me as interesting and rewarding as far as watching the recruitment videos goes. I could see myself doing both.

Construction tech. also sounds like you'd have more opportunity to get attached to more bases and locations, more flexibility, where as in the Air Force you're basically at and air base and that's it.

 

[mariomike]

Thanks, that was a good read.

You are welcome, good luck. 

It's possible, but I would think unlikely, that m/any of our posters have served in both trades.

May be more effective to ask questions about each of the trades in their relevant merged threads.

 

[jackamela]

I am a current Construction Technician, if anyone has any questions feel free to send me a personal message. I'm sure I can clear up a lot of the misconceptions about the construction trades in the forces.

I know this is a dormant thread, I'm posting here for people in the future that may find this with the search function.

Hoping to reignite this thread as I'm going through recruitment currently (Reserves, part-time).

Does anyone have updated information on the prospects for employment as a Construction Tech in BC?

I gather that the trade training for Construction Tech must be full time, for about 6 months, and in Quebec or NB? Assuming that is still the case?