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Anyone here a 'Millwright'?

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  • Sep 8th, 2006 12:12 pm
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Deal Addict
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Dec 9, 2004
1855 posts
78 upvotes
Oshawa

Anyone here a 'Millwright'?

Well I doubt this is the place to ask a trade type question as most people here seem to work in more professional careers. Anyways I'm currently employed as a Golf Course Technician at a fairly high end semi-private course in central ontario. I'm at the moment "oficially" the assistant tech, however I had taken over the day to day operations over 3 years ago, and am basically awaiting the current "official" head Tech. to retire and for me to take over and hire myself an asistant.
As for training I'm currently studying to get my Small Engine Mech. ticket through my old apprenticeship. I'm also a Turf Technician Apprentice in my first and only year. Both of these apprenticeships can be finished in a few months if I bust my a$$. Well recently I've found I'm quite bored with everything as there's not much of a challenge anymore except the random interesting thing. I have done some research and would like to try something with a higher degreee of skill needed aswell as the obvious more money.
I've nearly got my sights set on being a Millwright (industrial Technician), Durham college offers a an online 1st year course with saturday practical classes for 40 weeks. This enalbes me to keep working and paying bills and then only have to do 1 year in class for the 2nd year.
The point of this (whats turning into a novel :) ) is to ask about real world job availability, actual pay and general job security/job enjoyment.
Anyone here a Millwright like to give me some advice?
Thanks for readin' all that lol.
10 replies
Member
Jun 30, 2003
244 posts
Cobourg, On
i know some people from high school that went out to be millwrights. from what they said its in pretty high demand with good pay. dont have any first hand experience thow. a good way to pick a trade is to look at what jobs are in high demand (job bank is very good for this). carpenters and electritions are great trades however they are a dime a dozen and finding good longtime work is hard. im also in a similar situation, but the way i approached it was this. what job that interests me can i work at for 5-10 years after ive got all my papers then eventually open my own company thats also in high demand. right now ive got it narrowed down to pipe fitting or plumbing. will i ever open my own company? who knows but its atleast a possible path to go down.
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Dec 9, 2004
1855 posts
78 upvotes
Oshawa
Hey! someone from Cobourg!! nice to talk to someone in my neck of the woods. Yeah I looked on Jobbank and they seem to be in high demand and fetch a decent wage. My brother is in management at a plant that makes parts for Ford and Hummer in Guelph. He said the demand is very high here....and thats the type of place I'd like to work.
Thanks for the comments...If I were you I'd do the plumbing. It's a job with more chances at advancement and like you mentioned owning your own buisness..
Deal Addict
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Mar 29, 2006
1182 posts
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I don't want to rain on your parade, but up here in Northern Ontario a few lumber mills are closing down due to the high canadian dollar and the bullying tactics by the US against wood products. In fact people are being laid off in various places in the country (foresttalk.com seems to have lots of news). The market might be saturated with laid off experienced guys.
Deal Addict
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Dec 9, 2004
1855 posts
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Oshawa
Just so you know, a Millwright is an Industrial Mechanic. It has nothing to do with Lumber mills.
Anyone else have any info?
Sr. Member
Dec 27, 2002
526 posts
108 upvotes
Mississauga
I work at a automotive plant right now (stamping electrical engineer intern). The millwrights we have on site work on maintaining the press (rebuilding mechanical parts, etc.) as well as building parts to spec for the presses. I don't focus on them too much since i'm electrical though. THey probably make around high 30's $/hour, plus overtime.
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Mar 29, 2006
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I know for a fact that a number of people working at the lumber mill have "millwright" qualifications. There are apparently a lot of machines and presses used to turn pulp into paper. What I was trying to say is that if they get laid off their experience may be transferrable to a steel mill or other factory thus making the overall job market difficult.
Deal Fanatic
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Mar 5, 2006
6691 posts
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Murica
Milrights have high pay. I would have gone that route, if I wasn't working in my industry.
Deal Addict
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Dec 9, 2004
1855 posts
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Oshawa
I see now "nogoro". Thats make abit more sense now ;)

Thanks all for the info..this helps quite abit!!!
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Nov 10, 2003
1391 posts
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Edmonton
MillWright is a good profession. They typically stay consistantly employed due to their ability to work in different phases of projects as well as after project maintainance. I think it's a good choice compare to choices that are more phase depended.. e.g. once a plant is build...how many wielders / fitters do you need to have around?

However, there's going to be more competition on obtaining a job, because a project might need 100 wielders vs 3 MillWrights.....

Here's some info.

http://www.tradesecrets.org/index.html? ... ofile.html
Member
Jan 3, 2003
440 posts
159 upvotes
Vancouver Island
Any skilled trade is going to be a good profession to get into. I'm in the automotive industry, (Durham Region) and I know a lot of the skilled trades here are retiring over the next 10 years.

IMM's (Industrial Maintenance Mechanic) here are making high 30's/hr.

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