Category: Featured Articles

If you go on a trip with your parents or grandparents, you might see them pull out a paper map to look at when they need help with directions. Some people prefer to get directions on paper, but others prefer to look at an online map or to get directions from a computer. Either way, someone needs to know what to put on the map. Geographic information specialists gather the kind of information that goes into these documents. If you are precise and able to work with large amounts of data, this could be the right job for you.

Making a map or chart is a complicated process. It requires exact information about the location of streets, rivers, lakes, bridges, and other features of an area. Much of this information could come from satellite or drone images, but sometimes people need to go out in person to find out about the landscape. For example, a picture cannot show whether a piece of land has soft, swampy soil or firm ground. Someone must go out to the area to find out.

Geographic information specialists normally have at least a high school education, but most also have a diploma from a career college or a higher level of education. Many employers require an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in a field such as geomatics, environmental science, or geography. Some people get a master’s degree. Normally, a bachelor’s degree takes at least three years to complete, and a master’s degree takes another year or two.

High school students can already start preparing for a career as a geographic information specialist. English courses help one be able to read complicated information, and mathematics courses are important for making calculations and measurements. Courses in geography can help with understanding the influence of various factors on the landscape. For example, a stream or river could wear away part of its banks and change its course, requiring geographic information specialists to make a new map.

Jobs for geographic information specialists are available in many different areas, including universities, governments, and even construction companies or tourism companies. Agriculture is also a good source for finding jobs as a geographic information specialist. Some people might also be able to specialize in an area of the field that allows them to work as consultants for several organizations. Salaries generally start at about $51,000 and can rise to $82,000 with experience.

Usually, people in this field need to be able to work with others, but they should also be able to work on their own, especially when they are designing maps. Accuracy and attention to detail are very important in this job, and the ability to concentrate for long periods can be helpful. The job is not normally physically difficult, but it may occasionally require going out in bad weather to check the features of a location. In most cases, people can stay in this job until either they reach retirement age, or their eyes become too weak to deal with the kind of details that maps require.

Working as a geographic information specialist can be a good choice for detail-oriented people who enjoy gathering information and sharing it with others. If you enjoy maps and charts, this job might be right for you.

Bibliography

Job Bank. “Geographic Information Systems Technician in Canada.” https://www.nl.jobbank.gc.ca/marketreport/outlook-occupation/3493/ca

Ontario Colleges. “”Geographic Information Systems (GIS).” https://www.ontariocolleges.ca/en/programs/energy-environmental-and-natural-resources/geographic-information-systems-gis.

Payscale Canada. “Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Specialist: Salary in Canada.” https://www.payscale.com/research/CA/Job=Geographic_Information_Systems_(GIS)_Specialist/Salary.

Suppose that you wanted to ride a boat on a lake or stream. You might choose a boat made of aluminum or steel, but you could choose a boat made of wood. Like anything else, wooden boots can break down and need rebuilding. Although opportunities can be limited in some areas of Canada, a career as a wooden boat rebuilder can be a good choice.

Many tasks are part of being a wooden boat rebuilder. The work can include sketching the boat that is being rebuilt and making design choices, normally with the help of a computer-aided design (CAD) system. The next step is to choose the kind of wood or veneer for rebuilding the boat, and then making fastenings and other parts of the boat that need rebuilding. Following that, they use special equipment to cut pieces of wood into the right size and shape for what the project requires.

Normally, people in this trade complete an apprenticeship that includes eight thousand hours of on-the-job training, ending with a Certificate of Apprenticeship. This process usually takes about five years. Another option is to work at least eight thousand hours in a related area and then apply for a Trade Equivalency Assessment. A successful applicant can then be certified as a journeyperson in the trade. A high school diploma is also normally necessary. Courses in English, mathematics, and drafting can be useful.

After completing the training requirements, people can start to work as wooden boat rebuilders. Being able to read blueprints is usually necessary, as well as using hand or power tools and measuring instruments. Salaries in this trade usually begin at about $47,000 and can rise to $77,300 with experience. Doing physical work on the boats can become difficult as people age, but the task of designing boats can continue late into people’s careers.

Like in many trades, wooden boat rebuilders need to have many skills. They might work on the restoration of historic boats for museums or universities, or they might work for a large company with clients all over the world. Some people in this trade might have their own business and work directly with customers, but others might get their work from supervisors and never meet the people whose boats they are rebuilding. Being able to follow instructions but also to think a problem through and come up with a solution is important in this trade.

Being near water is essential for this trade. Although some people might be able to find enough work rebuilding recreational boats in the middle of the country, most work in this field is likely to be available on the east or west coast. However, becoming a specialist in historic boats could help a wooden boat rebuilder find work even in places with no lakes or oceans nearby.

Much of the work of wooden boat rebuilders can be indoors if a large enough space is available. However, working outside is often necessary, and people need to be able to withstand the weather. The hours can be long when a project needs to be finished or when there is an emergency, but otherwise, people in this trade can generally work regular hours.

Because wooden boats are not as common as they once were, finding enough work in this trade can be difficult. However, becoming a wooden boat rebuilder can still be a good choice for those who are interested.

Bibliography:

Economic Research Institute. Boat Builder Wood Salary in Canada. https://www.erieri.com/salary/job/boat-builder-wood/canada.

Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program. “Wooden Boat Rebuilder.” https://oyap.ca/trades/?fuseaction=Profile&appnum=118.

Payscale Canada. “Salary for Industry: Boat Building.” https://www.payscale.com/research/CA/Industry=Boat_Building/Salary.

Every day, you eat food that someone has cooked, whether you eat with your family at home or buy a meal from your school cafeteria. Cooking for a family of five or six people can be difficult and time-consuming, but cooking for large groups can be even more challenging. If you enjoy working with food and want to help feed people, the job of institutional cook could be right for you.

As the name suggests, institutional cooks work in places where many people come to eat. This could include hospitals, schools, seniors’ homes, or even prisons and jails. Depending on the types of people eating at the institution, the cook might need to know gourmet recipes, foods suitable for certain dietary needs, or other aspects of providing food for many different people at once. In some cases, institutional cooks might need to balance the needs of diabetics, people with high blood pressure, or many other factors. Being able to provide meals that are nutritious and filling without causing allergic reactions or other health problems can be a major challenge for people in this trade.

Besides health-related issues, the food that institutional cooks make should taste good and be varied. No one wants to eat the same meal day after day, and institutional cooks need to be creative in finding new recipes or variations on their standard meals. Many institutional cooks complete an apprenticeship or culinary program before they begin to work, and many gain experience as helpers in a kitchen before they take over as the main cook. In some places, people may be required to complete a course in the safe handling of food so that they know how to avoid giving people food poisoning.

In high school, courses in English and mathematics are helpful. Institutional cooks need to be able to follow recipes and understand what the different terms mean, and they might also need to research issues like how additives in food affect people with certain diseases or conditions. For example, finding low-salt options is important for anyone with high blood pressure. Being able to multiply or divide easily is also important for increasing or decreasing the size of recipes.

Many institutional cooks work with helpers who might not know much about cooking. Being able to supervise and to give clear instructions can help to make the job much easier and the process smoother. Getting many different dishes done at the same time is one of the very challenging aspects of institutional cooking, and it might take several years before people can time everything to be ready for the people who have come to eat. The hours can be long, and the kitchens can be very hot and busy.

Wages for people in this trade generally begin at about $14 per hour or $30,000 per year and can rise to $24 per hour or $51,000 per year. The work involves standing or moving around in the kitchen for long hours, and people might want to move into a more supervisory role as they age. One option is to move from doing the cooking itself to planning meals and ordering supplies, which can be much less stressful.

Working as an institutional cook can be a high-pressure job, but it can also be interesting for people who enjoy working with food. It could be the right job for you.

Bibliography:

Job Bank. “Cook in Canada.” https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/marketreport/occupation/6225/ca.

Job Bank. “Cook in Ontario.” https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/marketreport/outlook-occupation/6225/ON.

Skills Competences Canada. “Cooking.” https://www.skillscompetencescanada.com/en/skill_area/cooking/.

Payscale. “Average General/Institution Cook Hourly Pay in Canada.” https://www.payscale.com/research/CA/Job=General%2FInstitution_Cook/Hourly_Rate.

If you look around your home, you can likely find several objects that were made with special tools. Many of those tools likely came from a die, which is a kind of mould for making tools. Designing a die that works well for its purpose can make manufacturing much easier than it might otherwise be. Working as a die designer can be a useful and rewarding career.

Die designers are part of a whole process that goes into making furniture, building houses, manufacturing cars, and much more. Employers normally have no specific academic requirements for these tradespeople, but most people have at least a high school diploma. Many people in this trade get an associate’s degree or complete an apprenticeship, which normally takes up to four years to complete.

Like in many other trades, being able to read and understand instructions is important for die designers. High school courses in English or writing help to learn these types of skills.  These tradespeople should also be able to calculate measurements, estimate costs, and do other tasks that require the ability to work with numbers. Taking math courses can be helpful for these tasks, and classes that teach skills like sawing or welding are also useful. Art courses, especially drawing, can help people learn the basic principles of designing an object, and computer courses also help to prepare students for this trade.

Learning how to draft with CAD (computer-aided design) software is an important skill for this work. Many die designers create blueprints for their designs using information about what kinds of machines will use the tool and how they work. Being precise is important in this work because a badly formed die will produce faulty tools. People in this trade might also need to study several different machines to be able to suit the needs of different clients. Some designers might want to specialize in a certain type of die, such as one that produces tools for plumbers or electricians, but others might want to work with a more general clientele.

Die designers work mainly with manufacturing, but they can also find work elsewhere, including the geology or geography departments of universities, governments, and other organizations that need special tools. The job could involve making one or two designs for many different customers or working mainly for one company, possibly making die designs for branches of the company across the country. Generally, salaries for die designers begin at about $46,000 per year and can rise to about $83,000, and jobs are likely to be easier to find in areas like southern Ontario, where much of Canada’s manufacturing takes place.

As in many of the trades, a certain amount of endurance is necessary for the work of a die designer. Although most of the work is done at a computer, it can also involve going to factories to see exactly what is needed for the job. The hours can be long when a job needs to be done, but usually die designers work regular days in an office where the working conditions are normally quite good. If you are detail-oriented and are good at problem-solving to find the best design for the job, a career as a die designer might be good for you.

Bibliography:

Glassdoor. “Gilder Guard Tool & Die: Mould Maker.” https://www.glassdoor.ca/Job/tool-and-die-designer-jobs-SRCH_KO0,21.htm.

Payscale. “Average Tool and Die Maker Hourly Pay in Canada.” https://www.payscale.com/research/CA/Job=Tool_and_Die_Maker/Hourly_Rate.

Talent.com. “Die Maker Average Salary in Canada, 2022.” https://ca.talent.com/salary?job=Die+Die+Die+Maker#.

Ziprecruiter. “What is a Die Designer and How to Become One.” https://www.ziprecruiter.com/Career/Die-Designer/What-Is-How-to-Become