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Feature -- By Carolyn Runkvist
Still struggling to find your forte? Alberta's industry is full of opportunities -- from the new and abstract to the conventional (but still greatly needed) occupations. When you think of industry you might get mental pictures of workers in hardhats and factories with smokestacks. But what is industry exactly?
Industry is simply any business activity or enterprise, according to the dictionary. Yes, this is a vague definition, probably better understood simply as a way of organizing different types of labour. I will outline the major areas of industry in Alberta and provide some examples of employment in these areas to give you a clearer idea of what¼s driving the local economy. Each of these areas include a wide range of potential career angles, many of which overlap. (There are far more careers than I can mention in a single article, I might add.)
Alberta has the fourth largest economy in Canada. The components of the economy can be divided into four main industrial sectors:
- resources
- manufacturing
- advanced technology
- services
Resources
The resource industry in Alberta includes three general areas: agriculture, energy and forestry. Within each of these there are a variety of more specific categories including farming, livestock, oil, gas, coal, timber logging as well as more specific research opportunities in new crop development and ecological foresting procedures.
Examples of some jobs in the resource industry are:
- rancher
- hatchery worker
- oil & gas well driller
- dairy farmer
- horticulturist
- nursery/greenhouse worker
- geneticist
- tree planter
- logging machinery worker
- geologist
- pump operator
- mine construction worker
- blaster
- feed lot manager
- forest firefighter
Manufacturing
The manufacturing sector is growing with new product development and market expansion for products such as food, beverages, petrochemicals, plastics, forest products, metals and machinery products, petroleum refining and a huge range of industrial and consumer products. Some examples of manufacturing companies in Alberta are those that produce sportswear, furniture, recreational vehicles and sporting goods.
A handful of examples of manufacturing careers include:
- meat trimmer
- refinery operator
- pre-fab housing assembler
- brewer
- pasteurizer operator
- cheese & milk grader
- chemist
- product tester
- pulping control operator
- lumber grader
- petroleum process operator
- gasfield plant operator
- sawmill operator
- metal caster
- diecast machine operator
- quality inspector
- chemical process operator
- pipeline compressor station operator
Advanced Technology
Alberta is playing a leading role in Canada's competitive edge in research and technology. Areas with growth potential are medical research and biotechnology, advanced materials and processes, electronics, telecommunications and software and computing services.
Specific careers include:
- crop researcher
- computer science technologist
- lab assistant
- telecommunications specialist
- microbiologist
- programming analyst
- systems analyst
- industrial electric technologist
Services
More than two thirds of employment in Alberta is in the service industry. This consists of tourism, business and financial services, retail trade, transportation as well as health and education services.
A few possible occupations in the service industry are:
- architect
- tour guide
- hotel receptionist
- flight attendant
- sales clerk
- hospital administrator
- bus driver
- accountant
- dental assistant
- flight test inspector
- radiologist
- light rail transit (LRT) operator
These areas greatly overlap, for instance you might be a research technologist for the manufacture of a new product that will enhance the feeding procedure for large numbers of livestock.
Yes, it's confusing.
The important thing to remember is that Alberta's opportunities are wide-ranging. Many industrial occupations might not appeal to you at first glance, but with a closer look they can prove to be quite rewarding. If there is an area you are particularly interested in, research it thoroughly to get a better idea of where you'd like to be. The more digging you do for information, the more opportunities you will find.
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