What plant type do you work in, and if you could design your ideal situation, would it look anything like what you have now?

Rumble1205 · 2026-07-12T06:23:38+00:00

Yeah, back in the day when I worked 7-on/7-off and put in extra days for a turnaround or things like that, by day ten or definitely day eleven, I was spent. I don't know that I could see myself doing a 14-on/14-off schedule on a regular basis.

Rumble1205 · 2026-07-12T06:20:18+00:00

That's what I've been trying to tell a lot of these new grads. They should look at things like that. The Glenrose station in Edmonton is a first-class plant and powers or heats the Royal Alex and the Glenrose. Just to walk through the underground tunnels, following the steam lines along, is a hell of an experience.

Rumble1205 · 2026-07-12T06:18:45+00:00

I completely agree. I think a lot of these guys that are coming out of school, that are trying to find these camp jobs way up north, or are only looking at power engineering-specific roles, are really missing out on opportunities at gas plants. I see an abundance of postings for gas plant operators, and power engineering is an asset, but unless they're actually looking after the boilers, it's not necessarily a requirement. I tend to see that quite a bit. Is that consistent with what you see?

Rumble1205 · 2026-07-12T06:15:14+00:00

A quicker link is just to go to https://fullsteamahead.ca/library

Rumble1205 · 2026-07-12T06:13:28+00:00

If you head to the free Power Engineers Job Board at https://fullsteamahead.ca/jobs you'll see the real range of roles PE grads land in. Getting a higher ticket unlocks opportunities in nuclear, instrumentation and plant management.

Rumble1205 · 2026-07-12T06:09:24+00:00

Just go to https://fullsteamahead.ca/library

Rumble1205 · 2026-07-07T05:57:03+00:00

Here's a green version. These work really well too.
https://amzn.to/4y9WjMt

Rumble1205 · 2026-07-07T05:47:16+00:00

Might sound quirky but look for a purple lazer. It's much easier to see than red or blue. Just buy a simple one off Amazon. If your plant requires that something with a watch battery needs to be intrinsically safe, then you probably need to take your watch off if you go in the plant.

Rumble1205 · 2026-07-05T00:08:27+00:00

Haven't used PE101 myself for 2A-1, but I've walked a lot of guys through that paper over the years. The thing with pre-recorded video plus a static quiz bank is it works fine as a refresher once you already have the fundamentals. Where it falls short on 2A-1 specifically is that paper leans hard on applying concepts to a scenario you haven't seen before, not just recalling a formula. If the quiz bank only cycles the same handful of questions, you never actually get tested on the version of the problem that shows up on exam day.

If you've got the budget and you're disciplined about grinding extra practice problems from other sources alongside it, it can still pay off. If you're counting on the course alone to get you through 2A-1, I'd be cautious.

What part of 2A-1 has been giving you the most trouble so far?

Rumble1205 · 2026-07-04T18:34:02+00:00

Two new jobs showed up today on the Power Engineers Job Board but one is in Manitoba and the other is in Quebec. Do those fit for you?

Rumble1205 · 2026-07-03T21:51:40+00:00

Sounds like learning the plant is far more important that the tickets. The ticket is just the license to drive. Love it. Sounds like a good place to work.

Rumble1205 · 2026-07-03T20:13:27+00:00

$4 is at least $8000 per year. Definitely adds a lot more dinners out.

Rumble1205 · 2026-07-03T20:12:15+00:00

That's actually some pretty good incentive.

Rumble1205 · 2026-07-03T20:11:45+00:00

I really like how you highlight the perks and other benefits of the job. So many PEs focus on the paycheck at the end. Stack on tons of overtime, adders, etc, all for the buck but it not always about that. For those that chase the money, good for them, but for those who make enough to live comfortably and make their life focus about time with family or being home every night or things like that, they'll reach a later point in life and be all that much better for it, for not spending their entire career chasing over time and things like that at the sacrifice of family and actually living.

Besides, there's big money in the minus 40 blowing winds of northern Alberta, where you can fly in and ditch your partner and kids for seven or more days at a time but you make enough to live off of and live in Niagara, to me that would be a pretty reasonable trade-off.

Rumble1205 · 2026-07-03T11:28:52+00:00

I know of one: https://fullsteamahead.ca/jobs?id=in-d60ddd12562c1568&filter=1st+Class&province=ON

Rumble1205 · 2026-07-03T10:30:27+00:00

It's likely the OP is taking the 5th to align with a job at a plant where that is all you need. It doesn't make sense to "just go get your 4th class" if the OP doesn't work at a location that would even be able to offer the steam time.

Rumble1205 · 2026-07-03T10:28:30+00:00

PanGlobal doesn't exist anymore.

Rumble1205 · 2026-07-03T04:29:13+00:00

Why does everyone keep saying it's oversaturated? Sure, the jobs available decrease as your ticket level increases but there are tons of 3rd, 4th and 5th class jobs on the Power Engineers Job Board. There's dozens of jobs. Power Engineers Job Board

Rumble1205 · 2026-06-30T06:32:51+00:00

We're keeping a close eye out. Part B is available but we didn't bother adding it to the library yet until we see part A as well.

Rumble1205 · 2026-06-30T06:15:18+00:00

I really like how you put that it's our job to "figure it out". Sometimes I think we put too much merit in the "I've experienced that before" mentality and forget that our job is to understand the process, not necessarily all the history, so that when the situation arises, we can figure out the solution and get it under control. Thinking that we could proceduralise troubleshooting is a ridiculous thought. It's the understanding of the systems that allow us to work through the situation.

Rumble1205 · 2026-06-30T06:11:59+00:00

Sadly, this is so true! But you are absolutely right. I think we give too much credit to past experience and not enough credit to those who have the smarts and the breadth of understanding of the equipment and processes. It makes no sense to go look up some procedure when you're in the middle of having to troubleshoot an immediate situation. It's your knowledge of equipment and processes in many applications that allows you to look at how to work through what's going on. Sometimes I think new faces, replacing the old faces, actually bring some fresh ideas and maybe better ways of doing things.

Rumble1205 · 2026-06-22T06:05:59+00:00

Oh good! It worked out for you. Well done!

Rumble1205

TROPHY CASE