Continuing the discussion about drivers
I’ll be talking about two skilled professions!
NOC 73400 — Heavy Construction Equipment Operators (in demand in Quebec)
These are not classic drivers, but technically they operate large-sized equipment: bulldozers, excavators, graders. Training, apprenticeship, and sometimes a Red Seal are required. The immigration program depends on the province.
Differences: not cargo or passengers, but earthworks and infrastructure. High pay, but a license and proof of skills are required.
This category unites specialists who operate various construction, mining, and industrial equipment, including bulldozers, excavators, rollers, graders, asphalt pavers, and other heavy equipment.
Operators are involved in the construction and maintenance of:
roads, bridges, tunnels, airport buildings, gas and oil pipelines, quarries and mines, logging facilities, loading and handling of materials
They are employed in: construction companies, contracting organizations, municipal services, transport, logistics and mining companies.
The group also includes apprentices undergoing training.
The full list includes over 100 occupations, including:
- bulldozer operator
- excavator operator
- grader operator
- road roller operator
- asphalt-paving machine operator
- loader operator
- trenching machine operator
- ditching machine operator
- horizontal earth-boring machine operator
- dredge operator
- surface mining equipment operator
- snow removal equipment operator
- heavy equipment operator apprentice
NOC 83110 — Forestry Equipment Operators (in demand in Quebec)
Working on special equipment in forest areas. A very narrow specialization, but in demand in the northern, Atlantic provinces, in the province of Quebec, in northern British Columbia and in northern Ontario.
(Logging Machinery Operators)
Representatives of this group operate mechanized equipment used in logging: cable skidding units, mechanical harvesters, forwarders, processors and tree sorters.
The work is carried out at the sites of forest clearing, often in remote, hard-to-reach areas, including the mountainous terrain of British Columbia.
Operators of this group are in demand in: logging companies, contracting organizations, large wood processing enterprises.
The full list includes dozens of professions, including:
- harvester operator (mechanical harvester operator),
- forwarder operator (forwarder operator),
- yarder operator (cable yarding system operator),
- tree processor operator (slasher operator),
- chipping machine operator,
- grapple loader operator (claw operator)
- log loader operator
- delimber operator
- slasher saw operator
- yarding engineer
The tasks are divided into several categories depending on the type of equipment:
- Yarders: Operate installations that move trees from their place felling to the loading point
- Harvester and forwarder operators: Cut trees, clear branches, cut into pieces and transport to the site, Operate special equipment
- Processor and sorter operators: Cut, sort, process and load trees/logs
Often, VERY often, incorrectly indicated as “driver” in documents, might make the case go to 74203 or 75201 which is fatal because it deprives the applicant of the opportunity to permanent residence, when he can easily do so.
Oleksandra Melnykova, Immigration and Refugee Consultant in Canada.
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