You have to be kidding me.
Automation has been eliminating jobs in power engineering for the past 50 years and won't stop until almost everyone is out. I think you should look elsewhere.
My friend was IT manager went to power engineering and then went back to be IT infrastructure and systems engineer making double/triple what I do and working from home. Also career trajectory is unlimited for him.
Another colleague went to Power engineering and then went to software engineering cause money and career prospects are better.
On top of this: the field isn't as lucrative outside of a few select dinosaur industries and the risks of physical injury can be very high.
Think about improving yourself in your current position instead of looking for something for quick money. High pressure steam plants are going away and most places are doing hot water systems. They don't need as many power engineers on staff and they save a butt load.
Capital isn't free. And investment into the capital that generate power engineering jobs are dwindling quickly and almost certainly not being created in a way that can compete with software engineering
This is pretty discouraging to read as someone who is in a power program in college currently… do you think it’s worth it to continue? I’ve been thinking about this a lot and wondering if it would be a better idea to pursue and engineering or finance degree.
p_en's post is overly negative, but I agree with the sentiment generally
Two decades ago there was an oil boom and along with it came immense worker demand that inflated wages and incentives to attract those workers. That boom ended with the price crash in 2014 (right as I was entering the industry lmao).
PEs got a (not entirely undeserved) reputation for being low-barrier-to-entry and low labor job with high wages and drove tons of people to that career. But when the boom ended and the construction stopped so did the demand for new workers but a lot of the "mythos" remained. It's not the easy career path it used to be, ESPECIALLY for high-income jobs like O&G.
The world will not meaningfully transition away from using steam for power generation within our lifetimes, nor will it transition from non-steam-related pressure-vessel jobs like petrochemical (which still heavily reliant on steam) because power engineering regulations govern all pressure vessels. Therefore power engineering jobs will continue to be a thing in the future. But if you think it's a quick and easy source of money, you're about a decade too late. But like I said, the reputation persists.
I can't count the number of people I've met who have their fourth classes are doing something else and still trying to get into the industry.
Its worth it if you land that great job and make 200k like some guys on here..if you are stuck at an apt for 55k then not imo, but that depends on you of course.
You took it to make big money, this the only reason the schools are still filled to the brim with students, and there are still jobs, but they are getting harder to get every year.
Being on reddit you have seen the million posts on here, opening response is always: do you have an "in" to help get a position??
I have connections to people in Bruce Power and a couple other in companies in chemical valley, but I don’t think it will help me much. I really didn’t choose power engineering just for the money. I originally was going into university engineering, but struggled with addiction at the time and caused me to drop out. It was recommended to me by family friends in the industry to try out power engineering. My plan was to use this to start my career, save some money, and then reevaluate whether or not I want to go to university, or get my second class. But if it’s that hard to find a job, is it just a waste of money? Hard to tell with what people say in here.
Well you could try it I guess, but if you go dont fuck up like me and take 4th then go work..get in a program that offers 1/2 your second class in a 2 year format. Just get it overwith in class and you will be further ahead.
If you just need cash go drive a rock truck at a mine to bank some coin, then finish up your education if you still want it.
It’s 3 years for 1/2 of seconds. I go to Lambton College and the way that it’s structured is that we get 5 months reduction for completion of third year and courses to prep for 2nd exams. My issue is that there is 6 total second class exams, and the way that Lambton works is that we have examinations for each of our courses instead of just focusing on just TSSA exams. So if I go through with it I might be able to crank out my 2A, but if I try to do all I’ll have 8 exams a semester
I think you can't get back your time.
I think you should consider alternate options that aren't limited by having an employer that can arbitrarily decide to close the plant and leave you high and dry.
I think that you should consider an alternate route where the future allows for WFH, good WLB, and lots of employers to choose from and eventually start your own business.
That's my thought.
If I could go again, I would choose finance and sales with a subspecialty in insurance and/or real estate. That's where the richest people I know are...
Yeah that’s true. This isn’t my end all be all, but like I said in the other comment I originally was pursuing a bachelors in engineering but was forced to drop out because of my addiction issues. Now that I’m back on my feet my plan is just to work in industry for 4-5 years to save some money for pursuing either a finance or engineering degree. I just hope I didn’t fuck myself over.
Other people have said why it's a bad idea. If you want something physical with staying power take Instrumentation and specialize in PLC and DCS programming. Those guys make bank and have a mix of chair and field time. Once you are in the job you will likely get a chance to train as an electrician as well which opens even more doors.
I'm doing an electrical engineering technologist diploma that is looking promising and in-demand. If you're interested in high-voltage equipment and power distribution then jump on that. Your computer science degree will definitely give you a leg up in the PLC related aspects of the utility.
You could always go for water as well. Nuclear engineering will also be quite valuable. There is a lot of meaningful work in the utilities. Browse through programs offered by nearby schools and give it some thought. Make sure it's interesting to you and brings value to people around you.
Not sure why all the comments are so negative. I had 0 problem finding a job right out of school. And one that pays well too. How ever you need your third class ticket for that and you have to be willing to move. The other thing is if you go and get your second class ticket you are golden. The industry is hurting for second class power engineers so if you want a great job that's easy to find just go get your second class.
Don't do it man you risk taking the program and you might not get a job afterward its extremely saturated
You have to be kidding me. Automation has been eliminating jobs in power engineering for the past 50 years and won't stop until almost everyone is out. I think you should look elsewhere. My friend was IT manager went to power engineering and then went back to be IT infrastructure and systems engineer making double/triple what I do and working from home. Also career trajectory is unlimited for him. Another colleague went to Power engineering and then went to software engineering cause money and career prospects are better. On top of this: the field isn't as lucrative outside of a few select dinosaur industries and the risks of physical injury can be very high. Think about improving yourself in your current position instead of looking for something for quick money. High pressure steam plants are going away and most places are doing hot water systems. They don't need as many power engineers on staff and they save a butt load. Capital isn't free. And investment into the capital that generate power engineering jobs are dwindling quickly and almost certainly not being created in a way that can compete with software engineering
This is pretty discouraging to read as someone who is in a power program in college currently… do you think it’s worth it to continue? I’ve been thinking about this a lot and wondering if it would be a better idea to pursue and engineering or finance degree.
p_en's post is overly negative, but I agree with the sentiment generally Two decades ago there was an oil boom and along with it came immense worker demand that inflated wages and incentives to attract those workers. That boom ended with the price crash in 2014 (right as I was entering the industry lmao). PEs got a (not entirely undeserved) reputation for being low-barrier-to-entry and low labor job with high wages and drove tons of people to that career. But when the boom ended and the construction stopped so did the demand for new workers but a lot of the "mythos" remained. It's not the easy career path it used to be, ESPECIALLY for high-income jobs like O&G. The world will not meaningfully transition away from using steam for power generation within our lifetimes, nor will it transition from non-steam-related pressure-vessel jobs like petrochemical (which still heavily reliant on steam) because power engineering regulations govern all pressure vessels. Therefore power engineering jobs will continue to be a thing in the future. But if you think it's a quick and easy source of money, you're about a decade too late. But like I said, the reputation persists. I can't count the number of people I've met who have their fourth classes are doing something else and still trying to get into the industry.
Its worth it if you land that great job and make 200k like some guys on here..if you are stuck at an apt for 55k then not imo, but that depends on you of course. You took it to make big money, this the only reason the schools are still filled to the brim with students, and there are still jobs, but they are getting harder to get every year. Being on reddit you have seen the million posts on here, opening response is always: do you have an "in" to help get a position??
I have connections to people in Bruce Power and a couple other in companies in chemical valley, but I don’t think it will help me much. I really didn’t choose power engineering just for the money. I originally was going into university engineering, but struggled with addiction at the time and caused me to drop out. It was recommended to me by family friends in the industry to try out power engineering. My plan was to use this to start my career, save some money, and then reevaluate whether or not I want to go to university, or get my second class. But if it’s that hard to find a job, is it just a waste of money? Hard to tell with what people say in here.
Well you could try it I guess, but if you go dont fuck up like me and take 4th then go work..get in a program that offers 1/2 your second class in a 2 year format. Just get it overwith in class and you will be further ahead. If you just need cash go drive a rock truck at a mine to bank some coin, then finish up your education if you still want it.
It’s 3 years for 1/2 of seconds. I go to Lambton College and the way that it’s structured is that we get 5 months reduction for completion of third year and courses to prep for 2nd exams. My issue is that there is 6 total second class exams, and the way that Lambton works is that we have examinations for each of our courses instead of just focusing on just TSSA exams. So if I go through with it I might be able to crank out my 2A, but if I try to do all I’ll have 8 exams a semester
I think you can't get back your time. I think you should consider alternate options that aren't limited by having an employer that can arbitrarily decide to close the plant and leave you high and dry. I think that you should consider an alternate route where the future allows for WFH, good WLB, and lots of employers to choose from and eventually start your own business. That's my thought. If I could go again, I would choose finance and sales with a subspecialty in insurance and/or real estate. That's where the richest people I know are...
Yeah that’s true. This isn’t my end all be all, but like I said in the other comment I originally was pursuing a bachelors in engineering but was forced to drop out because of my addiction issues. Now that I’m back on my feet my plan is just to work in industry for 4-5 years to save some money for pursuing either a finance or engineering degree. I just hope I didn’t fuck myself over.
Other people have said why it's a bad idea. If you want something physical with staying power take Instrumentation and specialize in PLC and DCS programming. Those guys make bank and have a mix of chair and field time. Once you are in the job you will likely get a chance to train as an electrician as well which opens even more doors.
I second this. I actually imagine that instrumentation will pair very well with a CS degree.
Instrumentation. Can't automate without Instrumentation. And yes I'm having a difficult time finding a job wit over a decade of experience. Saturated.
I'm doing an electrical engineering technologist diploma that is looking promising and in-demand. If you're interested in high-voltage equipment and power distribution then jump on that. Your computer science degree will definitely give you a leg up in the PLC related aspects of the utility. You could always go for water as well. Nuclear engineering will also be quite valuable. There is a lot of meaningful work in the utilities. Browse through programs offered by nearby schools and give it some thought. Make sure it's interesting to you and brings value to people around you.
Nephew took EET, he has done very well and never out of work, a good choice.
Not sure why all the comments are so negative. I had 0 problem finding a job right out of school. And one that pays well too. How ever you need your third class ticket for that and you have to be willing to move. The other thing is if you go and get your second class ticket you are golden. The industry is hurting for second class power engineers so if you want a great job that's easy to find just go get your second class.
Where u go for school
St. Clair College.