Where ever your engineering or geoscience training takes you, your technical skills will be the fundamental backbone of your career. Technical skills vary from country and time period. A technology that is not used in one country may be very important in another. New technologies may have become important since you last practiced engineering or geoscience. You will need to find out what technical skills are required for your target occupation in BC, check to see whether you have them and upgrade in areas where required.

The APEGBC examination program syllabi (engineering or geoscience) will provide you with the topics that Canadian-trained engineers and geoscientists must know to graduate from university and become licensed. Next, use your LMI research skills to look at your career sector and determine whether there are technologies used that you have not been trained in. For example, computer-aided design (AutoCAD) is very important in design work in Canada. It may not have been used in your home country. Even if you determine that the job you are targeting does not require detailed AutoCAD knowledge, you may find that you need a basic introduction to the software to be able to work with those on your team using it. Good sources of LMI will include trade journals, looking at what courses and seminars are offered (if a course or talk is being offered on a particular topic, it usually means that the topic is important), and talking to people in your industry.

First-Hand Advice

From Employers, Professional Engineers and Technologists:

• An introductory AutoCAD course would be useful for someone with a construction or design background; someone who could manage a project.   The course will give them enough skill to revise a design and oversee the work of a technologist.
• Employers want people who get excited about learning how to use new skills and tools.   If you are just taking a course because you think it will get you a job, you will probably not be successful.  
• Lifelong, continuous learning is important for a professional.  Upgrade your skills.   Take additional training courses, seminars or a Masters degree.  
• ISO 9000 training is an advantage for some positions.

From Internationally Trained Engineers:

• Consider all your options to upgrade your skills, including financial loans.
• Attending a class with other specialists who are not engineers is very good. You learn a lot from different people.

Career Development and Job-Search Plan

Open your Career Development and Job-Search Document and go to the LMI Worksheet. Using the information and links provided here and elsewhere, answer the questions in the LMI-SKILL AREA "Technical Skills" section.

Next, go to the Skills Self-Assessment Worksheet and rate your ability in the "Technical Skills" section. It is essential that you are honest with yourself when completing this self-assessment. If you are not honest in answering these questions, your Career Development and Job-Search Plan will not be a useful tool for you.

Finally, go to the Skills Summary Worksheet and follow the instructions there. Complete the "Technical Skills" section.