Heavy-duty equipment mechanic in Canada: your Express Entry path

Three ways into the Express Entry pool

A draw can only invite people already in the Express Entry pool, through one of three programs:

• Federal Skilled Worker. Experience must be in a TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 job; this one is TEER 2.
• Federal Skilled Trades. It covers NOC Major Group 72 except sub-major group 726, and 72401 sits in group 724, so it counts. You need at least 2 years of full-time work (3,120 hours) in the trade within the last 5 years, plus either a full-time job offer of at least 1 year or a Canadian certificate of qualification in the trade.
• Canadian Experience Class. For skilled work experience already gained in Canada.

The trades draws

Trades draws rank only people with recent experience in a listed trade. The panel above shows the latest one and its cut-off. You need at least 12 months of full-time work (or the same part-time) as a heavy-duty equipment mechanic within the last 3 years. The months do not have to be in a row, and the work must match the NOC description of the job.

Certification, province by province

Heavy Duty Equipment Technician is a Red Seal trade, designated in every province and territory. The NOC says certification is compulsory in Alberta and in Quebec (construction only), and voluntary elsewhere.

• Alberta: Heavy Equipment Technician – Heavy Duty Equipment Mechanic (Off Road) is a compulsory certification trade. Its Trades Qualifier – Work Experience Program asks for 54 months (6,750 hours) of verifiable work in the trade. It is meant for people who will live and work in Alberta, approval does not give you the right to work in Canada, and once your experience is verified you have 18 months to finish the remaining parts.
• Ontario: Heavy Duty Equipment Technician is non-compulsory, so a certificate is not needed to work. Skilled Trades Ontario's Trade Equivalency Assessment is open to experience gained outside Canada and asks for experience at least equal to the trade's full apprenticeship, which is 7,000 hours.

A Canadian certificate of qualification also opens the Federal Skilled Trades program without a job offer.

What heavy-duty mechanics earn

The panel above shows Job Bank's median hourly wage for this occupation across Canada, with pay by province and region on Job Bank.