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What They Do
Construction Technicians provide structural engineering support to operational units at home and abroad.
The Construction Technician job is one of seven Construction Engineering positions that provide all construction, civil, electrical and mechanical engineering services to Canadian Forces operations. The primary responsibilities of the Construction Technician are to:
- Construct, repair and maintain buildings for the protection of personnel and equipment
- Produce related structural designs and specifications
- Produce related structural drawings
- Construct field defences
- Harden field structures
- Erect prefabricated structures
Career Development
The starting salary for a fully-trained Construction Technician is $49,400 per year; however, depending on previous experience and training the starting salary may be higher. Construction Technicians who demonstrate the required ability, dedication and potential are selected for opportunities for career progression, promotion and advanced training.
The first stage of training is the Basic Military Qualification course, or Basic Training, held at the Canadian Forces Leadership and Recruit School in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec. This training provides the basic core skills and knowledge common to all trades. A goal of this course is to ensure that all recruits maintain the Canadian Forces physical fitness standard; as a result, the training is physically demanding.
After Basic Training, Army recruits go to a Military Training centre for the Soldier Qualification course for approximately one month, which covers the following topics:
- Army Physical Fitness
- Dismounted Offensive and Defensive Operations
- Reconnaissance Patrolling
- Advanced Weapons Handling
- Individual Field Craft
Construction Technicians attend the Canadian Forces School of Military Engineering in Gagetown, New Brunswick. Training takes approximately 29 weeks and includes:
- Environmental skills such as defensive tactics and firearms
- Care and use of common and special purpose tools and test equipment
- Application of occupational codes and regulations
- Interpretation of drawings and schematics
- Constructing/hardening structures
- Concrete/masonry
- Roofing systems
- Wood and steel framing
- Painting
- Construction survey
- Physics principles
Construction Technician may be offered the opportunity to develop specialized skills through formal courses and on-the-job training.
The minimum required education to apply for this position is the completion of the provincial requirements for Grade 10 or Secondaire IV in Canada. Foreign education may be accepted.
This position is available for part-time employment through the Reserves. Reservists generally work part-time for a Reserve unit in their community. They are not posted or required to do a military move. However, they can volunteer to move to another base. They may also volunteer for deployment on a military mission within or outside Canada.
Reservists train with their home unit to ensure that they meet the required professional standards of the job. If additional training is required in order to specialize skills, arrangements will be made by the home unit.
Typically, Reservists work or train with their home unit for at least four evenings and one weekend per month, from September to May of each year. They are paid 85% of Regular Force rates of pay and receive a reasonable benefits package.
