Power Engineer

Power Engineer

NON – Apprenticeship

AT A GLANCE

Power engineers operate and maintain reactors, turbines, boilers, generators, stationary engines and auxiliary equipment to generate electrical power and to provide heat, light, refrigeration and other utility services for commercial, industrial and institutional buildings and other work sites.

Power systems operators monitor and operate switchboards and related equipment in electrical control centres to control the distribution of electrical power in transmission networks.

They are employed in the following areas:

Source: National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2011, 9241 Power engineers and power systems operators

In Manitoba, as in other Canadian provinces and territories, most plants can only be operated under the supervision of a certified and licensed power engineer.

Inspection and Technical Services Manitoba (ITSM) oversees power engineer examinations and certification in Manitoba. In this role, ITSM enforces laws that apply to power engineers, including The Power Engineers Act and the Power Engineers Regulation40/92 (Regulation). These laws specify certification requirements that apply to power engineers in Manitoba.In Manitoba, we have the following classes of power engineer certificates:

Each certificate class, section 5 of the Regulation specifies what duties the certificate holder can perform. Section 3 of the Regulation defines various classes of plants.

Source: Manitoba Office of the Fire Commissioner and Inspection & Technical Service Manitoba

CAREER VIDEO(S)

Source: WorkBC’s Career Trek Power Engineer (Episode 53)

RELATED CAREERS

Note: Additional training and/or certification may be required.
BOILERMAKER
REFRIGERATION & AIR CONDITIONING MECHANIC
WATER AND WASTEWATER TECHNICIAN

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment of power engineers may vary depending on the company you work in.

Some engineers work from a central control room, from which they can monitor and operate the systems in the rest of the building. Others usually walk around, tending and operating machines by hand. They may work alone or as part of a team.

In your work environment, you may:

Source: Careercruising.com

ESSENTIAL SKILLS PROFILES

The Government of Canada Job Bank has identified Nine Literacy and Essential Skills (Reading, Writing, Document Use, Numeracy, Computer Use, Thinking, Oral Communication, Working with Others, and Continuous Learning).

Below you will find links to the Essential Skills Profiles for this occupation and/or related ones:

WAGES

According to jobbank.gc.ca, and their Labour Market Information for Manitoba, they list low, medium, and high wages for Power Engineers as the following:
LOW WAGE MEDIUM WAGE HIGH WAGE
$25.27 / hour (average in MB)
$37.20 / hour (average in MB)
$49.70 / hour (average in MB)

TRAINING

If you are still in high school, here are some suggested subject areas to study that could help prepare you for further training in this field. Please check if these courses are available at your school and/or whether they will meet your graduation requirements. Some examples may include the following:

Source: Careercruising.com

To become a Power Engineer or Power Engineering Technician n Manitoba, you must study Power Engineering Technology or a related field. You can study this program at the following post-secondary institutions:

SCHOOL/PROGRAM Certificate/Diploma
Assiniboine Community College (ACC)

Power Engineering (4th Class)
1 Year, Certificate
  • Full Time
  • Includes Work Practicum
+ Write Fourth Class provincial exams
Manitoba Institute of Trades and Technology (MITT)

Power Engineering Technician (4th Class)
8 Months, Certificate
  • Full Time
  • No Work Practicum
+ Write Fourth Class provincial exams
2 Year Diploma
  • Program focus: Power Plant Operation
Optional one-year certificate exit
+ Write Fourth Class provincial exam

ASSOCIATIONS

Click the links below for associations related to this career!