Other trades helpers and labourers
Career Overview
This group includes trade helpers and labourers, not elsewhere classified, who:
- Help skilled tradespersons and perform labouring activities with the installation, maintenance and repair of industrial machinery, refrigeration, heating and air conditioning equipment
- Help with the maintenance and repair of transportation and heavy equipment
- Help with the installation and repair of telecommunication and power cables
- Help with other repair and service work settings
- Are employed by a wide variety of manufacturing, utility and service companies
Job Titles
Duties
Trade helpers and labourers in this unit group perform some or all of the following duties:
- Move tools, equipment and other materials to and from work areas
- Help with splicing overhead and underground communications and electric power transmission cables
- Help with repairing, maintaining and installing industrial machinery and equipment
- Help with repairing, maintaining and installing refrigeration, heating and air conditioning equipment
- Help with repairing, maintaining and installing elevators
- Help with repairing and maintaining stationary electric power generating and distribution equipment
- Help with mechanical, electrical and body repairs of aircraft, railway cars, automobiles, trucks, buses, heavy equipment and motorcycles
- Help with repairing electrical appliances, small engines or other similar equipment
- Mix fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides and load mixture into airplane for aerial spraying
- Help with land surveying activities, such as holding or moving stakes and rods, clearing brush and debris from line of survey and transporting surveying tools to work area
- Do other labouring and elemental tasks as needed
Earnings
Earnings is income that workers receive in exchange for their labour. Depending on the type of employment, earnings can be in the form of wages (hourly), salaries (fixed monthly or annual) or self-employed earnings.
Work Environment
# Workers Employed
1,230% Employed Full Time
41%Key aspects of the work in this occupation:
- Work takes place indoors and outdoors in various weather conditions
- Workers may be exposed to hazardous substances such as pesticides
- Work takes place near or with equipment, instruments, machinery or power/hand tools that may be a source of accident or injury
- Workers may be exposed to flying particles, noise, vibration, strong odours and dust.
- Workplaces such as elevators can be hazardous
- Workers work on electric power equipment that may be a source of electrical shock
Career Pathways
There is little or no movement between occupations in this group.
Related Careers
Occupational Interests
It’s important to understand what kinds of occupations align with your interests.
For more about occupational interests visit Skills for the Future Workforce > Characteristics.
Here are the top occupational interest(s) for this career profile:
Education, Training and Skills
Some secondary school education may be required.
On-the-job training is provided.
Workers who are certified for an occupation by a regulator elsewhere in Canada can apply for the same certification from the regulator in B.C. Under the terms of the Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA), most applicants who are transferring their credentials from elsewhere in Canada will not be required to complete additional training or testing. However, the B.C. regulator may ask applicants to provide further information such as a letter of good standing, references, or criminal record check.
For those who trained outside of Canada and never received certification from any Canadian jurisdiction, a full assessment is likely needed. Most occupational regulators have a process for assessment and recognize internationally trained applicants.
Contact SkilledTradesBC for details on how to apply for certification in B.C.
For information about labour mobility in Canada, visit www.workersmobility.ca.
View a list of Professional Regulatory Authorities in B.C.
Education programs in B.C.
The following program areas are related to this occupation:
- Academic/Basic Upgrading
Skills
Every job calls for a certain set of skills. Knowing those skills is the first step in finding a good career fit.
Here, you will find the 10 most relevant workplace skills. Some are more important to achieving success in a certain career than others. These skills may come naturally to you or you may need to gain them through education, training and experience.
See the list of work-related skills below, ranked in order of importance for this career. Check out the list and see if this career matches your skills—take that first step!
Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
Watching gauges, dials or other indicators to make sure that a machine is working properly.
Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Conducting tests and inspections of products, services or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Talking to others to share information effectively.
Labour Market Statistics
Discover data, facts and information that have been gathered and analyzed. Learn about the characteristics of the economy and labour market in B.C.
Employment
Find out about employment types and trends by region and industry.
Employment
1,230Employment by Region
| Region | Employment | % Employment of this Occupation |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | 80 | 6.5% |
| Kootenay | 90 | 7.3% |
| Mainland/Southwest | 675 | 55.1% |
| North Coast and Nechako | 60 | 4.9% |
| Northeast | 35 | 2.9% |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 130 | 10.6% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 160 | 13.1% |
Labour Market Outlook
The B.C. Labour Market Outlook is a 10-year forecast of the expected supply and demand for labour in the province. It’s usually updated every year. The purpose is to provide British Columbians with the knowledge to make informed decisions on careers, skills training, education and hiring.
Forecasted Job Openings (2024-2034)
350Forecasted Job Openings
Forecasted Employment Growth Rate
Composition of Job Openings
Job Openings by Region (2024-2034)
| Region | Job Openings | Avg. Annual Employment Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | 10 | 0.6% |
| Kootenay | 20 | 0.2% |
| Mainland/Southwest | 240 | 1.6% |
| North Coast and Nechako | 10 | 0.3% |
| Northeast | 10 | 0.6% |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 30 | 1.3% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 30 | 0.4% |
Industry Highlights
Learn about the opportunities in B.C.'s major industries, including employment trends, earning potential, locations of work and more.
Forecasted Job Openings by Industry
| Industry | Job Openings (2024-2034) |
|---|---|
| Construction | 180 |
| Repair, Personal and Non-Profit Services | 50 |
| Retail Trade | 40 |
| Professional, Scientific and Technical Services | 30 |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 20 |
Resources
Resource information is currently not available.
