No life like it
More than 265 jobs available in the army reserves in Cape Breton
There are no jobs like them. The Canadian Armed Forces have more than 268 positions open for army reservists in Cape Breton and about 1,000 across Nova Scotia and P.E.I.
Although mainly part-time positions, the jobs include minimal commitments, good pay, benefits and education assistance for students.
“The entry level positions are people off the street with no military experience,” said Lieutenant-Colonel Andrew Morrison, commanding officer of the 36 Signal Regiment of the Canadian Armed Forces.
“They come in and we train them and provide all kinds of good things.”
Morrison said every unit in Nova Scotia and P.E.I. — the 36 Canadian Brigade Group — has vacancies and the army commander wants to fill these positions and grow the reserve across Canada.
“He’s looking out West and out East, where there’s a lot of vacancies and wants those to be filled,” he said. “At some point in the future, if they don’t get filled, he could say he’ll move them somewhere where they are going to be filled, but that decision hasn’t been made yet.”
Morrison said if the positions are filled, it could mean more jobs across the country including Cape Breton.
“He could say to bring in more positions into an area (that’s) able to fill them.”
Morrison said the high level of vacancies could be for several reasons, including not getting the word out to the public as well as people having the wrong impression of the commitment.
“Some people think we could be deployed overseas at a moment’s notice and be put in harm’s way. Those in the reserves would volunteer to deploy. They’d send the regular force for something like that.”
A reservist is a part time member of the Canadian army, navy or air force. Commitment is from September to May for a minimum of one night a week and one or two weekends a month. The positions provide extra income for people with full-time civilian jobs or student wanting a midlife career change.
A member of the reserves can get out the service by giving a 30day notice at any time.
The reserves accept people as young as 16 with a Grade 10 education and parental permission, but the older recruits are accepted as well.
“We just signed up a lady with no military experience that’s 55years old for the field ambulance in Halifax,” Morrison said. “She’ll spend the next five years in the army reserves as a medic.
“You have to retire by age 60, (but) if you’re a healthy older woman or man age 50 to 55 and still want to do this, you can.”
Starting pay without experience or a degree would be $105.46 per day or $52.73 for a half day or evening.
“A lot of reservists who pass the basic training phase are usually bringing home anywhere from $5,000 to $10,00 or even $15,000 a year, just working part time.”
Opportunities for students include receiving up to $2,000 a year for tuition for four years for most degrees and college programs and guaranteed four months full-time work.
If promoted on schedule, they would be bringing home about $84,000 over four years and going back into their communities debt-free and with new skills.
Other perks include anything from discounts at local stores to dental and medical insurance and a pension based on career and days worked.
Sgt. Brian Capstick, a recruiter with the army reserve in Cape Breton, said there about 68 positions at the Dr. Guglielmo Marconi Armoury 36 Signal Regiment in Glace Bay and another 200 at the Victoria Park Armoury in Sydney, which consists of four military units, including Cape Breton Highlanders, Sydney Company of 36 Service Battalion, the Sydney Company of 36 Combat Engineer Regiment and 35 Field Ambulance.
Positions in Glace Bay include army communication information system specialists and signal officers.
There are also a few support occupations including vehicle technician, human resource administrator, financial service administrator and supply technician and other positions for those with military experience.
The application process includes a security check, medical, a physical and fitness test, aptitude test and an interview as part of the selection process.
Capstick said in the summer there are opportunities for deployment, mainly in the Atlantic Provinces but also across the country.
Master Corporal Breagh Shea, 24, of Glace Bay joined the reserves eight years ago.
“It’s been great, this has really changed my life.”
Shea was 15 years old when she joined and wasn’t sure what career path she wanted to take until talking to her father one night, when he spoke of his first job as a nursing officer with the medic corps at Victoria Park in Sydney.
Shea went on to university where she majored in business and international business, receiving $8,000 from the military to help pay for her education.
In October, Shea graduated with her degree and landed a fulltime job in the information technology section of the military in Gagetown, N.B..
Shea said her military experience changed her life.
“The military brings you to the best person you can be.”
Shaun Oram, 31, has been with the army reserves since August 2004.
“I was getting to a point where I needed a part-time job and this was available in the area so I put in for it.”
Oram has stayed because he enjoys it, but he’s in the military for family reasons as well.
“It’s a job with a decent wage that allows me to keep staying here.”