Dan Watters: Petro Chemicals

Dan is a plant-operating technician for Nova Chemicals. He has been in the business for 20 years. As a technician, he operates the various aspects of the plant on a rotating 24/7-shift schedule. The plant produces linear low polyethylene, which is used in a variety of products such as grocery bag and toddler toys. He was attracted to a career with Nova because it offered stable employment and a higher than average earning potential. He finds the rotating shift allows him more days off at one time. His job also allows him the opportunity to utilize both his intellectual and physical abilities. To be a plant-operating technician a third to first class power engineering degree is required. Students who could adapt to shift work and want hands on work may be interested in a career as a plant-operating technician. However, Dan advises students who are considering this career choice to take power engineering at SAIT or NAIT and apply for a work-training program. This pro active approach would eliminate the guess work related to the possible stresses caused by shift work which results in a burn out rate of five to eight per cent. Nova Chemicals has a work program set up with various colleges and universities.