Oilfield Industry in Saskatchewan

Description

This is a picture of one of the very many drilling rigs around the Estevan area. I took this photo in the summer for my dad who works in the oilfield, hence the lack of snow!

Sociological Interpretation

There are such an abundance of oil field jobs available in Saskatchewan that many people are getting hired for and many families and individuals are moving here from all over the world to be a part of this growing industry.

Society has many different classes of people, from those who strive for power and wealth and get it, to those who strive to simply survive day after day. In a perfect world, everyone would be equal. People would work equal hours and equal jobs; people would have same amounts of money and benefits. No one would be unsure as to whether or not they will have enough food for tomorrow, or if they will still have a roof over their heads next week. However, today, all over the world, there are people who need to worry about their jobs (or lack of), money, and surviving. These people may be incredibly hard workers who only want the best for themselves and their families but just haven’t been able to achieve it yet. Many of these people come to Saskatchewan in hopes of a new beginning and a better outcome and work in the oilfield, which can be a very rewarding, however unpredictable, industry.

Many of the people hired to work in the oilfield industry may lack necessary training and qualifications, however are still hired because workers are needed or their lack of training was simply overlooked. Many of these people desperately need the jobs to survive and support their families and may be willing to do a job without the right training, because that is what they need to do in order to survive. Employers may also be at fault for overlooking these lacks of qualifications because they need the workers in the growing industry. These workers, with their lack of training and qualifications, and the employers who hire them before providing them with necessary training, pose a serious safety hazard for themselves and their fellow workers. More and more accidental deaths are happening in the oil field due to unqualified workers not knowing proper procedures and safety measures. Society and the industry needs to make sure that every worker they have is up to date in their training and safety and that they have available courses for those who aren’t so they can begin legally working as soon as possible. Unfortunately, in our society the workers would be missing out on pay checks and working hours if they were to take the necessary courses and training, so often it’s overlooked. In order to be successful in our society, people need to work and earn money. In order to do this, many careers require prior schooling, training, etc before they can advance. Unfortunately many people cannot afford this schooling and must either settle for a less paying, lower job or else illegally make their way into a particular career, as some oilfield workers are forced to do.