
Work History
Mike Young
"I started in the workforce as a gas pump attendant back in the community I grew up in Cumberland House Sk. I was only 12 years old and as proud as can be. No sooner later I was stocking shelves, running the till, helping mechanics in the back repair vehicles, and unloading grocery trucks I held that job until the store closed.
I continued my education through to grade 12 and graduated in 1995. The minute I graduated I headed out for employment. I was able to find little jobs with restaurants and hotels and I managed to work my way up to dietitian and line cook with the Reginal Psychiatric Center (RPC) in Saskatoon. While working, I was approached by the corrections staff. They wanted me to apply with corrections Canada because I was fluent in my native tongue ('N' dialect/cree). I applied for the job and received a letter of approval in the mail. That very same day I got a call from the Oilfield offering me a job as a Roughneck on a Beta Well Servicing service rig in Provost Alberta in Feb of 1996. It was a tossup, working indoors for 5 dollars more per hour, Or working outdoors through the elements. Here I am both feet in the oil and gas industry.
I started out roughnecking and eventually made my way to Lloydminster where I met my long-lost brother and invited myself to stay in his bachelor suite. I quickly made my way up the ladder to derrick hand within four months of being roughneck. I worked as a derrick hand for 7seven months and became a driller on a service rig. I was able to stay as a Driller for 11 months and was asked to move up to Rig manager/Driller.
By this time, I had been working for four different service rig companies and was confronted with a choice on what logo I was going to wear on my coveralls. I stayed with Raider Well servicing in Lloyd for six years as a Rig Manager.
A new opportunity presented itself and left me moving to Bradshaw Well-Service. Bradshaw later became Nabors Production Services. I managed rigs for four years for Nabors.
Then the slow times hit, I found myself working for multiple service rig companies. I started Kiertin Consulting in 2007 but was not actively working full time as a well-site supervisor until October of that year.
I was able to land a Contract with 4th Meridian Enterprises who subcontracted me to various companies as a Wellsite Supervisor.
There were times during this contract when work was slow and I was left with some time on my hands. I saw this as an opportunity to try something new. I applied to be a relief school bus driver and was able to drive a school bus for both the Catholic School Division and the Public-School Division at the same time.
FME sold out to Remedy Energy in 2013 with whom I continued sub-contracting until this last crash in 2014. I was without work in the oil and gas industry for nearly two years. I knew I needed to find something else. I found a job driving tank-truck hauling water for fracs in the Kindersley area. I continued to drive truck for almost a year. I did find a little bit of supervision with Ish Energy in Kindersley for about six months. The management changed in the office and pushed me out the door and back to trucking for another year.
While hauling water I was able to get a position at ELM Inc as a full-time sub-contractor website supervising for the Alberta Orphan Well Association and have been there since August of 2018."