Max Chernetsov is president of SEEDA Inc.
Max Chernetsov
What’s SEEDA and what does it do?
Chernetsov: SEEDA is an association of unemployed or underemployed engineering and environmental professionals with Canadian and international experience wanting to contribute to the Canadian economy with innovative ideas.
We offer qualified professionals to work on specific problems identified by our clients related to project planning, engineering, procurement, management, compliance and regulatory requirements.
What was the impact of the 2015 and 2016 recession on your industry?
Chernetsov: The recession had a devastating impact on the livelihood of all professionals that worked directly for the energy industry and for consulting organizations that provided services to energy companies. Many people lost jobs and trust.
However, we believe that many new projects will soon start in Canada and internationally and will provide opportunities for engineers to solve problems.
What are you hearing out there about the profession and the current economy?
Chernetsov: It is a tough time for engineering professionals in Alberta because many investments and technical jobs suddenly disappeared to places elsewhere.
Because of what’s happened in the oil patch, is there a concern about the number of people who might want to enter the profession in the future?
Chernetsov: It is a big concern to me. Engineers have contributed enormously to the development of Canada. Take a look at our Re-Engineering Canada piece on seeda.ca website. It shows good examples from Canadian history where great engineers led great developments.
In the current economic situation, many engineers and internationally-graduated professionals can’t find jobs. That could wrongfully scare people away from the profession.
Is there anything you would like to add about the organization to let people know more about what you do?
Chernetsov: Supported by the ReSourceYYC – co-working for professionals – we engage with professional newcomers to educate and develop small groups of professionals to work alongside them on small to medium-sized projects.
Some of your readers could have a project for us to work on. If they’re invested in lending a hand to developing engineering talent in this region, then they need to contact us at 403-966-9848 or [email protected].
– Mario Toneguzzi
The views, opinions and positions expressed by columnists and contributors are the author’s alone. They do not inherently or expressly reflect the views, opinions and/or positions of our publication.
