BrittleSkittle

Hi people!

Just wondering if anyone here happens to work, or has worked in the water industry and what the opportunities are like for potential immigrants from the UK?

I work for my local water company and general duties are leakage investigations on the network and commercial and domestic pinpointing, water quality/sampling from mains burst incidents and customer complaints, flushing, new development surveys for new connections, emergency/planned network shut downs and rezoning, responding to customer requests for private supply turn on/offs, basic repairs, meter replacements and installs, pipe tracing, responding to calls of no water issues (usually due to mains bursts, private leakage or internal plumbing issues).

The problem being, in my mind, many of the jobs I see advertised involve wastewater systems too. Here, potable water and wastewater systems are maintained by separate teams for mainly hygienic reasons obviously! Also, many ask for qualifications whereas I don't actually have specific qualifications - I only have 4 years experience with in-house training that is signed off on a training company specific "passport".

Would I stand a genuine fighting chance of obtaining employment within the beautiful country of NZ?

Snap Shot

I worked for a company called, 'City Care' when I lived in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Google their company name and see if they have any vacancies. They deal with waste water, water and storm water arrangements.

Any local authority will have an infrastructure department. It was being able to refer to my work at, 'City Care' that got me a job at a local authority in, as you call it, 'beautiful New Zealand'.

Good luck.

P.S. Veolia are a major water infrastructure company here just like Europe. Downer do infrastructure work too. Google those names and see what vacancies they have.

You will need a pair of cotton shorts to wear as well as safety boots when you are working on water pipes in NZ. Even NZ employers would draw the line at jandals (flip flops) whilst on site.

BrittleSkittle

Excellent, thank you Snap Shot.

Would you know if any of the companies you have mentioned have offered anyone (maybe even yourself) a job on the premise of obtaining a visa?

Thanks again.

MrsFychan

You would need to check that you can actually uplift a visa with the skill set you currently have.

Snap Shot

You're welcome.

No, I don't know if anyone was offered a job in the circumstances you remarked on.

I am married to a New Zealander. I have a family category visa which gave me Permanent Residency straight away.

I did admin at, 'City Care' and at the local authority I worked at, not technical work.