jodakin

Hi,
Can anyone be of any help - please? Me, my wife and our 2 children are heading out to the Gold Coast next July/Aug (fingers crossed), we lodged our skilled visa on 16.10.07 so we're now just waiting. Could anyone share their experiences with me (good or bad) with regards to finding work, wages, how do your employers and fellow workers treat you etc...? Here in the UK I am a fully qualified Plumber and Corgi Registered Gas Fitter - although I know it doesn't count for much once over in Oz, so any advice/help with regards to getting an Australian Plumbing Licence would be most appreciated.
Thanks everyone

snow-white

hi shaun,
we arrived goldcoast in august 2007 and like you my husband is corgi gas fitter and qualified plumber, we applied for our visa funnily enough oct 16th 2006 and we got them on feb 14th.
we applied to tra under steves my oh gas fitter skills and when we arrived found that on goldcoast its all lpg so he cannot have his license unless hes done some lpg training course but if we lived in brisbane its mains gas so he could have had a license there.
anyway we had been here 4 weeks when he got a job working for a big plumbing company on a construction site ie maintenance plumber these are better paid, when you get here its a case of applying and waiting a few weeks for them to get back to you, he was given his provisional plumbers licence on arrival but would still have to either work for a company for a year and they can then sign him off to get his full license immediately. or do a course. but you can get plenty work employed with just your provisional. hope this helps a little lesley

jodakin

Thanks Lesley for replying, where have you guys decided to settle? we have friends at Pacific Pines and have been there for nearly four months now.
How is your partner doing at the moment? and what kind of work is he doing? Bri(from Pac Pines) is a site manager and has received some grief from the subbies which i suppose is expected but still dissapointing.
Before i read your reply all i could find was some quiet negative threads and story's of guys going back home! and to make things worse there's two guys (plumbers) from my merchants who have come back, however are now regretting it!
If there is any more info you could give Lesley i would really appreciate it,
thanks again Shaun.

snow-white

hi shaun,
will pm you were we live, but weve been here 4 months also.
my hubbie found work after 4 weeks of being here there is work for plumbers just some of it poorly paid $18 per hour was first job he was offered but it was near home when your only on provisional but if you can get a start ie maintenace or on construction site you will be on better rate, steve got his bluecard straight away a friend put his name forward to the manager who was looking for good plumbers he had an interview 3 week trial and then got made permanent not sub contracting employed and paid weekly wage on $40 per hour but this includes his allowance for travelling as he has to drive o job which is about 40 mins away form where we live. hes working for saunders plumbing, wheres bri site manager at?
will he be able to give you a start when you arrive
any help i can give just ask
lesley

Pollyana

BE now has a forum specifically for plumbers -
http://britishexpats.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=119
so you may be able to get some info from there too

SarahJane2007

Just read your thread and am I right thinking you said that if hubby works under a company for a year then he will get his licence without doing a course? Or did I read that wrong? Cheers.

snow-white

hi yes thats what theyve told him if he works for same plumbing company under his provisional for a full 12 months they said they can sign him off to regain his full license again which is what he had in uk
lesley

snow-white

shaun youve set your profile to not receive private messages therefore cant reply to your pm.
lesley