T Bag

Hi.
I will be arriving in SA/Adelaide in Jan/Feb 2007 and hopefully starting work as a carpenter/joiner (got subclass 136 visa). Can anyone help me with the following:-
1. What work can I do without a Licence? Am I right in thinking I can only work for someone who's licensed?
2. How often have my electrical tools got to be Tested and Tagged?
3. What is the process (experience/courses/etc) and how long does it take to get a contractors licence?
4. And lastly - what are the employment prospects for a carpenter in SA.
Hope someone out there can help.
Cheers.

Wendy

You don't need a licence in South Australia

http://www.immi.gov.au/asri/occupati...er-4411-11.htm

Can't help with the rest I'm afraid. I'll have a search tomorrow for you if no-one else knows though (it's a bit late now and I'm off to bed )

mr mover

try your search here Tbag..
http://s2.invisionfree.com/Adelaidebrits
i know there are a couple of chippies who post......... mm

steve-n-jo

I am a site supervisor for SA's largest house builder.
1. You DO need a contractors licence to do any work on your own, and if you are carrying out any work you will also need to be registered as a Carpentry Supervisor or employ the services of a registered supervisor to sign off your work. But if you work directly for another contractor you do not need a licence.
2. Electrical tools should be tagged and tested every three months (but you can do a course so you can test and tag your own tools)
3.The best thing to do is join the Master Builders Association South Australia when you arrive and do your courses thru them, also if you register with the CITB (nothing to do with UK version) you get discounted course fees.

All the information you need is available at the Office of Consumer and Business Affairs (the licencing body) at http://www.ocba.sa.gov.au/
They list the courses you must take (these include the master builders courses) www.mbasa.com.au.

You can get a licence quite quickly, but you cant take short cuts, just do the courses they say and you will have your licence. when you get it I may be able to help you get a job.

Steve

sunnyj

You definitley need a license to work in SA for yourself.
If you are lucky enough to get a job, the money won't be much but it would be more working for yourself.
Some people are finding it very hard to get a job here as a Carpenter/joiner, I know we have experienced this and have heard of others too.
Getting a license is costly, at the moment the other half as shelled out $445 to join Master Builders, $370 for his fast track financial planning and legal issues course and $350 for his timber framing coding course.
You then have to get a police check $45 and you also have to pay to apply for your license. If there are anymore costs that people know of please let us know as well.
After all this you might be lucky enough to be registered in the job you want to do. Some people can only get registered to be say, a kitchen installer even though they have done all aspects of Carpentry.
When you get here don't expect to be falling over yourself with work because there isn't as much as you would be led to believe.
If Steve can get you a job, then you are well in.
Word of mouth is the main way of getting a job here, but if you know no one to start with it can be very hard.

Not trying to put you off, but just telling it how we have found it.

Julie

T Bag

Steve/Julie. Thanks very much for the info. It's getting clearer what I've got to do. I don't mind starting 'at the bottom' again and doing the courses etc. to get licensed.
I'll (+wife and 7 &11 years old sons) be staying at my sisters in Parafield Grds when we get there so will be looking for work from there without too much pressure about housing.
I'll be leaving most of my tools behind (they're well worn anyway) so if anyone can tell me where (not Brunnings) I can buy quality tools in the Adelaide area I would be greatful.
Also where I could get a decent van from (without being ripped off).

Steve - thanks for the offer to get in touch when I get there, I'll certainly remember it.
cheers for now.
T Bag

sunnyj

Hello T Bag, you can get your tools from places called Gasweld or Total tools, they sell all your Makita, Paslode, Dewalt etc. We live in the south, so I could only tell you where to get them there, but Steve lives up North, so he could let you know where else to get them from too. As regards tools, if you can clean them up and they work, bring them, the other half shipped loads of tools, but also left some too as there were too many to clean, he wishes he had bothered now.

Good luck.

Julie