yorkies

I have read that lots of trades need a license before they can even start working, even though they passed the TRA. Does this apply to carpenters/joiners? Could my husband start work straight away?
We are planning to move to the Gold Coast.

He presently works as a finishing foreman, Would he need a license
for that aswell?

Any advice would be welcome.

Thanks

jad n rich

Needs Lic, do a search on QBSA,

Unlikely to get formans job untill has aussie experience.

annqldau

Need a license to breath in Aus so can't see him being able to do current job without one.

cresta's conscience

Yes he needs a licence. As JadnRich says check out the QBSA website it's not the Christian football one on google, they nicked the address first.
Be careful what you say to them when you apply as they can be very "jobsworth" Sean was refused a licence at first as he was honest and declared that he'd been a foreman running jobs. They said he lacked hands on experience as he'd been out of his trade, He had to get more refs from his boss in the U.K declaring that he was a working foreman not a walk about with a mobile phone one.

yorkies

So would that mean he would be unlikely to get a job either through
an agency or otherwise until he has this license?
He is totally aware that he will have to go back on the tools when we
first get there. Does he need this license for a straightforward joiners
job?

It makes me worried now!!

Vash the Stampede

IMMI.

Why?

sunnyj

Be prepared to start at the very bottom again as they don't give two hoots about what you did in the UK.
Some people are quite lucky and drop onto a good job but not very often.
Most people end up doing the sh*t work.
He will be able to work under someone with a license to start with, but if he plans to work on a site he will most probably need a license.
You even have to have a license to fit kitchens here.
My other half has been a Carpenter for 15 years and whenever he has worked on a site he has done all the jobs from 1st fix to 2nd fix, kitchen fitting, you name it he did it. Here people are contracted out to do everything individually. What I am trying to say that things are done very much differently here, so tell him to be prepared.
He will have more chance of getting more money if he does have his license.
There is a lot work involved in getting a license, including paying out wads of money to do so.
We live in Adelaide and the other half has had jobs ranging from $18 to $24 an hour, which is quite ridiculous for a trades person. Needless to say he is now applying for his license (once he has done his 2 courses).
Also down here in Adelaide trying to find a job full stop is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. "Crying out for Carpenters" is what we heard, they must be having a laugh.
Look at the website from "The office of consumer and business affairs" they will tell you what you need to know regarding licensing etc.

Julie

yorkies

It makes me worried as he would need to start work asap.
We will have the money from the house and savings but that really
should be to buy a new house/cars etc not just day to day living
expenses. Thank you for the information its all been really helpful.

yorkies

Thanks Julie

Yes that's what you hear. I would just like to know the reality of it
all, and not get there and find we have put ourselves in a dodgy
financial position.

Vash the Stampede

Of course, I should have realised.

You're welcome.

cresta's conscience

I found the link to the QBSA website. As your heading to the Gold Coast a licence is necessary if your hubby wants to work as a subcontractor. It can take quite a while to process a licence application Sean's took over 9 months partly because each individual governing body sings from a different hymn sheet.
To gain a licence you must fulfill the requirements exactly.
To get your trade skills verified you can go to the DET which is the department of education and training they charge you about a hundred bucks or so to look at your city & guilds and any other proof of training you have. A letter from a U.K employer stipulating exactly the scope of work is something they like to see, we used a copy of the one Sean had for the TRA.
To obtain the necessary certificate you also have to have your skills assessed by an on site assessor another hundred bucks or so. DET will arrange this for you and as soon as you find work you can ring the assessor and arrange a visit, they're all ex tradies and are really easy to deal with. Now if your hubby actually manages to find work unlicensed it's worth noting that the QBSA have never prosecuted an individual who is working to enable an assessor to verify his skills. You hear horror stories they aren't true.
You also need to attend a three day business course and gain a certificate for that. Once you have a valid skills assessment and a certificate of attending the business course you can actually apply for the licence. It costs about 400 bucks for the first year and a couple of hundred thereafter.
You don't need to have had a positive skills assessment prior to doing the business course we were told we did and it cost us a three month delay until we could get on another one.
Your hubby will find work easier to get if he visits sites and asks for a start, Sean spent a day or two driving around building sites asking questions and handing out his phone number before he got a start.
Be aware that all tools need to be tested and tagged before they are allowed on site, most electricians are happy to test a set of chippies tools for either a carton of stubbies or about 50 bucks. Tags last three months in Qld only a month if you head over the border to NSW.
If he's bored while looking for work he could actually apply to the T.A.F.E and do the test and tag course himself again it's a couple of hundred bucks.

Clippy

Just wanted to post to say there's some useful info on this thread

Thanks everyone

Clippy

That is a phrase I have heard over and over so until now have been quite reassured by it. Now you saying this is not the case is a concern I must admit

floweroscotland

Hi, My hubby is a carpenter on the GC, been here 2 and a half years and he still hasn't got his licence, and he's never been out of work, if you look hard enough you won't have a problem without a licence. even though my hubby was a carpenter for 15 years in the UK, he went to college here one night a week for 18 weeks to get his Cert III which enables you to apply for the licence, he has just been too lazy to do the weekend course that gets you the licence, as any job he has had have never bothered. You MUST have your blue card for health and safety to work on sites, but this is done in 4 hours. Also tell your hubby not to call himself a Joiner here as they assume all you can do is fit kitchens (he needs to say carpenter). The average rate here is $30 an hour as a subcontractor.

Lisa

yorkies

Thankyou very much for this.
I feel abit stupid asking all these questions at this late stage.
We already have our visas, we validated them in August, have just sold the
house and have flights booked for the 1st January 2007. So you can imagine I
though HELL, he won't be able to bring money in!!!

We are going to settle in Robina/Varsity lakes. We have a 5 year old who
will start school in January 2007 over there.

It's put my mind at rest (a little bit) that he can start work straight away!!!

Thanks again