Natwray82

Hi all,

I am a newly qualified social worker and intend on going to Perth on WHV in December. By this time I will have 14 months experience post qualifying, many of the jobs and the Australian Association of Social Workers require 3 years PQ experience however it is not mandatory to be part of the AASW to work as a social worker.

So my plan is to go out there with my certificate of registration (GSCC), enhanced disclosure, certificates of training including the PQ consolidation course I am currently doing and my CV in the hope that someone will have me - I am aware that can only stay in one job for 6 months however I often see temporary contracts for this length of time. If I can't work in child protection as I wish to, there are lots of opportunties in youth support.

My questions are:
1. Obviously I'm trained in the UK therefore my knowledge is of UK legislation - I have familiarised myself with the australian laws and the signs of safety approach however I believe the true learning is in practice - how would I mention this in my CV should I talk about UK stuff and compare it to Australia or just be honest and say that I am willing to learn and am reading about it?

2. You can apply for skilled visa if you have worked in social work type role for two years onshore - would youth support count as a 'like' job?

Hopefully by getting out there I can prove myself and maybe get sponsored (wishful thinking).


Thanks in advance for any guidance or info.


~ When you live for a strong purpose, then hard work isn’t an option. It’s a necessity. ~

Bermudashorts

If you are serious about a permanent move to Australia then you should be aware that it is entirely possible to shoot yourself in the foot by going on a WHV in the first place. In that if you do have trouble securing suitable work then the gap in your CV will make it difficult to meet the recent work experience requirements.

I don't have any comments on your first question, but regarding the second, I would have to question the statement about being able to apply for a skilled visa because you have worked for two years onshore. There are various criteria for applying for a skilled migrant visa but have never heard of this as being one of them, working onshore might provide some points at best, but there is a lot more to it.

Good luck with your plans.

Natwray82

Hi again,

When filling out the visa form etc it appears you get more points for working in a like job onshore.

I have looked at all the visas and I have enough points to go - I used the Australian Visa Bureau and the response was:

'Dear Natalie ,

Thank you for your recent online assessment for a skilled migration visa to Australia. We have reviewed your details and as you are under 31 we think you might be better suited to applying for a Working Holiday Visa. The reason for this is because it can take 12 to 18 months to get a Skilled Migration Visa and it can cost around GB£4000 to GB£5000.' (not that I had an issue with paying!)

Also there are a number of sponsorship opportunities in Victoria/NT which only need one year experience which I will have - would it be an option to go over to Perth where I wish to be based and if I can't find a job etc apply for sponsorship in a different location whilst I am onshore?

I really need to get out there! After exhausting all my options over there maybe I would just need to come back to my job and complete the required 3 years! So its not all bad

Thanks