lang81

Hi guys,

I am coming to OZ in mid November and would appreciate any help with finding a job. I have not decided where to settle yet as i was hoping to have secured a job by now, however after about 30 applications on Seek.com i have only received one reply, which was a no.
I have been working as a subby for the last 2 years and would like to continue this type of work, but i would also work for a company for a while so that i could settle into Australian life.
I was thinking of going to Brisbane or Gold/Sunshine coast but would consider any location if i had a job offer.
I would appreciate any help as after reading about the supposed shortage of carpenters i am beginning to worry that there may not be as many jobs as we are led to believe.
If anyone is looking for a mate to work with then please get in touch.

Oh while i am here , can anyone tell me how you go about getting a blue card and if it takes long to get.

Thanks for any help.

ivanjjordan

u can do ur blue card on line i belive and print it off ,its some kind of heath and safety thing .

lang81

Thanks for that mate , i will have a look into that.

Anyone looking for a good carpenter ????

shiels

Been told the Gold Coast has lots of work for this type of profession.... thats why we are heading that way...... C x

daisylilymum

I think you need a license to work as a carpenter in Queensland, NSW, Victoria, NT. I've heard it's quite hard to get & if you don't have it finding a job is harder.

If you're considering Queensland look at www.bsa.qld.gov.au

There have been a couple of threads in recent months where carpenters are having a tough time with this. Do a search I guess?!

In WA & SA, you don't need any license as far as I know. Maybe you should consider these states?

Anyway, whatever you decide, best of luck!

The Bloke

[QUOTE=daisylilymum]I think you need a license to work as a carpenter in Queensland, NSW, Victoria, NT. I've heard it's quite hard to get & if you don't have it finding a job is harder.

If you're considering Queensland look at www.bsa.qld.gov.au

There have been a couple of threads in recent months where carpenters are having a tough time with this. Do a search I guess?!

QUOTE]

Yes, you do need a licence to be a carpenter, or any trade, for that matter, in Qld. It was brought in to control a spate of shonky builders ripping peple off. You will most likely have to start at the bottom until you can get your qualifications upgraded, which unfortunately may mean going to TAFE and doing what amounts to a short refresher course.
Don't despair, there is work around espacially in renovations but it can be patchy at times.
Talk to BSA, though be prepared for gov't double-talk.

Ozzy dog

Hi,

You've got a bit of a journey ahead of you so just get your head around that and you'll be OK.

You CAN NOT do your blue card on line, you have to go in person in QLD. Also you have to complete a business course and get your trade skills recognised in the state that you want to settle in. These things take time, but it is worth it in the end. If you can get a chippy job on the money you might be expecting 'before' you arrive I'll take my hat off to you.

You can not work legally on site with out your blue card. (Health & Safety)

If you don't have your own license you 'may' be able to find another chippy who will allow you to work under theirs (but don't hold your breath), plus obviously as they are taking the risk the money will reflect this.

I would pick the time your going to arrive - we were very ignorant to this and arrived over the Xmas period - everything closed bad idea and not the best time to look for job. If your arriving in Nov, things may start to slow down for Xmas and without a license it may be very difficult to get a salaried job or impossible.

If your looking to be salaried - $18 - $22/26 per hour if your lucky and you will be required to have a license.

Basically every body is - and is encouraged by the system here to sub contract. If 'taken on' by another builder, you still may not be guaranteed pay if there is no work.

We're is QLD and hubby is a self employed chippy - it has been a hard slog and he is only now feeling he has his head around it, it can be worrying at times but we're just making the most of it whilst we can. He even took on an apprentice for the bigger jobs, but as they have no training at college on the tools etc. It became a slow and costly task. Basically we had to pay a trainning company $650 per week (poor lad only got just over $200!). On some jobs we paid out more than hubby earnt!!!!! Also we still would have to pay even if there was no work!!!!!!!!! Not really workable for us at the moment which was a great shame. Trainning company took all incentives from Government - it felt like just one bloody big scam. No wonder they have no tradesmen, and no one to take these apprenticeships. Employing one direct was not workable and too costly as well.

If you still arrive in November it may be a good idea to work a break into your plans, still look but be prepared. Oh yes and you will need your own Ute and tools!!!!!! Set up costs could surprise you.

Just need to point out that it took hubby 9 months to get his license, inbetween this there were times of worry, (no work), he worked in Brisbane docks on a luxery linner fitting it out interesting but pay was $27 per hour, had to pay own, GST, Income tax and remember no pension so ended up with less than $20!!!!!!

It sounds doom and gloom, but our biggest problem was our own lack of info, so just be prepared and get intouch if you decide on QLD, we are in Thornlands about 45 mins out of Brisbane.

If you have any specific questions put them our way I'll do my best to answer them.

Good luck

Tracey

SBUK

Ball ache! the post above say's it all...Qld seems a hard cookie to break,Im just plodding on with it and hope something a little better comes along! its a case of NOT what you know .. but who you know, Im gonna give it a tad longer and if it still feels crappy then try something different.
Simon 'gripfill' Burbage

sunnyj

You do need a license in South Australia to be a chippy. Although as said you can work for someone that has got a license. The jobs are very hard to come by here and you cannot work for yourself until you have a license, which is an expensive and long process. The wage down here for an unlicensed chippy is between $18 and $24 per hour. This is what the other half has experienced anyway. I have heard that you can get up to $35 per hour if you are licensed, I don't know how true it is as we haven't experienced this kind of wage.
Be prepared to start at the bottom of your trade again and do some pretty sh*t jobs too.

Julie

macker

Its so confusing!!!. Am I right in saying that you don't need this license in Melbourne or Perth?

ivanjjordan

whats the TRA for?

lang81

Wow, some great replies there. It does sound quite difficult to get a job out there, so much for " you will get a job no bother "
This is the first time i have had doubts about what i am doing !!!
Looks like Perth may be the way to go.

jad n rich

The post ozzy dog has given is excellent, not because it may make people have doubts, but because it gives people the honest answer as to what they will go through, they can plan and allow for it.

The " get a job no bother" posts are rarely written by those in the trade, unless they are in a town which is the current boom town, the most recent one was perth, I have said that would come off the boil once it got 2 interest rate rises, the 2 rate rises have hit and it has begun to slow, but that will take a full 12/18 months to flow thorough to building starts due to work already been approved.

If you know the score, you can plan, plenty of pom tradies working in other areas, notably home loans, sales, cleaning, and dropping leaflets for odd jobs etc. If it pays the bills why not

sunnyj

You would think that the TRA would be sufficient enough to get you a license but you have to run your qualifications past them again when you get here in order to get a license.
I would of thought too that once you had jumped though one set of hoops that would be it, but I'm afraid there is even more hoops to jump through before you can get up and running.

Julie

jad n rich

Tra might say you are a carpenter, but the license issued from the state is to hold you financially and legally responsible for your work.

I am not sure if many people realise its not just another qualification its basically to make you liable legally for just any financial or legal rectification required :scared: On richs license, even if he leaves the country hes still expected to carry insurance for any claims made against him, even if they occur in 20 years time. Which is why not so many aussie tradesmen are that keen to employ someone without their own little number.