Techno Freak

Has anyone had their info packs through for the Manchester skills expo yet?

Emma has been invited, but wants to see who will be there and organise who and what she sees in the time you get allotted. We have not had the packs yet.

If anyone has one, would you be able to scan and e-mail it to me?

Thanks.

angelicangela

My hubbys going on the 18th! Got a confirmation email but nothing via email on the floorplans...
He wants the info too so he can plan who to see - you get about 1 & 1/2 hours to get round (well thats what they are advising)!!
Please Email me at [email protected] if you get any info, thanks

Techno Freak

Thanks for the reply Angela. I will post if we get any info through - nothing as yet though.

Techno Freak

Emma got the info pack e-mail today, here is the link if any one is interested and hasn't got theirs yet:-

http://skillexpo.nga.net.au/mjs_cust...06%20FINAL.pdf

To be honest, she thinks she is going to cancel her place. There is absolutely nothing there for her - I don't really understand why they invited her. It's all engineering and health. We even told them on the application that we had a visa already, so it's not like she was invited so she could attend the immigration stands. There is literally NOTHING for law and management type careers.

Bit of a bummer really as I'd already spent £100 on train tickets for her.

Good luck anyone who is going and has an occupation that fits here.

angelicangela

Hi, we have just had our confirmation of the floorplans & its the same for my OH his trade is not listed - again not sure whys hes been invited either!!!

Again I have got the train tickets but downside is he loses a day at work!! as self employed

Let us know how you get on

Angela

Techno Freak

Hi -Emma has cancelled hers and sent the train tickets off for refund. They are taking a £10 admin fee, but we should get the rest back.

There just didn't seem any point at all in going as there was aabsolutelyNOTHING at all that would have any relevance to Emma. We really can't understand why they invited her.

We bought the train tickets as DIMIA website made out that you'd only be invited if they though there was something there for you. It's not even as it they invited her because of the immigration and migration stands - we told them on the application that we already had visas!

Never mind.

Let us know how you get on if you decide to go.

Tone.

angelicangela

Hi

My OH Ashley is still going to go along, his ticket was only £15 as we live in the Midlands so not a million miles away from Manchester.

Won't be much on the job front in Trades but hes going to have a chat with the SA team, since its Adelaide that we hope to migrate to! Plus the TRA are there & our results due in Mon/Tues this week, hopefully its positive but if for any reason its not - he can speak to them face to face!

Don't blame you for cancelling esp. as you have your visa already - when do you plan to actually leave the UK & where are you going to?

We have visited Queensland, Brisbane, Gold Coast & Sydney - all fab & different to each other. But to difficult for us to get into, hence SIR495 for SA

Angela

Wigan Warrior

Hi,

I've received all the details and plan to attend even though I have already lodged my visa application. I don't need sponsership as such, but if someone is prepared to pay for the flights out and relocation then I'm all for that!!

Techno Freak

We plan on moving to Melbourne - sounds like a fantastic place and I have had several job offers there.

We are booking a reccy trip for January, and all being well - hope to be out there this time next year.

Hope you get some good info at the expo.

angelicangela

Hi Technofreak

I am new to this lingo - whats a reccy trip? people talk about this a lot!

Can I ask how did you get job offers? Obviously its early days for us etc but keen to know how job offers work once you get a visa. My OH trade is not the most sought after, painter & decorator, so hes keen to show interest with any employer that will consider him for a job in SA, this in turn may dictate where we actually end up living / renting!
Our visa won't be permanent & only gives us 3 yrs in SA, we will therefore be keen to get out ASAP.

Can I ask your advise too, is it worth considering putting the house up for sale once we are sent for medicals? I just don't know at what stage to sell the house!
Obviously I won't sign anything over legally until I get the visa, but selling a house could take a few months!

Thanks for your help in advance
Angela

Techno Freak

Hi,

Reccy is short for reconnoitre - or recognisance??? - basically a scouting trip to check the place out.

As for job offers - I suppose it was just luck. I am a draughtsman, but I use a very specialist piece of software. I knew there would be plenty of draughting jobs in Melbourne, but I didnt think I would find something using the software I use. I didnt want to go back to other methods of drawing, but I thought I would do anything once we were there.

Anyway, I decided to contact the official software supplier & reseller of the package I use - they are based in Brisbane. I sent them my CV and a cover letter and asked them if they would pass it on to any companies they had sold the software to in Melbourne. I didnt expect much response to be honest.

The next morning I had 5 e-mails from drawing offices that use the software - all wanting to chat, and all have said they have a spot for me when we move over. That was another reason for a reccie, so I can meet them all and decide who to work for. It seems that draughtsmen that use this software are in high demand in Melbourne - wowee, I've lucked out.

Emma has had no luck e-mailing prospective employers, she will need to look properly once we are out there.

As far as fishing for jobs goes, I have been very lucky in that my occupation is hight in demand. From past experience though, I would suggest that your OH e-mails every single painting and decorating company he can find - preferably once you already have your visas as you will be taken far more seriously then.

As for selling houses - I wouldn't know what to suggest I'm afraid. All I can say is that we will be keeping out UK house AT ALL COSTS!!!! It will become our pension. I hate the thought of having to try and get back on the UK property ladder if we ever decide to come back to the UK. We'd rather start at the bottom again in Oz and work our way up but be safe in the knowledge that we still have a house to fall back on in the UK, ( that someone else will be paying for in rental ).

Hope some of that helps.

angelicangela

This is really useful thanks a bunch!

Ashley knows theres a local company where we live called Whittles who are headed up by another business in SA - hes got some details but like you say its too early to make contact - so we will have to wait for the visas!!

Dead nervous get the TRA result Mon / Tues - just hoping its positive!!!

I was going to rent our house, but the stress would be too much being that far away!!! We are making a clean break & intend investing the profit in the UK either offshore or in a small house for a pension.

Speak soon
Angela

Techno Freak

Good luck with the TRA - I hope everything comes good for you.