Plasterers Wanted Where? And Qualification
 

I have been reading several of the various posts throughout the forums and am finding myself getting more and more confused. My partner is a General Builder in the UK, but we have decided to make our visa application as a solid plasterer as this is his prefered trade.

We had intended to do a recky in January visiting various area's to check things out, but the arrival of another baby means were now just going to make the plunge and get stuck in... but where in oz is the best place to start? For obvious reasons we need to be where the work is.

We had intended to start out in Melbourne, give that a go and if we settled stay, while holidaying in other areas to check them out. If while holidaying we prefered the other area's we could simply move. However reading a post on here the issue was raised about different area's having different requirments for platering and one post gave the impression that the plastering trade was virtually a waste of space in Melbourne as it was barely needed. Can anyone on here, living and working in OZ as a plasterer offer any guidance as to work demand and aprox wages (purely for a rough budget). Or offer guidance as to where we can research this.

Similarly, my partner has 20 year experience as a plasterer but no formal qualifications, so we have been looking at an australian qualification that we can get assessed in the UK. We have been told about the ACTS and Silver Trowel, but can find very little information about them on the web. Are they genuine qualifications that would be recognised all over, are they regional qualifications? (Silver Trowel do have a website but seem to be geared all around Perth) or is someone trying to rip us off.

All comments and advise greatfully received

Re: Plasterers Wanted Where? And Qualification
 

Hi There, My OH is a solid plasterer. He has 20 years experience with no qualifications and the only way for us to qualify was to get an AQF III which he did in March this year with ACTS. They were brilliant, some say expensive but we say well worth it. It cost £3750 but they came to our home or work for all of the paperwork and assesments. If you want their e-mail addresses and phone numbers pm me and I will send them to you.
We passed the TRA in May using the AQF as a pathway through. We are heading to Victoria and we have not had any neg feedback regarding the work for plasterers but will keep an eye on this thread to see what others think.
Good Luck and let me know if I can be of any help.
Regards
Helen

Re: Plasterers Wanted Where? And Qualification
 

lots of work in and around melbourne
wage is around $25-$35 pre hour with ABN.
do you have visa yet?

Re: Plasterers Wanted Where? And Qualification
 

Thats really posative thanks. Robert, your name came up on one of the posts as the person in the know, so really appreciate your input.

We dont have our visa's yet and in all honesty its very early days for us. We had been advised to look at the ACTS but couldnt find any solid details online and only had the number we were given, which made me a little warey.

Were just about to start the ball rolling but read some of the posts on here which were a little confusing.

Vote of confidence greatly received

Hanna

P.S. Helen. Good luck with the move, we hope to be in your position soon, so would love to know how you get on once you arrive and settle in x

Re: Plasterers Wanted Where? And Qualification
 

Only thing, whats ABN? Or am I being really dense

Re: Plasterers Wanted Where? And Qualification
 

Hi Hanna - Web address for you to look at for ACTS.
www.uk.tradetrain.com.au
Regards
Helen

Re: Plasterers Wanted Where? And Qualification
 

australian buisness number, you need one to be a sub contractor

Re: Plasterers Wanted Where? And Qualification
 

Ah ok thanks, like the UK CIS

Re: Plasterers Wanted Where? And Qualification
 

I had my qualifications recognised within Australia to gain a BSA licencse in Queensland with ACTS. I found all of the guys who I dealt with at ACTS to be very helpful and they knew their stuff.

I gained my qualifications as a fibrous plasterer with them which is plasterboard partitions, ceilings, taping and jointing etc. I had already passed TRA, got my visa and was living here but needed an Aussie qualification for my license.

If you are planning on working for other people you do not need a license but you do now need a qualification to pass TRA.

The guys at ACTS will know if you are the real deal at your trade after half an hour of talking to you. Lots of the modules on their paperwork can be passed through proving experience with references and testimonials and they train you in the areas that they deem you not qualified in. What ever your experience they do things differently out here so any new knowledge or tips comes in handy. They are there to make sure you pass and make sure you are properly trained. If you do everything they ask as quickly as possible and provide photo`s etc it makes it easy.

The ABN number, Australian Business Number can be applied for and gained within 2 weeks from the time you apply for it and be applied for after you arrive in Oz and you do not need this before you arrive.

You will need a blue card to work on any site which is a general safety course which lasts for about 4 hours, costs $80.00 and can be done when you arrive in Oz.

My advice to you would be live in the area and climate that you really fancy. You have the chance to choose exactly where you live and what you want around you. What one person likes another dislikes and that goes for places in Australia.

Any good tradesman will find work anywhere as the cream always rises to the top. In and around Brisbane and South East Queensland hourly rates are between $35 and $40 dollars per hour. Guys here start work at 6.00am and will work til 4 or 5.00pm to get the hours in or the pricework completed. Saturdays seem to be part of the working week in the building industry so be ready for some hard work to get established.

Good Luck. Mick

Re: Plasterers Wanted Where? And Qualification
 

Sorry to say this but be careful these guys Trade Train see you coming and are charging an awful lot for what they are doing.

I had a client this week a plasterer who previously paid them £750 to start a skill assessment costing £3750 when he was eligible for the $300 (£145) TRA assessment!!!:ohmy:

Theres a lot of difference between £3750 and AU$300 for the TRA and they didn't tell him this wasn't the best method of doing things.

If you have plastering qualifications and have done an apprenticeship you definitely should not be doing this for your visa;) and it would not cost that much to come to Oz and get an assessment done by an assessor here.

its another case of people in the Uk being desperate to leave the country and getting ripped off.


Too many people in the Uk are being overcharged by unregistered agents and now assessors because people are willing to pay silly prices. There is no protection on you if your agent is unregistered. The only way is to get your case checked by a registered agent, and do not listen to companies like Trade train that tell you get paid more for work here by doing their assessment its simply not true.

Sherie Blakesley
Registered Migration Agent
MARN 0639618
www.migratemates.com

Re: Plasterers Wanted Where? And Qualification
 

To be fair, my other half needs to do a qualificiation anyway and a course in the UK could costs a bit more than they are asking and more time. Its still winning hands down, if we didnt need the qualification we wouldnt be going there anyway.

Cheers for the heads up though