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silver trowel / perth /school fees

silver trowel / perth /school fees

Old Sep 7th 2010, 9:16 am
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Default silver trowel / perth /school fees

hi, me and my partner are seriously considering moving to perth, i would have to get a student visa, i'm 39 so its probably my last resort and last chance saloon, i have seen a course with silver trowel in cannington perth, i just need some advice, does anyone know about silver trowel?

my 2 daughters are 5 and 2 so we would have to pay school fees. does anyone know how much they are?

and finally perth, is there any recomendations where to live in perth where its not too expensive as money will be tight as the 2 year tiling course wont be far off £14,000, any help will be very much appreciated,

thanks, mark.
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Old Sep 7th 2010, 9:24 am
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Default Re: silver trowel / perth /school fees

Have you checked that tiling is still on the skills list?
Personally, after coming here 2.5 years ago on a student visa, I would NEVER advise someone else to do it at this point in time. They are trying to close as many doors to students as possible. It has been an extremly stressful time for myself and my husband, and we only have a dog to worry about!
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Old Sep 7th 2010, 9:29 am
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Default Re: silver trowel / perth /school fees

hi, thanks for the reply, yes wall and floor tiling is on the critical list so hopefully their will be plenty of work, has it been stressful for you because of the work? can i ask what you studied?
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Old Sep 7th 2010, 10:05 am
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Default Re: silver trowel / perth /school fees

we would also consider moving to the east coast, sydney / brisbane areas, does anyone know of any good reputable courses/training centres where i could do wall and floor tiling around them areas and get my required certificate, thanks.
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Old Sep 7th 2010, 10:36 am
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Default Re: silver trowel / perth /school fees

It really isn't a good idea doing this. Also there are no cheap areas or cheap schools or cheap costs in this country.

Also to be a qualified tiler don't you need a 4 year apprenceship anyway?
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Old Sep 7th 2010, 11:05 am
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Default Re: silver trowel / perth /school fees

Hi

Up until 3 weeks ago my husband was studying wall and floor tiling at Silver Trowel. We are now back in the UK.

PLEASE consider everything and research, research, research and do it all again before making the decision to go down this route.

We've come back because of the immigration changes made earlier this year. We felt there were just too many doors being shut in our faces and the chances of PR slim. We believe more changes are coming soon too. We had other deciding factors too but the combination of all of this made staying in WA a foolish decision for us as a family.

Silver Trowel is ok. The classes are over subscribed. I will be totally honest with you and confirm that 80% of your class will be students with very little English who may keep you back. Be prepared to push hard to be put through the course quicker if your skills are up to speed. There are a high number of changes of instructors too.

Getting a job can be hard. My husband worked as a brickies labourer for several months before getting his foot in the door with a tiling crewe. Money isn't that good and Perth is an expensive city - you then need to factor in International School fees. Not sure how much they are but you should be able to e-mail the WA schools board for details.

In the end it comes down to how much money you have in the bank?

Are you prepared for the 2 year course and the restrictions placed on you?

Are you prepared to get through the Job Ready programme?

You will find it highly unlikely that Company will take you on as an employee which rules out employer sponsored visas. Belive me, we tried in Perth and Rural WA to find someone and were laughed at. You are a tradie and a contractor, not an employee.

Are you prepared to come back even if you get through the course and job ready only for the skills list to be changed again and tiling to come off it?

Are you prepared to live rurally if you have to?

That is off the top of my head at the moment.

Sorry to paint a gloomy picture but please be so sure about what you are doing. That said, it didn't work for us and I went out with bags of enthusiasim and so much determination to be a success. Here I am sitting in a rented house, back in Scotland with no job. Think very carefully. Others will have different success stories I am sure.

Let me know if you have any more questions. I'll answer them honestly.
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Old Sep 7th 2010, 11:10 am
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Default Re: silver trowel / perth /school fees

Originally Posted by Weebie
It really isn't a good idea doing this. Also there are no cheap areas or cheap schools or cheap costs in this country.

Also to be a qualified tiler don't you need a 4 year apprenceship anyway?
No you don't Weebie.

The 2 year course covers that but the gates to PR are very slim because employer sponsorship is virtually nil being a tradie.
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Old Sep 7th 2010, 11:11 am
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Default Re: silver trowel / perth /school fees

It has been stressful because they have changed all the rules and pulled the rug out from under many of us.

I studied horticulture. When I started my course I could finish it and then apply for periminant residency as soon as I had clocked up 900 hours of horticulture work.
I finished my course in December, and having worked while studying was all ready to put in my application. TRA (who I am guessing will assess the job you are looking at too) changed the rules, saying that instead of 900 hours you now needed 6 months part time while studying, and a full year after studying. I had been TWENTY hours off being able to apply to stay for good. Had they kept their office open until the deadline for 31st of December I could have done it, but they shut before Xmas!
The price of the skills assessment also went up from $300 to $4550!!!
So not a happy time in my house.
Nobody at TRA could tell me exactly what was happening, so I left applying for my 485 visa as late as I possibly could.
I applied in early March. In May I think? they then changed the skilled occupation list and all horticulture jobs were taken off (along with MANY others). They said that people who had applied before the 8th of Feb would be exempt from the new changes! I had applied in earch March as that was the first time someone at TRA could actually tell me what was going on and what I would need to do to have my skills assessment done!

My ONLY option now is to be employer sponsored. I am VERY lucky in that I am living in South Australia which counts as regional so my work place is trying to sponsor me for the RSMS visa. If I lived in some other areas my only option would be sponsorship under the 457 visa. This is even more years in limbo, not knowing for sure if you will get to stay. And in your case more years heading towards 45.

I am still not confident that I will get to stay as the goverment have already said they are going to change more immigration things. And the new government has been making all sorts of anti immigration promices.

Just because that job is on the skilled occupation list now, doesn't mean it will be next week, next month or next year.
Personally if I were looking at the situation now, there is no way I would spend all that money (as you would have to pay school fees, health insurance etc too, and both of you can only work 20 hours a week!).
Do you really want to come here, spend all that money, grow to love the place and then have to return to the UK with no chance of coming back? There are others on here who have had to do just that (search for student visas)!

Good luck whatever you decide, but make sure you are fully aware of the risks first.
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Old Sep 7th 2010, 11:13 am
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Default Re: silver trowel / perth /school fees

That's good news about your employer PB. I really hope it works out for you guys.
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Old Sep 7th 2010, 11:15 am
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Default Re: silver trowel / perth /school fees

Originally Posted by Kingseat
No you don't Weebie.

The 2 year course covers that but the gates to PR are very slim because employer sponsorship is virtually nil being a tradie.
There is still the job ready programme now thougha fter the 2 years, meaning high costs and a years work at a place who is happy to register with TRA and fill in log books of your work etc....

And thanks. I hope it works out too, but I am now in the frame of mind where I am ready for it not to.
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Old Sep 7th 2010, 11:17 am
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Default Re: silver trowel / perth /school fees

Here are details of school fees. $8,000 a year.

http://www.eti.wa.edu.au/studying-at...-students.html
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Old Sep 7th 2010, 11:19 am
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Default Re: silver trowel / perth /school fees

Originally Posted by pumpkin blossom
There is still the job ready programme now thougha fter the 2 years, meaning high costs and a years work at a place who is happy to register with TRA and fill in log books of your work etc....

And thanks. I hope it works out too, but I am now in the frame of mind where I am ready for it not to.
That was the other fence we couldn't get over. Not one person hubby spoke to wanted TRA involved which is fair enough and again, it means taking someone on as an employee.
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Old Sep 7th 2010, 12:20 pm
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Default Re: silver trowel / perth /school fees

Yes, I think coming from the UK aswell we are used to actually getting a job more than being self employed contractors, which is very common here. And of course makes things VERY difficult when trying to do the job ready programme as like you say you are supposed to be employed.
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Old Sep 7th 2010, 12:31 pm
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Default Re: silver trowel / perth /school fees

wow just got to say a big thanks for all of your advice, its really got me thinking, i've just seen a wall and floor tiling course in london, its £3000 and 8 week long not the 2 year course and £14000 they want in oz and they help you with your nvq level 2, if i gain the nvq level 2 surely it wouldn't be that easy to get in would it, they'll probably want 50 years experience or something, but this way if i did get in i could rent my house out instead of selling up and if it doesn't work out i've always got something to come back to, i think probably what would be best would be to speak to a migration agent, argh so confusing haha, thanks again for all your help, mark.
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Old Sep 7th 2010, 1:47 pm
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Default Re: silver trowel / perth /school fees

Originally Posted by finbar
hi, thanks for the reply, yes wall and floor tiling is on the critical list
No it's not. The critical skills list was abolished a couple of months ago. You need to check the up to date information before making such a huge decision. Read the immigration forum for the most up to date info. Or better yet, pay a couple of $ and speak to a MARA registered migration agent for the latest.
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