brown273

I am a 24 year old, qualified plumber in the UK, (level 2+3 city and guilds along with being gas safe) and me and my girlfriend (she being a nurse) are looking to get a holiday working visa to work in Australia for a year. Ive roughly priced up what it would cost to get my tickets changed over £1400 along with the visa but I'm reading they aren't much use once over there.

As much as I want to go over there to experience it all, I don't want to spend all this money for me to get there to be told they're worthless and struggle getting a job. Is there anyone in a similar position who's managed OK over there with plumbing or have they just fobbed it off and went in a totally different direction?

BEVS

I think you'll get a better response if this was in the Oz forum , so I will move it for you.

BEVS - Site Lead
married to a plumber.

old.sparkles

There is work for people on WHV's - just not generally in plumbing or nursing. Plumbers are required to be licensed, with a whole lot of hoops to jump through. Nurses would need to register with AHPRA with a whole lot of hoops to jump through.

verystormy

Generally people do not do a whv to work in their own occupations particularly when those occupations require licensing / registration as it isn't worth it. For example, plumber requires a license which requires working as a trade assistant for about a year (a bit like an apprentice). Also, a number of college courses which you would pay international fees for (thousands) then, you can only work for the same employer for a maximum of six months.
Your partner would need to get APHRA which is not expensive but is time consuming.

quoll

You'll probably get work on a WHV, most people seem to do so. But it is unlikely, given the certification processes that both your occupations require, that you will be able to work in your professions. If you don't mind doing bar work, fruit picking, cleaning, call centre work etc you should earn a crust.