Help Req'd - No recognised qualifications but many years experience
 

Hi All
Well this I believe will be the first of many (hopefully) questions emails letters etc as we start our long journey of moving abroad.

My wife & I are both serving soldiers. I will have served 22 years and my wife 12 years by April 2008 when we both leave the Army. We want to move abroad – to many reasons to mention – but I believe there could be an issue with our qualification / education section of the various visa types & skilled migrant sections of the application process.

All we have ever done is serve in the Army so we never went onto further education. I am a driver by trade (Tank Transporter heavy haulage etc) & my wife is a Clerk these are our primary trades.

However, we are both now working in IT within the Army. I am an ORACLE DBA / Analyst Programmer & my wife works in the release management side of the software replication and distribution.

I have no recognised Degree level education but have completed approx £30.000 worth (not that the cost matters) of civilian IT courses run by providers such as ORACLE / PARITY / DATATRAIN in the following areas:

Database Administration / SQL & PL/SQL / UNIX Shell Scripting & administration / XML / SQL Loader / PRINCE2 / ITIL / Internal Auditor ISO9000

Zzzzzzzzzzz you all still awake !!!!!!!!!!!!

I’m also a driving instructor & have every driving licence category known to man (which I can also instruct in). As I have some good IT quals already for my pre-release course I was looking into the British Safety Council International Diploma In Safety Management (instead of NEBOSH) so is there much scope for this kind of work in New Zealand

My wife is a clerk by trade (shiny ass) but she also now has quals in ITIL / ECDL / SAGE / Typing (shiny ass) & training to be a legal Secretary.

What I’m trying to ask therefore is this:

Even though we have these qualifications will the relevant countries immigration departments just say “OH how nice all these quals but no degree / apprenticeship etc so thanks but no thanks” or will these quals actually stand for something along with our backgrounds and 34 years of combined Military service and our pensions for life plus the lump sums we receive & also the fact we can prove that moving around the world is not a problem.

Well I am really sorry for such a massive 1st post but as you can imagine …. A million questions….I think I have more info on moving the Dog rather than ourselves…..ha ha good idea send the dog over then he can sponsor us SORTED!!

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Cheers Dave, Joe & Brock the mad springer

Re: Help Req'd - No recognised qualifications but many years experience
 

Hi I was gonna answer your post but then realised there are peole on the forum better experienced than me to do so and I don't want to tell you crap!!

If any of your qualifcations are of degree level getting them assesed by the NZQA will help there.

Re: Help Req'd - No recognised qualifications but many years experience
 

Lots of people come here as Lorry / Truck Drivers, so I am sure there must be a way forward for you. Recently NZ was recruiting Bus Drivers from the Pacific Islands as they have such a shortage. Not much help I know but it might give you an angle of questions to ask other truckies / drivers regarding qualifications. you may be able to use those qualifications to gain the required points and then once you have PR you can do whatever kind of work you wish. ;)

Sometimes it helps to put out questions or pleas for specific information as people in that field will respond, and i'm sure someone will point you in the right direction and open up options that you may not previously have thought of. SO keep asking the questions and you will get there.

Good Luck

Re: Help Req'd - No recognised qualifications but many years experience
 

I would contact NZQA and tell them what quals you have and whether theyc an assess them. I'm pretty sure that they don't only assess degrees, but trades and other certs/diplomas.

You could also try to transfer to NZ armed forces if that appeals to you. Armed forces training and quals are highly regarded in "civvy street" too. Why not contact NZ defence people? They may even be able to help you with having assessment of quals done.

Computer systems are the same the world over, so any accreditied training should be able to be assessed. For work in which youa re experienced but no formal qualifications, contact employers you did this work for and get them to verify the level of work you did, how long for, etc

Hope that helps

Help Req'd - No recognised qualifications but many years experience
 

Hi DAVIE_MAC

Did you get certificates of attendence for the courses you attended?

If so I suggest you fill in some on line job applications, I think you may be pleasantly surprised by the results.

Your types of skills are always in demand and provided you have at least some paperwork to back it up...............

Who needs a qualification anyway?

I've always done it by bullshitting!

Good luck.

Re: Help Req'd - No recognised qualifications but many years experience
 

You are ALL STARS and Thank You very much for all your help.

I think maybe the way forward is to try and get a work permit / Job in the skills I currently have which in that respect I am very lucky but I don't have the piece of paper saying degree blah blah etc

Therefore as a resettlement course that the Army provide I think I might do something like a Plumbing Heating Engineer Course which give Brit industry qualifications and using the training money we can claim do the British Safety Council International Diploma in safety Management which is used for health and safety...that way I have an International recognised Dip and can put IntDip after my name OOOOOOOO very posh.

At least then I can look at IT / Driving / Health & Safety / or..........
.......sneak in and become a tramp & live of my monthly Army pension I already have a dog Tramps always have dogs & my clothes are bad enough.....you have to laugh or you'll give up...I should be able to get some sort of B****Y job then.

Speak soon and many thanks your help really is appreciated.

PS there is the Emmigrate EXPO shows are coming up in MARCH 07 so we're gonna go there and see what they have to offer armed with 2000 printed CV's

Re: Help Req'd - No recognised qualifications but many years experience
 

Cool, go the Army!!!!!:D

But don't you have to have two years work experience to go with the qualification to make it count????
Help someone.....

Re: Help Req'd - No recognised qualifications but many years experience
 

2000 CV's is probably toooooo many, try about 20-30 and you will be fine - I know, I done that and lugged lots of paper about all day for no real reason

Adie

Re: Help Req'd - No recognised qualifications but many years experience
 

Sufferin Sukertash Mutley !!!!

2 B****Y years is there any end to the spanner in the works.......or don't you want me in New Zealand.

In good old Army style....BLUFF BLUFF & DOUBLE BLUFF

MEDAL MEDAL GIMMIE GIMMIE GIMMIE HEHEHEHE :D :D

Help really is neede here then !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:eek: :eek: :eek:

Re: Help Req'd - No recognised qualifications but many years experience
 

Hello Mate...

Did you have any luck there then and was it worth going to.

We thought at least we could ask lots of questions and see how things pan out.

2000....was being sarcastic....your right i'd probobly come back with 1999.5....the other .5 will prob be used as a coaster. :p

Re: Help Req'd - No recognised qualifications but many years experience
 

Ex Squaddie

Hiya mate, I too am an ex Squaddie after 12 years service driving Tanks, and then clerical side after accident to me knees (ok now tho), and have been out since 1996, I have worked in Health and Safety and have NEBOSH.
Have tried numerous agencies etc, but have no luck as yet, with regards the H&S side, think this will be a no-go, may be wrong, but most employers are looking for Dip with a good few years in the job.
As I say, I have had no luck yet but keep on trying.
With regards all the office stuff, you should start to get in touch with recruitment agencies and tell them your qualifications etc at least this may get the ball rolling. Im finding it hard at the moment but will continue and WILL eventually end up in either NZ or Oz.
Good Luck, if you need any further help I will offer what advice I can and what set backs I have received so far.....

Trev:)

Re: Help Req'd - No recognised qualifications but many years experience
 

Many Thanks for all the replys regarding all this.

After everything has been evaluated my best route to take I have found out is Driving in Canada on the PNP Provincial Nominee Programme.

If you just wanna get away from UK maybe you could look into the programme it covers a variety of trades so you never know.

Cheers :beer: & all the best

Re: Help Req'd - No recognised qualifications but many years experience
 

Hi Trev.
Tanks eh!!........ wot regt?........ex 13/18 / LD myself. no quals any use what so ever so having to rely on a clever wife to get us there, good luck and to you too Davie Mac

Re: Help Req'd - No recognised qualifications but many years experience
 

EX RK/KRH here
Someone give me a job there so I can get on me way haha
:D

Re: Help Req'd - No recognised qualifications but many years experience
 

All,

have you ever thought of credit transferral? Essentially, this is a way of grouping all of the qualifications you have and finding out how many points you can amass as a result.

By way of explanation...I completed 1 year out of a two year HND in Programming. I contacted the Open University and they said I could gain points towards another qualification depending on what I'd completed with the HND. The HND was modular and I can get 12 points for each module completed. 5 modules = 60 points. That's a certificate in OU terms which is equivalent to a HNC which is a recognised qualification at level 3 in NZ...phew!

50 points in the bank out of the 100 minimum requirement.

The email address is below.
[email protected]

Re: Help Req'd - No recognised qualifications but many years experience
 

Er. Can i suggest you avoid the plumbing and heating engineer lark - bloody nightmare mate & it wouldn't be recognised at all by the NZ trade board here.

Stick with the IT if you can. Pays better.:p or go with the Driving job to get started with . Pays less. :(

WIth your positive attitude , you'll get a job . No probs mate.

Re: Help Req'd - No recognised qualifications but many years experience
 

Bevs..

Cheers for the info any help and advice is greatly appreciated.

Have you moved to NZ from the UK or are you a NZ citizen.

If you have moved there from here how do you find the place... do you like it

Re: Help Req'd - No recognised qualifications but many years experience
 

Thanks to you all for the info

Dave

Re: Help Req'd - No recognised qualifications but many years experience
 

Hi there
Welcome!!
Firstly I would say get what qulifications you can from the army resettlement plans, but may be a good idea to stick with IT, seems you know about that already, Plumbing would be good but they prefer experience aswell as the qualification, work permit may be a good bet, once here you will get a job in IT, then you can apply from here for PR. We came on my qualifications, but my husband has recently completed 22 years in the Royal Signals, and is also in IT (no degree) he now has a job in Auckland which is better paid than the one he had in the UK, and I have now reduced my hours lots and we are all loving it!!!
And yes the army pension makes a huge difference, very comfortable!!!
Good luck

Re: Help Req'd - No recognised qualifications but many years experience
 

Hi

Thanks for the info and advice you have given. I know I could prob get a job once I got to NZ but it's that initial getting there which is the stumbling block, as you said you moved there on your qualifications so you must have qualified under that category I presume, then your husband could move with you and apply for work once you were settled. It's like I said I have 6 years experience as an ORACLE DBA but no degree level qual so trying to convince NZ Immigration that I can do the work is neigh on immpossible if it's not on paper as a certificate they are notinterested ans the 50pts you can claim under this category is a big chunk. People have also said that I could get a work permit like you mentioned but after emailing many many companies with your CV they never reply or give you any feedback to get you into the market that way a bit like here really it's not what you know it's who to get the foot in the door, and when I have asked people there of any jobs which are going and would employ immigrants on a work permit it's the last you hear of them....:o

What we're looking at now is Canada as my primary trade of driver working in the long haul area of driving as they are desperatly short there...also heard NZ are as well but again you never get a reply from anyone. So anyway after that big story we'll just have to see how things pan out eh.

Cheers Dave :thumbup: