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Plumber in Oz for the past 13 weeks.

Plumber in Oz for the past 13 weeks.

Old Feb 8th 2009, 9:57 am
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Default Plumber in Oz for the past 13 weeks.

Hi

Quick update from a plumber in Oz, moved from Scotland Nov 10th 2008, me the wife and 3 young kids. to Cleveland, Brisbane.

To start there is jobs advertised for plumbers,but everyone looking for fully licenced/qualified have applied anyway having only a provisional licence in the hope I get somewhere but nothing. I start the plumbing licence course tomorrow which I imagine to be fine, but for me to get fully licenced I need someone to take me on just now with only my provisional but can find no-one willing do that! Signed up with recruitment agencies (as a labourer as well as plumber) who say, they have loads of work, promise to call but nothing, when you phone up a week later they tell you everything is quiet!

It's frustrating when your reading the papers or watching the news and they talk about a shortage of skilled workers that might be the case but here you have a plumber with 20+ years experience come out here to Australia to happily sit the course at tafe but now having difficulty finding employment because quite clearly no-one is taking provisional plumbers on!

We have savings which means we could stay here for a while without working, but that's not ideal and without 12 months employment I can't gain my full licence even with college course passed, so would have no choice but to return to the UK. Apart from the lack of employment for a provisionally licenced plumber everything is good.

Colin
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Old Feb 8th 2009, 11:56 am
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Default Re: Plumber in Oz for the past 13 weeks.

HI Mate, you are now alone!
WE have been here 6months nearly and have come up with the same probs u have. Still no work. Getting really desperate.
How did you get onto the corse without oz experiece? i was told that you had to work here for 12months before you could do that course. How long is it taking you and what's the cost?
J
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Old Feb 8th 2009, 3:01 pm
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Default Re: Plumber in Oz for the past 13 weeks.

Originally Posted by Colly-Gill
Hi

Quick update from a plumber in Oz, moved from Scotland Nov 10th 2008, me the wife and 3 young kids. to Cleveland, Brisbane.

To start there is jobs advertised for plumbers,but everyone looking for fully licenced/qualified have applied anyway having only a provisional licence in the hope I get somewhere but nothing. I start the plumbing licence course tomorrow which I imagine to be fine, but for me to get fully licenced I need someone to take me on just now with only my provisional but can find no-one willing do that! Signed up with recruitment agencies (as a labourer as well as plumber) who say, they have loads of work, promise to call but nothing, when you phone up a week later they tell you everything is quiet!

It's frustrating when your reading the papers or watching the news and they talk about a shortage of skilled workers that might be the case but here you have a plumber with 20+ years experience come out here to Australia to happily sit the course at tafe but now having difficulty finding employment because quite clearly no-one is taking provisional plumbers on!

We have savings which means we could stay here for a while without working, but that's not ideal and without 12 months employment I can't gain my full licence even with college course passed, so would have no choice but to return to the UK. Apart from the lack of employment for a provisionally licenced plumber everything is good.

Colin
IT SOUNDS REALLY DEPRESSING WE ARE JUST WAITING FOR OUR MEDICALS LIKE YOU BEEN TOLD LOADS OF WORK FOR PLUMBERS AT LEAST YOU HAVE THE SUN NOT THAT FAB HERE COLD SNOW ALL THE SHOPS CLOSING CHIN UP AND GOOD LUCK SUSAN AND TONY
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Old Feb 8th 2009, 8:55 pm
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Default Re: Plumber in Oz for the past 13 weeks.

Originally Posted by SUSANM
IT SOUNDS REALLY DEPRESSING WE ARE JUST WAITING FOR OUR MEDICALS LIKE YOU BEEN TOLD LOADS OF WORK FOR PLUMBERS AT LEAST YOU HAVE THE SUN NOT THAT FAB HERE COLD SNOW ALL THE SHOPS CLOSING CHIN UP AND GOOD LUCK SUSAN AND TONY
DON'T LISTEN TO WHAT YOU HEAR
There aren't many jobs and the jobs there are it is impossible to apply for as the want fully licensed / 5yr aus experience / sub-contractors ....ALL of which you are unable to do when you 1st arrive. You can only get a provisional when you 1st arrive and unfortunately, from what we have experienced they are not interested in any experience you have from the UK.
There are lots of Oz plumbers out of work at the mo and they are looking for work too - they will always get a job over a Pom.
If you have work in the UK, sit it out there, it really is dire. 6months of sun gets pretty boring when you have no income ......expensive sunbathing, eh?!
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Old Feb 8th 2009, 10:32 pm
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Default Re: Plumber in Oz for the past 13 weeks.

Originally Posted by Colly-Gill
Hi

Quick update from a plumber in Oz, moved from Scotland Nov 10th 2008, me the wife and 3 young kids. to Cleveland, Brisbane.

To start there is jobs advertised for plumbers,but everyone looking for fully licenced/qualified have applied anyway having only a provisional licence in the hope I get somewhere but nothing. I start the plumbing licence course tomorrow which I imagine to be fine, but for me to get fully licenced I need someone to take me on just now with only my provisional but can find no-one willing do that! Signed up with recruitment agencies (as a labourer as well as plumber) who say, they have loads of work, promise to call but nothing, when you phone up a week later they tell you everything is quiet!

It's frustrating when your reading the papers or watching the news and they talk about a shortage of skilled workers that might be the case but here you have a plumber with 20+ years experience come out here to Australia to happily sit the course at tafe but now having difficulty finding employment because quite clearly no-one is taking provisional plumbers on!

We have savings which means we could stay here for a while without working, but that's not ideal and without 12 months employment I can't gain my full licence even with college course passed, so would have no choice but to return to the UK. Apart from the lack of employment for a provisionally licenced plumber everything is good.

Colin
Thanks for the post Colin, I'm in the same boat as you, been here since oct and not a sniff of a job, i start the plumbing course on the 24th Feb (2 evenings a week) i haven't been told anything about the 12 month experience that you need to gain either, if that is the case i might as well ask for the money back as no one is hiring.
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Old Feb 8th 2009, 10:49 pm
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Default Re: Plumber in Oz for the past 13 weeks.

Originally Posted by betsyboob
HI Mate, you are now alone!
WE have been here 6months nearly and have come up with the same probs u have. Still no work. Getting really desperate.
How did you get onto the corse without oz experiece? i was told that you had to work here for 12months before you could do that course. How long is it taking you and what's the cost?
J
We contacted the Queensland plumber/drainer board & they explained how to get your provisional & who to contact about your college ( TAFE) courses.They told me once I completed the courses & gained 12 months experience I could get my full licence which is of course catch 22 as nobody will start you without a full licence as you know.We emailed Skillstech Australia while still in Scotland & they said they would e-mail us the enrolment forms for courses starting in February.

I enrolled in five courses on the plumbing side over the phone ( Acacia Ridge TAFE)& left the drainage ones for next semester.
There are 10 competences in total( inc 2 gas if you do gas )
2 plumbing , 3 drainage & 3 other which you need ( risk control , estimate/costing work & business/ legal )
The 8 are costing me approx $2900 au in total ( Iv'e paid for the 5 already & pay for the drainage ones next term ,I think July)

Hope this helps

Colin
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Old Feb 8th 2009, 11:04 pm
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Default Re: Plumber in Oz for the past 13 weeks.

Originally Posted by gazclaire
Thanks for the post Colin, I'm in the same boat as you, been here since oct and not a sniff of a job, i start the plumbing course on the 24th Feb (2 evenings a week) i haven't been told anything about the 12 month experience that you need to gain either, if that is the case i might as well ask for the money back as no one is hiring.
I remember now the missus sent you a pm re. work near you. I start the course tonight will keep you posted on how that goes, right now I'm off swimming with the kids. Goodluck to anyone looking for work right now.

Colin
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Old Feb 9th 2009, 9:10 pm
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Default Re: Plumber in Oz for the past 13 weeks.

Wow - is it really that bad??

We are in the UK, just submitted a 176 visa for Qld. Your posts have really hit home with us here as the reports we are getting are so mixed it is hard to know what to do or think. I guess everyone has a different experience, but the lack of work seems to be becoming a bit of an issue as is the whole licence thing! Hubby did the VETASSESS last year which is supposed to make things easier, but I doubt it will!

Do you all reckon the lack of work is just due to the down turn generally or is it a long-term thing? We are wondering if we are throwing good money after bad by keeping on with the process!

Good luck to you all - keep posting, we are desperate to hear how things progress!!

Mandy and Mark
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Old Feb 11th 2009, 8:57 am
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Default Re: Plumber in Oz for the past 13 weeks.

Good luck with the interview Colin.
Gary
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Old Feb 17th 2009, 1:22 pm
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Default Re: Plumber in Oz for the past 13 weeks.

Originally Posted by SUSANM
IT SOUNDS REALLY DEPRESSING WE ARE JUST WAITING FOR OUR MEDICALS LIKE YOU BEEN TOLD LOADS OF WORK FOR PLUMBERS AT LEAST YOU HAVE THE SUN NOT THAT FAB HERE COLD SNOW ALL THE SHOPS CLOSING CHIN UP AND GOOD LUCK SUSAN AND TONY
Originally Posted by Colly-Gill
Hi

Quick update from a plumber in Oz, moved from Scotland Nov 10th 2008, me the wife and 3 young kids. to Cleveland, Brisbane.

To start there is jobs advertised for plumbers,but everyone looking for fully licenced/qualified have applied anyway having only a provisional licence in the hope I get somewhere but nothing. I start the plumbing licence course tomorrow which I imagine to be fine, but for me to get fully licenced I need someone to take me on just now with only my provisional but can find no-one willing do that! Signed up with recruitment agencies (as a labourer as well as plumber) who say, they have loads of work, promise to call but nothing, when you phone up a week later they tell you everything is quiet!

It's frustrating when your reading the papers or watching the news and they talk about a shortage of skilled workers that might be the case but here you have a plumber with 20+ years experience come out here to Australia to happily sit the course at tafe but now having difficulty finding employment because quite clearly no-one is taking provisional plumbers on!

We have savings which means we could stay here for a while without working, but that's not ideal and without 12 months employment I can't gain my full licence even with college course passed, so would have no choice but to return to the UK. Apart from the lack of employment for a provisionally licenced plumber everything is good.

Colin
Hi all,
we arrived in sa at the begining of oct and i could only get to start the gap course next week. meantime work about 1 or 2 days a week doin house general maintance as cannot get job as plumber. i can also say i walked into every decent sized plumbig firm around and got 1 interview. it is tough and knowing what i now know i would have stayed put. dont let that put anyone off just my view, and good luck to all.

mark

Last edited by PaddyHaHa; Feb 17th 2009 at 1:24 pm. Reason: typo
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Old Feb 17th 2009, 8:18 pm
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Default Re: Plumber in Oz for the past 13 weeks.

Originally Posted by PaddyHaHa
Hi all,
we arrived in sa at the begining of oct and i could only get to start the gap course next week. meantime work about 1 or 2 days a week doin house general maintance as cannot get job as plumber. i can also say i walked into every decent sized plumbig firm around and got 1 interview. it is tough and knowing what i now know i would have stayed put. dont let that put anyone off just my view, and good luck to all.

mark

I think that's fair comment.
We have been here for 6months and no luck for OH who has been a plumber for nearly 20yr.
You get alot of people that come on and give advise - which is sometimes good, the reality is that the jobs just aren't here. I feel sorry for anyone that is giving up a good job in UK to come here as the likelihood is that it will take a long time to find work, and not everyone has loads in the bank to keep them going.
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Old Feb 18th 2009, 7:56 am
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Default Re: Plumber in Oz for the past 13 weeks.

I think it may also be worth mentioning that it isn't just a case of the only people saying that there is a work shortage are the only plumbers posting on here, i'm sure that there is a lot of aussie plumbers that will get the work before us "poms"
Gary
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