plumbing abroad
 

Hi guys. I found this site while looking into plumbing jobs in the USA. Doesn't look good with regards to work there. I own a painting ccompany have plastering skills and can tile all to high standards, has to be my brother is a trades lecturer and the Bain of my existence :blink: Any way to my point. I have been doing my 1,2 and 3 in plumbing and being fecked right off with this protect granny murdering crooks junkies and worse still politicians have decided I want better for my kids (ye better the devil you know). Can anyone give me any advice on working abroad as a plumber? I had looked into painting in Oz but had to pay to sit the Australian equivalent courses. Is this the same for other countries like the US and Canada? It all seems rather like banging your head against a wall unless you are moving to open border UK!

Re: plumbing abroad
 

Yep, forget the US unless you have another route to a visa - plumbing isn't a skill that will get you there I'm afraid.

For Canada you'd certainly need to get your qualifications recognised, search 'Red Seal' in the Canada forums for more info.

You complain about 'open border UK', but it's only open to those in the EU and of course that works both ways - you could move within the EU tomorrow without any visa hassles, so why not do that instead? Canadian and USC's find it just as hard to move to the UK.

Oh, and if you're not a fan of immigrants (loving the irony of a would be immigrant complaining about those coming to his own country btw!) then I'd forget Canada or the US, which have a far higher percentage of immigrants living there than the UK and which are known for being multicultural.

Re: plumbing abroad
 

Right then.

Let's start from scratch here to get you moving forward.

Exactly what trade qualifications do you hold please.

How much work experience in that field.

What licences do you have for the trade & for how long.

We start with that and then build on it or not.

Thanks

Re: plumbing abroad
 

Thanks for the reply, I have been in the trares 22 years finished my exams through CITB and so on. Have my City and Guilds although I dont think that counts for much these days. Took some time working along side a tiler to pick up the skills as both brothers are painters also. Never really been short of work as we get great refs from my paint supplier and interior designer that we have worked along side of for over 10 years. Have other builders that I work through as well as letting agencies that keep coming back. I am rather fed up with painting though. So this leads me to learning plumbing. I have never taken up my cscs card as I do not think after the amount of years I jhave been psinging I need this to say I can. I do quite a lot of refurbs these days from shell to finished home, these tend to be with builders I have built up a good reputation with. This type of work is more satisfying with regards to job satisfaction if you can appreciate.

Re: plumbing abroad
 

So are you qualified as a plumber and if so, how long have you worked as one? To get the Red Seal to work in Canada you'd need to prove that you have a certain amount of hours working as a plumber (iirc it's something like 7000 hours, but do double check that). You'd also have to pay to sit the exam etc btw, so it's the same as Oz in that respect.

HTH.

Re: plumbing abroad
 

I have to say I dont have a problem with anyone who moves and willing to contribute the issue is with immigrants coming to any country and expecting hand outs. While in Holland on contract it was simply an us and them situation where they did not mix so open Europe has the same political attitudes regardless of country. The fact there is a world wide recession just does not make sense in opening a border to more people coming into a country where the state will have to look after a large part of people. There should be a system along the ones set up by Australia, Canada and the US where you have to contribute or be there for work where you have a skill needed to do the job and prove this. I would like to add, there are a few to many jobs where I have had to attend a property to fix work carried out by so called tradesmen who maybe slept with a painter's sister once. There are also very limited apprenticeship placements available these days as there are to many cowboys taking work away from a time served contractor and limiting availability. Therefore employers like myself are saying why take on an apprentice and pay a week's wage for a body to be at college for two or three days a week. It is now putting the trades in a shortage of a qualified workforce. This was the same in Holland.

Re: plumbing abroad
 

I have still to finish the course and have a job to walk into on completion. There will definitely be a period on the job where I will have to pick up a working knowledge prior to looking at employment abroad. At this stage I am mearly seeking to get more information with regards to a country that would be worth moving to. Have to say thanks to everyone for the input it is appreciated

Re: plumbing abroad
 

and the same for New Zealand which sets the same standard as Oz.

The plumbing board of New Zealand looks for a UK overseas tradesman to be time served. An older C&G1 +2 (advanced) or the more modern NVQ3.
That would gain a provisional license to work in the trade for an employer and with all work to be supervised at all times.
One then sits an exam and a practical test of workmanship to gain NZ registration. That allows for the person to become unsupervised. Not to become self-employed. That is a whole other exam a further 2 years down the line.

Plumbers here serve 4 yr apprenticeships to gain an NZ national certificate. Once they have that and the required amount of hours on the tools , they then sit the NZ registration exam.
So, in simple terms NZ and OZ look to match that.

Do you have C&G - both certs .

Re: plumbing abroad
 

Fair enough. But you know that a very small percentage of immigrants to the UK actually claim benefits right? Unless you read the Daily Mail of course! :lol: Most are there just to work hard and give their families a good life, just as you wish to do.

There is. As said above, it's exactly the same for a Canadian (or Aussie, etc) wishing to come to the UK, they need a visa and skills to get one. You seem to be getting muddled up with EU citizens, who do have the right to come to the UK without any visa or job offer - but as said above, that works both ways and you could up and move to France or Spain tomorrow if you wish.

OK, so for Canada you'd need to get the requisite number of hours experience, then apply to challenge the exam. That's about the extent of my knowledge of the Red Seal, but a quick Google will give you loads of info I'm sure, or the Canada forums have lots of threads that would be worth a read.

Maybe see you in the Canada forums if you decide to pursue moving there, best of luck.

:)