Want to gain skills prior to emigrating to Perth, WA.

[GaryWatson]

Hey all,

I'm starting this thread in hope that somebody on here has been in my situation before and can offer me some much needed advice.

I plan to emigrate to Perth with my girlfriend, who is Australian, but would like to gain some qualifications/experience prior to making the move.

I am currently 25-years-old and have worked in a steel profile and fabrication workshop for nigh on 7-years now, which has allowed me to do pick up some basic MIG welding skills (I mainly work on the profiling side of things). I now intend to go to college to do my City & Guilds Level 1 and 2 in order to gain both experience and qualifications.

If anyone has ever been in my situation then I'd love to hear from you. I just need guidanice really, such as what I would be best off learning prior to emigrating etc.

Cheers,
Gary.

 

[rikrobson]

I have a friend who was in a similar situation, he qualified as a plumber and they moved to Perth, WA.

When he got there he found that his Plumbing qualifications weren't compatible with the Aussie Ones and they ended up coming back to Perth, Scotland

So you need to make sure you are fully compliant with Aussie Qualifications.

 

[GaryWatson]

Thanks for the responce, bud. I have already looked into this and you are correct - their qualifications do indeed differ to ours. I'm still going to proceed in getting those courses done anyway as they're relatively cheap and it's the experience I'm wanting.

I can weld to a decent standard at the moment but I am pretty much self-taught and know fine well that I will have developed bad habits.

 

[GaryWatson]

As things stand, I plan to get these qualifications and go to Oz in hope of findings work as a semi-skilled welder, upskilling bit by bit from there. I just want to know whether anyone has any advice in regards to what I could do prior to emigrating that would boost my chances of finding work quickly upon arriving in Perth.

 

[Country Joe]

Welcome to the Forum!
There's a guy on here, who has just recently done the very same thing.
His user name is SIPMerlin150 - at least I think it is. Maybe he'll see this, or even send him a PM.
He might still be too busy sightseeing to look in on here very often! (Sorry, Luke!)
All the Best,
CJ

PS - Found him, here you go:- SIPMerlin150

 

[Burdekin]

I'm Australian living out here. I would say you will need to be trade qualified in oz; 4 year apprenticeship. Maybe do the courses but look at doing an apprenticeship in oz. I did a fitting and machining apprenticeship and also had welding tickets but still wouldn't have been employed as a boilermaker. Maybe things have changed as that is going back quite a few years now.

 

[matt1978]

Maybe things are different now but I didn't think you could get a work visa as semi skilled, if your going as a trade then you need to have a apprectiship in that trade and the qualifications to suit. I didn't think it was possible to go as a learner and upgrade whilst there, but to be fair it's been a good while since I considered it so things may of changed

 

[penfold]

Presumably it works differently if you marry your way in?

 

[GaryWatson]

Hey guys, thanks for the replies.

I won't be entering Australia using a skilled visa, I am going with a partnership visa as my girlfriend is Australian - fully entitled to work.

Thanks for the advice, Burdekin. I regularly check www.seek.com.au for welding jobs and seem to find new ones for people who aren't necessarily highly qualified every day. I don't expect to walk into a high paying job straight away but would like to think I'd stand a chance to get one as a semi-skilled/second class welder?

 

[GaryWatson]

Another option would be to get myself up to coded standard prior to making the move and getting tested upon arrival. That way, provired I pass, I would hold Australian recognised codings. How does that sound?

 

[Burdekin]

Another option would be to get myself up to coded standard prior to making the move and getting tested upon arrival. That way, provired I pass, I would hold Australian recognised codings. How does that sound?

Have a look at what courses TAFE (like the oz version of city and guild I think) are running in the area where you are planning on going.

On a bit of a negative note I'm afraid. Have you been to oz before? Where are you planning on moving to? Are you aware at how expensive it is compared to the UK. When I moved here the $ to £ was 2.8 now it's about 1.5 and the cost of living has gone up way more than here. Me personally the grass is greener living in Scotland. Compare my lifestyle in Aberdeen to someone living in Sydney and you'd need to be a muti-millionaire to have the equivalent lifestyle I reckon. My brother-in-law has basically the same job as I have working out of Perth, he's earning very good money but they couldn't afford what we have in Aberdeen and living in suburbia in Perth is horrible if you ask me. Maybe your girlfriend is pushing for the move back to oz but if you're looking for somewhere in the UK that is doing well it's Aberdeen. I personally wouldn't consider moving back to oz at the moment, I love oz but I'm better off here. Sorry about the negativity.

 

[GaryWatson]

We will be emigrating to Perth. And yes, I have been before and am fully aware of how expensive things are ($10 for a beer!).

Even so, both myself and her majesty have our hearts set on the move and will definitely be going. You see, we have two kids and not a lot of family here, whereas we have plenty in Oz.

I will look into what courses TAFE have on offer, though - thanks for the advice. I'm actually pretty sure you can do tests upon arriving to have your UK qualifications transferred to their Australian equivalents. I don't suppose you know anything about that, do you?

 

[Burdekin]

We will be emigrating to Perth. And yes, I have been before and am fully aware of how expensive things are ($10 for a beer!).

Even so, both myself and her majesty have our hearts set on the move and will definitely be going. You see, we have two kids and not a lot of family here, whereas we have plenty in Oz.

I will look into what courses TAFE have on offer, though - thanks for the advice. I'm actually pretty sure you can do tests upon arriving to have your UK qualifications transferred to their Australian equivalents. I don't suppose you know anything about that, do you?

A South African mate went through that process to get his SA airforce apprenticeship approved, from memory it wasn't very straight forward and I think initially they didn't want to credit his SA apprenticeship. I'm not sure who does this though but I'd talk to them directly and see what they say. What about e-mailing a heap of fabrication workshops in oz and introduce yourself and tell them you're coming over and what sort of courses/skills you'd need to be considered for a job in their workshop.

I worked in Perth in the early nineties and we stopped at Kalgoolie for a couple of days on our way over, got talking to a woman who owned the pub and she got me a job in Perth even before I got to Perth. Back then there was no problem getting work that is for sure. Last time we were in Perth was 2011.

I'm not a fan of Perth or the west coast so good luck with your move. I'm from North Queensland, much better way of life if you ask me. My dad built a beach house near the Whitsunday Islands the same year my older brother was born. We spent many weekends and holidays there out in our boats fishing and diving and then riding our motobikes and beach buggy. When we weren't there we were playing sport in a sport mad town. We rode our bikes to school with our mates and everyone in the town was friendly and knew who we were. That's what living in oz is about for me. Sorry I'm going all negative again, but I just think Perth isn't that great a place to live compared to other places in oz.

 

[octo0072000]

New laws in Australia have made things tougher for skilled Brits wanting to work Down

off today's yahoo looks like you may need to get married first may save you a lot of hassle with the 457 bit

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/laws-moving-australia-tougher-235100775.html#tANTUCS

 

[GaryWatson]

Haha! Don't worry about the negativity, everyone's entitled to an opinion. I've never been to to the Whitsunday Islands but they do look amazing. I love Perth, though. The fact we have family family there played a big part in our decision.

I will try contacting as many fab shops as possible in the coming weeks for advice - GREAT IDEA!

Oh, and don't worry about my visa octo0072000, I'm not going as a skilled worker. My partnership visa is already being processed and should be finalised within the next 9 months.

 

[Burdekin]

Get yourself over once you've settled, amazing part of the world. The Great Barrier Reef is by far the most beautiful part of Australia. I also love Magnetic Island and have been going there since I was a kid, always spend a week there on trips home.

I lived in Fremantle and thought it was great with great pubs and restaurants. I also like Subiaco and the beaches in Perth. They'd be my pick of places but imagine they'd be quite pricey now though.

Welding is a good trade to have in oz, you'll never be out of work.

 

[GaryWatson]

Freemantle is a beautiful place, I also like Cottesloe. The food and beer etc is still expensive but no more so than anywhere else in Perth. To be honest, I'm not a big drinker anyway so the cost of alcohol doesn't really bother me.

Yeah, I've been told by more than a few people we know who currently live there that welders are sought after. In recent years I've worked more as a steel profiler but would now like to switch to the fabrication side of things in preparation for emigrating. Mind you, I can imagine welding will be very hard in that heat!

You seem to have lived a lovely life, Burdekin. I envy you!

 

[penfold]

There's no doubt plenty of work to had in the mines and offshore with oil; despite the economic downturn both are still ticking along ok, although that would change if China has a slow down.

 

[baldric]

I am in wa south west the only way you will be reckonised is jf you have served a full aprenticship with the nesecary tickets to back your claims up this country requires welders they haft to be coded welders welders here specialise in diffrent fields of welding myself I am not a welder carpenter joiner in 1969 they couldent get me here quick enough then I returned to the old country some twelve years later I reaplied to emigrate back to oz I thought I would be ok because I had worked in the country before,,, no such dam luck I had to prove myself all over again with my aprenticship papers and a heap of other things it was that bad my wifes family had been living in the country we got back into the country eventually and settled in the mid west and as soon as possible we took out citizenship to safe guard the family if any one of them wanted to go back to the old country for a number of years it was that hard the sister inlaw lobbied the local mp the only people who get into this country is the illegals boat people so my advice take up the trade you wish to persue and get your papers ,,,, and as for the plumber the only difrence in pluming in this country is where uk uses Yorkshire fittings and compression fittings and soft solder ,,, Australia uses gas welding / torch silver solder and plain non soft solder joints and the odd compression fitting truthfully I think there was something difrent why that plumber returned back to uk Australian plumbing can be picked up in five minuets and then go for his Australian papers like electricians they haft to do the same what ever you do stick at it at the moment this country needs tradesmen its all the politics that stuffs everything up its just getting over that hurdle once here you will never regret it go to Australia house in uk and find out the requirements for emigrating that's the only place you will get sound advice --- go for it ---best of luck

 

[GaryWatson]

Thanks for the advice Baldric. Fortunately, my visa isn't going to be an issue. I will be arriving in Perth around June 2015, so quite a while yet, and hope to be welding to a high standard by then. It's the finding work part that worries me, I just want to make sure I'm in the best position possible to get a job quickly upon emigrating.