Plumbing Licensing Course

[andy-teresa]

I was a qualified plumber in the Isle of Man, UK for 10 years before moving to Brisbane in July. I was issued with a provisional plumbers/drainers licence and got a job through an agency within a week of arriving. The money wasn’t what I was use to but it was a start. The company I was placed with has just taken me on full time but the money has gone down because I’m not “technically qualified” as my boss put it. Although I feel I’m being taken for a mug I don’t have much to bargain with until I complete the Plumbing Licensing Course. Has anyone completed the Course? If so can you give me any advice and how long did it take?

[Tom the Pom]

I'm a sparky and facing the same 'your not qualified' bull when I arrive.
If the electrical course is anything to go by you will have to get yourself on a waiting list (the electrical one is approx 18months!!!) then the course is another 16weeks (and then you could fail - then you are back to square one).

It is very frustrating after being told they are screaming out for us to be told it's going to be nearly 2 years before we can expect a decent wage!!!

Good luck and don't give in to them!

[fatpom]

Originally Posted by Tom the Pom

I'm a sparky and facing the same 'your not qualified' bull when I arrive.
If the electrical course is anything to go by you will have to get yourself on a waiting list (the electrical one is approx 18months!!!) then the course is another 16weeks (and then you could fail - then you are back to square one).

It is very frustrating after being told they are screaming out for us to be told it's going to be nearly 2 years before we can expect a decent wage!!!

Good luck and don't give in to them!

Its not Bull. If you're not qualified you're not qualified. Australia will allow you to sign up for a Tafe course to get up to speed & whilst you'll pay for some of it you will also be substantially subsidised by Australian taxpayers.
I think most Australians would be appalled if they read just half the whinging going on from tradesman on this and other sites. Every Australian has to make the grade so why not foreigners arriving from overseas. It's a fair system.

Geez, its been frustrating to read these type comments over the last few months.

[mandy1]

Hi
I'm afraid I'm with fatpom on this one. My hubbys a plumber (26 years, runs own business etc..) but knows and accepts that he will have to do a course to be fully qualified aussie style! Its actually a bonus to hear that he'll get some help with the cost of a course as we didn't realise this and at the end of the day when you make the decision to move to another country you just have to accept their way of doing things and get on with it.
Mandy x

[Bobcat]

Originally Posted by fatpom

Its not Bull. If you're not qualified you're not qualified. Australia will allow you to sign up for a Tafe course to get up to speed & whilst you'll pay for some of it you will also be substantially subsidised by Australian taxpayers.
I think most Australians would be appalled if they read just half the whinging going on from tradesman on this and other sites. Every Australian has to make the grade so why not foreigners arriving from overseas. It's a fair system.

Geez, its been frustrating to read these type comments over the last few months.

I opted to jack plumbing in rather than renew my license. That was because since 1964 I had done no other job besides plumbing.............. although in Bermuda we weren't called plumbers......... we were tagged as first class mechanics (even though we were doing plumbing, pipefitting, leadburning, and installing air-conditioning units)..........and I had also taught the art of plumbing in several countries.

I actually applied for a plumbing teaching job at Balga Tafe here in Perth............... and reached the short list .......... only to just miss out apparently.

I had a staff of 60 odd working for me prior to our return to Perth in 1990............. and in two different neighbouring Pacific countries I was responsible for the supervision, training, and welfare of plumbers........... and the supply of raw water................. subsequent treatment of same until it came out of the tap......... and monitoring the quality of effluent going into rivers and the ocean.

To become qualified to operate as such............. I had had to participate in extensive training courses run by TAFE in Brisbane............... and once qualified I had to do 'Train the Trainer' further education............... and then teach plumbers, static plant operators including water supply and wastewater.

When told i couldn't operate here........ as good as plumbing had been to me over the years.............. I opted to get out of the game.

Have never looked back since!!!

[Tom the Pom]

Fatpom - no offense was meant and I hope none has been taken.

I am just frustrated that I am going to be penalised for not having an Australian sparks certificate. I mean - I've been sparking for 19years and will be very surprised if I learn anything new when I'm re-qualifying.

Rant over

[fatpom]

Originally Posted by Tom the Pom

Fatpom - no offense was meant and I hope none has been taken.

I am just frustrated that I am going to be penalised for not having an Australian sparks certificate. I mean - I've been sparking for 19years and will be very surprised if I learn anything new when I'm re-qualifying.

Rant over

No offense was taken... didn't mean to get at you personally either.

The licensing authorities have obviously decided that some tradesman are in need of training to bring them up to speed. I did assume that the requirement was more for other immigrant nationals but to be brutallly honest I'm not so sure now reading things recently like "my OH didn't do a formal apprenticeship but..."

The aussies have retained the traditional (UK) apprenticeship system & I've little doubt that overall the quality of training is the better for it.

To give a non-confrontational example of this, the aussies are shocking drivers... you'll see middle aged female drivers driving no better than "boy racers".
Bad, dangerous, inconsiderate and aggressive driving is fairly common. You'll see good, bad & indifferent of course but overall they're shockers.
Having taken driving lessons & driving tests in both the UK & Aus its not hard to see why. The driving lessons I got in Aus were pitiful and so that quality of training permeates right across the driving spectrum. I think the authorities know that there's something wrong probably from the stats but its not a simple matter to change things.

So insisting that the quality standards are maintained for the trades is good thing I think? The fact that some might be unnecessarily inconvenienced is unfortunate but no-one forces us to come here.

[ESSEX TO AUS]

I have had the same problems

I agree with Fat pom apart from Qld Plumber and drainers board are no help what so ever. We have enough on our plates moving from over sea's. The least they could do is lead us in the right direction instead of basically saying now your hear get on with it. If they need tadesmen they should get off there ars and help a little.

South Australia is totally diffrent and could not be more helpful. I'm going down there to do a classroom course (That does not exist up hear in QLD). Once this Course has been passed then it can be tranferd from state to state if that is your intension.

If you need any details of this course PM me

John

[Ian&Lou]

Someone mentioned to me that you can go on a course and transfer your skills across - is this right? Nobody else has mentioned it that I can see and I'm drawing a blank on the rest of the net...so not holidng out much hope.

Ian's fully qualified here (City & Guilds etc) and wondered how long it takes to get on a course, as well as how long it runs etc. I appreciate that they want us to prove our skills etc, but Ian's a fully qualified and experienced plumber & heating engineer...so anything that would make it a bit less painful would be great.

Thanks
Lou