plumbing& heating engineer what to do

[philandbecks]

I am moving out to frankston in september with my 2 children & wife who has got a sponsored job and visa, I currently run my own plumbing and heating business in the UK, and will enventually want to go into the trade in oz,can any one give me any advice on licences and what type of work is available for heating and plumbing engineers

Thanks

Phil

[big yogz]

Hi Phil, my name is john i've just arrived here in Brisbane i also am a plumbing and heating engineer. it's all so different over here i'm an advanced level 3 plumber and when i got here i was only granted a provisional licence, i have just sent all my gas qualifications to a place called TAFE and it will be down to then to decide if i qualify to have my gas licence. (and i have more corgi's than the queen) i have been here 5 weeks now and i cant get a job it's a bit of a pain you also need a blue card you can do that online. if you need the name of the place just let me know and i'll get it for you it's only $50 it's a peace of cake. you can get me on bigyogz@hotmail.com if there is anything i can help you with. the only other thing i can say to you is contact TAFE (trade recognition people) and get it all done before you come out and dont do what i have done

[philandbecks]

hI john

thanks FOR GETTING BACK TO ME, ITS REALLY DIFFICULT TO FIND ANY INFORMATION ABOUT PLUMBING AND HEATING WORK OUT IN OZ
HAVE YOU MOVED THERE WITH OUT A JOB OR DID YOU GO WITH FAMILY, IF YOU MOVED OUT THERE BY YOURSELF HOW DID YOU GET THE VISA AND HOW LONG DID IT TAKE AND HOW DID YOU GO ABOUT GETTING IT. CAN YOU SND ME THE WEBSITE LINK FOR TAFE, WHATS A BLUE CARD WHATS IT FOR AND CAN YOU SEND ME THE LINK, CAN I DO ANY OF THESE THINGS BEFORE I GO TO OZ,AS I WONT HAVE A VISA OR A OZ ADDRESS.
I'm NOT A ADVANCED LEVEL PLUMBER, STARTED AS A MATE AND WORKED MY WAY UP AND WORKED FOR DIFFERENT HEATING FIRS AND HAVE OIL AND GAS AND COMMERCIAL TICKETS ETC BUT DO NOT HAVE ANY NVQS,
I HAVE NOW SET UP MY OWN BUSINESS ABOUT 4 YEARS AGO WHICH IS DOING OK IN THE PRESENT CLIMATE,NOT HAVING ANY NVQS DO YOU THINK THIS IS A PROBLEM,
IVE BEEN TOLD YOUR QUALIFICATIONS ARNT REALLY THAT RECONIZED OVER THERE ANY WAY.

BIG QUESTION IS JOHN ARE THERE JOBS IN OZ?
AND OF COURSE BEING A POM IS THAT A PROBLEM
I THOUGHT YOU HAD TO TAKE EXAMS TO GET YOUR GAS LICENSE?

DO YOU REGRET GOING IN ANYWAY

THANKS
FOR ALL YOUR HELP AND LOOK FOWARD TO YOUR REPLY

PHIL

[legoman]

gas licence is very easy if you already know your stuff in the uk, gas work alone will not be sufficient to live and you will need a plumbers licence. was a shock to me to be unblocking cess pits and sewage pipes, if in wa a good shovel is a necessity. :)

[Aaron W]

Hi lads
im also a gas engineer/plumber and im moving to gold coast in sept, ive got my perm visa and its just me and my girlfriend, just wondering is it worth me doing my lpg gas in england or just come over with my natural gas, and do i have to go to a tafe centre to get a plumbers licence, if anyone has any info on these jobs, i would be very grateful

[legoman]

just come over with your nat gas, in wa I completed a 3 week course and at the end of it i had a licence to work on nat gas, lpg in boats and vehicles but not converting cars to nat gas.

its really easy course, and the 3hr exam took me 20mins to do. the plumb licence was the 'bugger'. and by all accounts is a long drawn out exercise now.

[Aaron W]

thanks mate, how u finding the gas work out there is it alot different to over here, did the course help with the way they do things.

[paulallan]

HI I am just getting ready to book my plumbing practical with vetassess at accrington, I am also a heating engineer, just wondering if any of you have done the practical at accrington and if so do you have to take all your own tools etc or do they have some to hand then you dont have to mug evrything there.
any help and advice on it would be great as im looking forward to getting down under
cheers

[legoman]

I changed career like a lot of plumber gas from uk, i couldnt handle the endless unblocking sewer pipes etc, in wa if a pan is blocked it means removing the block pavework outside the bathroom, digging down til u come across the first bend of the 4'' pipe which has an access point. thing is undoing the access point meant 4' of raw sewage to jump from when it gushes out.

I was more a gas engineer than plumber. plus i older too :)

[Aaron W]

hi mate
i didnt go through vetassess I am gasfitter so went through TRA, didnt have to do a practical just sent my qualifications off. I would check the Vetassess website for the list of things you need to take.

But i do remember someone saying they took there tools there, if you,ve got your gas quals then you should look into going through a tra [trades recognition australia] as its cheaper, but you need proof of a 3 year apprenticeship, and alot of other bits.