theweave

This thread is being put on as not sour grapes or anger but as help and advice to any overseas qualified electricians emigrating to Australia especially English (I myself being from England). I will start my story I came to Australia in October 2014 my wife being the main visa applicant as a registered nurse.Having done lot of research in the U.K prior to leaving about my job as a electrician I knew it was going to be tough to work in my trade out here.It is now July 2015 and I have 100% had enough of it here.This post is to warn electricians coming out here in the same position I was how tough it really is. We started our journey in the gold coast and after looking after my son for three months until he started school I decided to get started as my wife is the visa holder I had to get my U.K qualifications verified and take a theory and a practical exams. Which came to about 1500 dollars the exams were fairly difficult and the practical exam involving motors was hard (having not a lot of experience with motors).I failed the practical exam (involving motors) and was told I had only one more chance to pass this exam for another cost of 1000 dollars!.It was clearly a money making scam as they know how much you need to get this assessment,so I paid another 1000 dollars and passed this exam. After that I was issued with a OTSR qualification which states I have been assessed and passed exams and can work as a electrician "under supervision" the OTSR qualification is a complete con.In Australia in every state to work as a electrician you have to have a electrician licence.A OTSR qualification lets you work as electrical trades assistant (a glorified apprentice) until you have completed more theory and practical exams and worked for a year completing a log book doing various tasks being signed off by a aussie qualified electrician all for the cost of another 3000 dollars!.I the started to look for work as TA and got nowhere there are no TA jobs well in the gold coast-Brisbane there was not. All the job vacancies were for qualified licenced electricians (how the hell can you get your licence if there are no jobs for you to complete your training?). After 6 months of this and clearly strain on our finances and our marriage we decided to move on to Sydney where we hoped the job opportunities would be better for me. After arriving in Sydney I got work quite quickly as a electrical trade assistant and thought things were on the turn I worked agency on a job which lasted a month. The work wasnt very interesting and I was treated like a labourer being mainly put with the aussie apprentices which is not great!.After that job ended I got a few days here and there again for agencies were you are treated like a apprentice.Again there are no jobs at least full time were you can complete the training. Now I am at the end of my patience and have resigned to the fact of returning to the U.K there are other reasons missing family friends etc.I am glad I have at least tried out here and wont have any regrets but do not understand why they make it so hard?.Is it a money making scam? Is it they do not want overseas immigrants taking there jobs? I have heard lots of times that british standards are a lot better than aussie which makes me think it is a combination of those reasons.In New Zealand to work as a electrician you have to have your qualifications verified and take exams but then you can work as a electrician perhaps thats were we should have gone from the start.Again I dont want this post to sound like sour grapes but as a warning to hi light the issues out here to work as a electrician from overseas. And I cannot wait to return to the U.K to work in my chosen profession.Its a shame as Australia is a beautiful country and wish things could of been different.:mad::elvis::chatterbox::arghh::arghh::arghh::arghh: