Andystiz Posted June 3, 2013 Share Posted June 3, 2013 I've seen the ads for the education reforms also- all after the gonski report thing. No doubt they are going to be ploughing money into education and hopefully it will improve. We feel that the early years in the uk provide a much more solid foundation. Just as an illustration- in literacy they teach children to print letters and not cursive handwriting (they try and teach this later onin yr4) and at home cursive is taught as it helps combat dyslexia etc. Students are definately not pushed- it would appear that those who want to learn do and those who for whatever reason don't engage easily don't or are allowed to falter somewhat. I am aware that my exp is only based on my exchange school and others in the locality but it still causes concern. I suppose we are classing this as a validation visit- still enjoying the holidays- we are off on the great ocean drive to adelaide next break. Don't let my thoughts put any1 off- just chose your school carefully!! Best of luck to all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lambchopsy Posted June 9, 2013 Share Posted June 9, 2013 Hi All, Not been on here for ages just thought I'd pop on and see how everyone is getting on. We arrived in March and have had a pretty soft landing thanks to my family. We had a car waiting for us and a rental ready as soon as our shipping arrived. My husband has found work and we are loving it here. I know we have been extremely lucky and we are very grateful for all the help we've received. We are in Mandurah WA, if there is anyone who would like to meet up we would love to meet some new people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnAli Posted July 21, 2013 Share Posted July 21, 2013 Update from us,been in Aus since Jan 2nd on teacher exchange as a trial before a possible big move after gaining the full visa. After the intial buzz of being in Oz we have been mulling over whether to make the big move yet.... decided to go back to the Uk after the 1 year teacher exchange. It's not that we havent enjoyed it but we have real concerns over education for our youngest (just in kinder here) as we feel uk 1st 3 or so years are much much better and I have found working in an Oz school not as fulfilling as I hoped. I am enjoying being ofsted free but I miss the technology and more organised collaborative approach to teaching. I also really miss the history and culture of the uk, much more than I ever thought I would. So we will go back in december and reassess over the next 1-2 years or so. We have until 2017 to make a perm move so no real rush. We are enjoying the weather though and of all the years to be out of the UK this would seem to be a good one!!! Best of luck to everyone in their adventures. Hi Andy, we came over on 22 April within 2 weeks i had an interview for a private school in Perth, I got the job but its only part time however as the pay is so much better we can afford to live. The technology in my school is amazing all the kids have ipads, super fast internet , almost up to UK standards with target setting and progress reports - my experience of schools here is pretty amazing. I have a friend who has a 5 years old and her experience of the school William goes to is great she said his reading has come on in leaps and bounds. i guess it getting into the right school - I was in the wrong school in the UK but had to stay there as there were no jobs to move to. Here I am unsure if i will stay in teaching as there are so many opportunities, what I have found though is that I am becoming much more creative in my teaching as I no longer have the pressure of ofsted and target levels that have to be met. I think the kids I teach here have a much better Teacher. I wish you the best of luck in your adventures I am convinced that children here have much better opportunities and quality of life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnAli Posted July 21, 2013 Share Posted July 21, 2013 Hi How is everyone getting on? We are loving it . we arrived 23 April and we are loving it. everything has worked out - John found out he had a job in Fremantle hospital 1 week before we left which made the move a little easier. We stopped in Singapore had a good time. 1 week after we arrived I had an interview with a teaching agency who then then put me in touch with private school, got the job and started 3 weeks later. We bought a car 1 week after arriving and are lucky enough we only just 1 car. We had a 12 week house rental in Hilarys when we arrived, we paid for the 12 weeks but only stayed there for for 8 as we found an apartment that we fell in love with and did not want to loose it. It worked out expensive paying for the 2 properties but it was worth it in the long run. We found finding a rental really easy and no where near as horrific and stressful as we had heard. We were prepared with our info pack when we turned up to the home open. We filled the application in there are then and handed it in, we were the only people to do that on the day and we got the apartment. We are living in North Freo and love it, we love the Fremantle area - there is so much going on. We have met some lovely people and we are settling in to our new lives. Before we came out we had lots of concerns and worries they have all disappeared our lives are great, our quality of life is 200% better. We miss our families at home and that is the only down side. We dont think things are particularly expensive when you consider how much money you earn, we use the the calculation - how long do i have to work to pay for that - most of the time its the same or less than in the UK. We do not miss anything about the UK, for us so far the move has been very positive. We know its going to take time to build new friendship groups as it did in the UK, we have looked at lots of areas to live and have found there are lots of different types of areas to live , the outskirts seem to be where the Brits live and make home and the Aussies call the outer suburbs little Britain , we have decided to live in a more traditionally Australian area - we love it, Australians are hysterical they are such lovely people once you get used to their bluntness ! In fact everyone we have met here Brits and Aussies have been lovely. Anyone with any doubts - take that leap of faith, its so worth it x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnAli Posted July 21, 2013 Share Posted July 21, 2013 Hi All, Not been on here for ages just thought I'd pop on and see how everyone is getting on. We arrived in March and have had a pretty soft landing thanks to my family. We had a car waiting for us and a rental ready as soon as our shipping arrived. My husband has found work and we are loving it here. I know we have been extremely lucky and we are very grateful for all the help we've received. We are in Mandurah WA, if there is anyone who would like to meet up we would love to meet some new people. Have you tried the Little day spa for a hair cut ? Bernadette used to cut my hair in Liverpool 20 years ago - she is really good, when I moved to North Wales i used to make the hour trip to Liverpool to have my hair cut and coloured by her - now I make the hour trip from Freo to have my hair cut and coloured by her - strange - We live up in North Freo if you fancy a day out in Freo get in touch , we are in our early 40s - no kids but all our friends have kids - I am a Teacher so used to being around kids - I think you can get the train from Mandurah to Freo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wendy Thorp Posted July 21, 2013 Share Posted July 21, 2013 Hello, not been on here for a bit, packing and moving strangely seemed to take up allllllllll!!! of my time!! but we are here!! it is hard to believe, especially since alot of you who i went through the dreaded visa process with are also here, soo it works, dreaded or not! only been here a week, and spent much of that time, looking at houses, so not seen much of perth as yet, hubby has got a job, yeah!! he came over in may for 10 days for interviews etc... and got offered three once he got back... would say home, but that would now not be acurate! so we headed out here and are staying in a holiday let in quinns rocks, until we find a permanent rental, were that will be is anyones guess, alot is dependant on schools for my two girls. planning on meeting up with everyone i can, feel like i know so many of you on here personally from being on here, even though could not pick you out if stood in front of me! lol! i am sat in garden, looking at pool which as inviting as it looks given the sun glistening off it, is hugely diceptive, and will probably remain untouched, but in the sun writing this coffee in hand,,, well it is sunday morning,,,give it a few hours! in the middle of winter... cant be bad!!! ali have sent you a pm, can't wait to meet up lambchopsy we have friends who are in mundurah, actually friends of my mum, who i think my mum is planning on them keeping there eye on me!! so will have to go down and see them at some point once we are settled, so will let you know when do and we could meet up too! Its great this huge adventure especially being able to share it with others...good luck to everyone, i will now try to do updates as much as i can, as know how it feels at the other end and litterally looking for people give info once they are there wendy xxxxxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andystiz Posted July 21, 2013 Share Posted July 21, 2013 Hi Andy, we came over on 22 April within 2 weeks i had an interview for a private school in Perth, I got the job but its only part time however as the pay is so much better we can afford to live. The technology in my school is amazing all the kids have ipads, super fast internet , almost up to UK standards with target setting and progress reports - my experience of schools here is pretty amazing. I have a friend who has a 5 years old and her experience of the school William goes to is great she said his reading has come on in leaps and bounds. i guess it getting into the right school - I was in the wrong school in the UK but had to stay there as there were no jobs to move to. Here I am unsure if i will stay in teaching as there are so many opportunities, what I have found though is that I am becoming much more creative in my teaching as I no longer have the pressure of ofsted and target levels that have to be met. I think the kids I teach here have a much better Teacher. I wish you the best of luck in your adventures I am convinced that children here have much better opportunities and quality of life. Sounds like you are having a very different experience to me. The school I am at has no target setting and progress reports, in fact I got no information on any prior attainment for any of the classes I am teaching. All I got was a class list and that was it, aside from the programme of study. We are in a very isolated country area that is very pretty but backward in many respects. I have submitted a 3/4 page summary about how I feel the school could address my perceived issues but they have said many of things I have suggested are cultural differences- I did say that a school creates its own culture/ethos but I am fairly certain that none of my ideas will be adopted over the coming years as they would mean staff had to work harder!!!!! I am pleased to hear that others are having a more positive experience- but still looking forward to going home in December and seeing family as we have had no visitors at all and won't have any all year due to family ill health and being unable to travel. I do laugh when the locals whine about it being cold when it is 16, they really have no idea, not looking forward to weather next Jan at home!! I agree that there are more opportunities for our children here and indeed adults to change career. Just not sure its right for us at this moment in time- strangely our best friends (also teachers) are currently in the process of getting a visa to move over- Mr Gove is driving teachers out of Britain!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cvargy Posted July 21, 2013 Share Posted July 21, 2013 Hi johnali, would be really interested in your views on teaching here as have been teaching in UK for 15 years, finally nearly broke me last year. Now we're here thought I would escape it, but if it were good here I'd love to still be in it...Love the kids and the job. Came here for our boys, and whilst my eldest seems well ahead of his peers here, I think he's going to get something way more rounded and enjoyable - not that there was anything wrong with his UK school. What do you recommend and I've done the AITSL skills assessment but what more do you need..teacher registration seems more complicated to me than it probably is! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnAli Posted July 21, 2013 Share Posted July 21, 2013 When I started at school I did not receive any data either which was weird I was told you have new classes who have never done Food or Textiles before you make your own mind up !! The system here even good private schools is so backward. I am not making suggestions at the moment as I want to find my feet first. My dept think anything for an easy life if it works why fix it or change it. Its quite refreshing as the school I came from in the UK I was working 70 hours a week I now work 25 for more money !! Once i have been in school for awhile and settled into our lives I will think about suggesting changes. I HATE that T**T gove pardon the french but I have to swear when I think of his weasel face and what he is doing to schools and teachers - 3 teachers from my old school have had breakdowns because of the pressure. Good luck with your decision about what you do Oz isn't for everyone you have to do whats best for you and your family. Sounds like you are having a very different experience to me. The school I am at has no target setting and progress reports, in fact I got no information on any prior attainment for any of the classes I am teaching. All I got was a class list and that was it, aside from the programme of study. We are in a very isolated country area that is very pretty but backward in many respects. I have submitted a 3/4 page summary about how I feel the school could address my perceived issues but they have said many of things I have suggested are cultural differences- I did say that a school creates its own culture/ethos but I am fairly certain that none of my ideas will be adopted over the coming years as they would mean staff had to work harder!!!!!I am pleased to hear that others are having a more positive experience- but still looking forward to going home in December and seeing family as we have had no visitors at all and won't have any all year due to family ill health and being unable to travel. I do laugh when the locals whine about it being cold when it is 16, they really have no idea, not looking forward to weather next Jan at home!! I agree that there are more opportunities for our children here and indeed adults to change career. Just not sure its right for us at this moment in time- strangely our best friends (also teachers) are currently in the process of getting a visa to move over- Mr Gove is driving teachers out of Britain!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnAli Posted July 21, 2013 Share Posted July 21, 2013 I hated my job in the UK I nearly had a breakdown because of the hours and the pressure, our relationship suffered as did my relationships with my friends and family. I love teaching here - kids seem to have more respect - the job is not as demanding although I am only working part time, the full time teacher tell me they are stressed and have too much work but will sit and chat in their non teaching periods which they have 13 of per 2 weeks, I used to get 7 over a 2 week period. We are in Perth and I have registered with TRBWA and have been registered as non practicing as I have not taught in WA for a year, next year I will get full registration. My school have acknowledged my UK experience and put me on the same scale. I think the education system is better here it may not be as academically driven but kids get a much more holistic education. I would say go for it , its pain in the arse getting your registration but worth it. What do you teach ? Hi johnali, would be really interested in your views on teaching here as have been teaching in UK for 15 years, finally nearly broke me last year. Now we're here thought I would escape it, but if it were good here I'd love to still be in it...Love the kids and the job. Came here for our boys, and whilst my eldest seems well ahead of his peers here, I think he's going to get something way more rounded and enjoyable - not that there was anything wrong with his UK school. What do you recommend and I've done the AITSL skills assessment but what more do you need..teacher registration seems more complicated to me than it probably is! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnAli Posted July 21, 2013 Share Posted July 21, 2013 Norman just do it - make the move - the only regret we have is that we did not do it sooner. It's fabulous here so positive laid back and just plain happy . Ali Hi, This is my first post on this forum. Trust me! your positive words about Perth, WA are like drops of rain in desert for me. My wife was extremely worried about settling in the most remote city of the world and that feeling was creeping in me as well. I hope we both inherit your positivity into our thinking and plan the move as well. Your further comments about the place and people will be of immense interest to us. We are also two-minded about going there for a small vacation (for visa validation) or shall I wrap-up everything over here in Middle East and go there. A piece of advice from you or other seniors will be highly appreciated. Regards, Noman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davidson Posted July 22, 2013 Share Posted July 22, 2013 Hello, not been on here for a bit, packing and moving strangely seemed to take up allllllllll!!! of my time!! but we are here!! it is hard to believe, especially since alot of you who i went through the dreaded visa process with are also here, soo it works, dreaded or not! only been here a week, and spent much of that time, looking at houses, so not seen much of perth as yet, hubby has got a job, yeah!! he came over in may for 10 days for interviews etc... and got offered three once he got back... would say home, but that would now not be acurate! so we headed out here and are staying in a holiday let in quinns rocks, until we find a permanent rental, were that will be is anyones guess, alot is dependant on schools for my two girls. planning on meeting up with everyone i can, feel like i know so many of you on here personally from being on here, even though could not pick you out if stood in front of me! lol! i am sat in garden, looking at pool which as inviting as it looks given the sun glistening off it, is hugely diceptive, and will probably remain untouched, but in the sun writing this coffee in hand,,, well it is sunday morning,,,give it a few hours! in the middle of winter... cant be bad!!! ali have sent you a pm, can't wait to meet up lambchopsy we have friends who are in mundurah, actually friends of my mum, who i think my mum is planning on them keeping there eye on me!! so will have to go down and see them at some point once we are settled, so will let you know when do and we could meet up too! Its great this huge adventure especially being able to share it with others...good luck to everyone, i will now try to do updates as much as i can, as know how it feels at the other end and litterally looking for people give info once they are there wendy xxxxxx Yeh why not we all meet each other...it will make me feel family as living alone in this country is not really interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andystiz Posted July 22, 2013 Share Posted July 22, 2013 Thanks for that- totally agree gove- cheesegrater to face is whats required and then get him to recite all the timestables and poetry all while reading a classic novel each week etc. Just had our inset day at start of term 3 today and maybe just maybe some of my ideas are coming to fruition- a lazy arse kid being placed on 'positive' monitoring- only after parents said they may remove him to go to boarding school. Maybe even starting to compare prior attainment with current in the reporting system- although only time will tell. The full time staff here do moan about the workload- they really have no idea- although my exchange teacher does now, shes tried to get back early twice and my school in the uk is a middle school so no real exam pressure apart from the sats, although obviously progress is king and thankfully I teach science not maths or english- although I am turning my hand to yr 7 maths over here- not something i'd hope to do again!! The kids over here are generally ok- they just seem lazy to me compared to in the Uk in a good school. I think its because they know nothing matters until year12. I am registered as a teacher in Vic and they gave me full registration recognising my pd and experience and responsibility etc. Anyway, I'm off to tassie next holiday so I'll enjoy the time over here!! Hope everything continues to go well with you and you eventually bring the best bits of the uk system to the oz one - then you'd have a robust system for all- I thik I should work for the board of studies as an advisor or something!!!:cute: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lambchopsy Posted July 28, 2013 Share Posted July 28, 2013 Have you tried the Little day spa for a hair cut ? Bernadette used to cut my hair in Liverpool 20 years ago - she is really good, when I moved to North Wales i used to make the hour trip to Liverpool to have my hair cut and coloured by her - now I make the hour trip from Freo to have my hair cut and coloured by her - strange - We live up in North Freo if you fancy a day out in Freo get in touch , we are in our early 40s - no kids but all our friends have kids - I am a Teacher so used to being around kids - I think you can get the train from Mandurah to Freo. Hi, sorry for delay in replying - it's been a hectic week - my little girls birthday. No haven't been there for a haircut, tried a few places on the marina, I'll look her up. I'm a teacher too, although haven't been back since maternity leave (our daughter is 2 now). Used to teach primary. Will have to organise a meet up :biggrin: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lambchopsy Posted July 28, 2013 Share Posted July 28, 2013 Hello, not been on here for a bit, packing and moving strangely seemed to take up allllllllll!!! of my time!! but we are here!! it is hard to believe, especially since alot of you who i went through the dreaded visa process with are also here, soo it works, dreaded or not! only been here a week, and spent much of that time, looking at houses, so not seen much of perth as yet, hubby has got a job, yeah!! he came over in may for 10 days for interviews etc... and got offered three once he got back... would say home, but that would now not be acurate! so we headed out here and are staying in a holiday let in quinns rocks, until we find a permanent rental, were that will be is anyones guess, alot is dependant on schools for my two girls. planning on meeting up with everyone i can, feel like i know so many of you on here personally from being on here, even though could not pick you out if stood in front of me! lol! i am sat in garden, looking at pool which as inviting as it looks given the sun glistening off it, is hugely diceptive, and will probably remain untouched, but in the sun writing this coffee in hand,,, well it is sunday morning,,,give it a few hours! in the middle of winter... cant be bad!!! ali have sent you a pm, can't wait to meet up lambchopsy we have friends who are in mundurah, actually friends of my mum, who i think my mum is planning on them keeping there eye on me!! so will have to go down and see them at some point once we are settled, so will let you know when do and we could meet up too! Its great this huge adventure especially being able to share it with others...good luck to everyone, i will now try to do updates as much as i can, as know how it feels at the other end and litterally looking for people give info once they are there wendy xxxxxx Hope you're settling in well. Let us know when you're down this way :biggrin: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
82rhoads Posted September 15, 2013 Share Posted September 15, 2013 Hi everyone, Just been reading the posts on this thread and good to see that mostly things are working out for everyone. How is everyone enjoying the Perth winter so far? Perth needs the rain. Looks like most of us are experiencing the same things and funny what Wendy said that we wouldn't know each other in a crowd but have helped each other out :-) Getting a rental wasn't as hard as I thought it would be though. We expected carnage at the viewings but only was only us on a few of the ones we saw. Settled for a place in 'Doubleview' in the end which was near my work and for Wembley downs school for my daughters. Like a few of you we've been so busy sorting stuff out we haven't had a good look around. Now it's settling down a bit we can appreciate the place a bit more. Been using the local library for internet though while we sorted out ours. We went with 'ii net' which is pretty good value. I got a job within a couple of days of landing which has worked out well, I'm liking the idea of having beer on a Friday afternoon once we finish work though. All courtesy of the company:-) I'm too not finding the shopping that expensive. We use all 3 supermarkets and pick up the offers when we can. Looking at going to some farmers' markets that the fellas from work have recommended though as it's good value there. My children love the school and my wife is making friends with the mums quite well which is good while I'm at work. The only downside is that as we arrived they announced that there would be a cut in budget for education assistants and that around 350 would lose their jobs. This is what my wife is qualified for so it's put a little worry on our minds. She's managed to get some relief work which is good and had worked hard knocking on doors and phoning around. Everyone we've met has been very helpful and asking whether we have everything we need and have even lent us some things until our container turns up. My daughter even asked me if we were poor as we have 4 camping chairs in the lounge at the moment and not really any furniture! Won't be for long though. So far it's good, the crows still make us laugh with their odd call, but the parrots and parakeets are lovely. Here's to spring around the corner :-) Cheers, Darren Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathB35 Posted September 15, 2013 Share Posted September 15, 2013 Great to read your update 82rhoads, thanks for posting. All the thread updates are really keeping me going as we're still in the UK at the moment. Desperate to get over to Oz, but we have to sort out some family stuff first which means it won't be till next year which is frustrating. Just wishing the days by until we get on that flight!! :wub: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dreaming Posted September 27, 2013 Share Posted September 27, 2013 Hi everyone, I haven't been on here in so long, but its lovely to read all the happy experiences so far! we have been here since the end of May, and love it! We stayed with friends initially but managed to get a rental within 2 weeks which was a relief! My husband had to return to the UK for 6 weeks at the end of June to finish up work, finalise sale of house etc.. That was quite tough, being here myself with the three kids, no shipping container untill the end of July... So if we can survive that we can survive anything lol. we have met so many lovely people, and they are all so helpful. I was even loaned a car from one of our new friends untill I got my own. Hubby arrived back at the beginning of August. He started working for a local company but within a week decided to bite the bullet and go self employed (he is a landscape gardener) He is thriving on this new challenge and it has been really positive for him so far. I was a childcare manager in the UK, and wasn't sure if I wanted to continue in that industry here. I did apply for and started a part time job in a centre about 5 weeks ago, but it wasn't for me. I have however just secured a full time job (still in the childcare industry), which on paper is my dream job, so fingers crossed I love it as much as I think I will lol. I start in 2 weeks, can't wait! Our kids have settled really well, our 19 year old is the only one who is struggling, which we expected. He isn't unhappy, but he is finding it difficult to get work. He had another interview today though so fingers crossed. Getting a job will just open up a whole social circle for him as well as a bit of financial independence. our 10 year old has settled great, school obviously really helps, but he has just embraced the whole lifestyle. Our 3 year old has settled great too. We are used to the price of things now, the only things I find really expensive are perfume, shoes and alcohol. Since arriving and finding out so many uk retailers deliver here... Well it's a lot better than we expected. We haven't saw many sights yet, life has just been so busy getting started here, but we are looking forward to exploring our new home We are loving life in WA and have no regrets or homesickness. I miss my friends, but it has actually got easier as time has passed. The Internet is amazing for keeping in touch, and nothing has really changed in the 4 months we have been here. I do think it will hit me when something "big" happens at home and I'm not there, but I still wouldn't change the life we have here to go back, even at this early stage and knowing we have so much potential still to achieve. I hope you are all enjoying your new homes, or the excitement in the preparations for arriving here... I love reading all your updates and the feeling of the whole visa process being so far away now lol. Take care everyone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest fultonclan Posted September 27, 2013 Share Posted September 27, 2013 Hey everyone! Wow we have had an amazing almost four months! Don't know where the time has gone since we arrived here in Western Australia. Things are going great for all of us. Kids have settled well into school, hubby in his job (he had secured a job within the first 4 weeks) which is fab. The lifestyle is great and we love it. I know we have only been here 4 months but at the moment there is nothing I miss about the UK, not a thing! We already call this our home. Sure its not perfect but no place is, is it? We made this move mainly for our children and I don't think I will ever regret it. My eldest boy has absolutely thrived since coming here, so much more confident in himself and his abilities whereas in the UK he was always quite clingy. Never wanted to try sports of any kind but here he's into everything. My youngest just goes with the flow and spends most of time either barefoot (like many aussies) or wearing his thongs (flip-flops to those not in the Aussie slang! lol). He's as laid back as a four and a half year old can be. And they LIKE going out in the rain! Anyway as I said we have no regrets about making this move. For those of you who are umming and arring about whether to take the leap.......all I can say is TRY IT!! Don't spend the rest of your life saying 'what if'.............. Take care all of you and good luck!! :jiggy: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathB35 Posted September 28, 2013 Share Posted September 28, 2013 Great to read more updates guys :biggrin: , hubby in his job (he had secured a job within the first 4 weeks) which is fab. Can I ask, is he working as a TA? How's he getting on with getting his Grade A license? Did he have to go for many interviews? I've been reading a few conflicting things about how difficult it is for a spark to get work..... Glad you're having such a great time. Makes me want to jump on the plane right now to get over there!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest fultonclan Posted September 29, 2013 Share Posted September 29, 2013 Can I ask, is he working as a TA? How's he getting on with getting his Grade A license? Did he have to go for many interviews? I've been reading a few conflicting things about how difficult it is for a spark to get work..... Hi Kath, hubby couldn't get work as a sparky because it seems they only want you with the A grade license! Couldn't even find TA work...no one was interested. He's working as an electrical engineer for a well known company over here and doesn't require his A grade fortunately. But he's looking into getting his A grade still in case he needs it for the future. It's crazy they say they're crying out for sparkys over here but it is extremely hard to secure employment without that license i'll be honest with you. We are very fortunate that hubby is an engineer as well. We found out when we got here that in order to get it hubby had to find an employer to take him on with his provisional license (he came over with an OTSR through vetassess which automatically gets him the provisional, you just have to apply for it), and then do 12 months on-the-job training followed by an exam in order to be fully licensed. But he couldn't find anyone to take him on. So then he looked at his other options. Maybe try and get the license before you come over? You've probably looked at the 'tradies down under' website. I think you can get the license through them although it is expensive. There are jobs on the electrical side of things that don't require the A grade (hubby is proof of that) you just have to find them! Hope that helps a bit, just message me if you need any more info and i'll help you the best I can :wubclub: Take care Rach xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walvia Posted September 29, 2013 Share Posted September 29, 2013 As I read your responses and varying degrees of success in Australia, I weep. Things haven't been so good to me, I'm afraid. Bear in mind that I'm probably one of the most optimistic people you could ever meet and I approached this whole thing with naive exuberance but I have been beaten and fatigued by the system. Got here at the tail end of April and was able to secure a part time job (3 days a week) within the first 2 weeks. Unfortunately, that role ended and I have tried to no avail to secure a job since then. I'm qualified in Human Resources but that market has been hit quite badly since the beginning of the year so I tailored my CV to be more administration inclined. Funny thing is, I get called for interviews a lot but I just can't seem to get a job! I did manage to get a job in August (a temp to perm role that would have seen me working for at least 3 months) but was told after 2 weeks on the job that they were re-thinking the position and I had to leave. I've gone for interviews where I've been told that "you have work experience and qualifications that are too strong"?!!! This is after I've even toned down my CV! I have exhausted all my finances and if I don't get a job in 2 weeks, I'm surely going to be homeless. I don't think I've had a wink of sleep in the last month or so. Socially, things are just as bad. I've tried to make friends and get out more but I usually get burned. Someone actually opened his gob and told me he thought I should bleach my skin as I'm too "black". What that means, I'd never really know. Some, in an attempt to pay a compliment just end up insulting. I hear things like "You speak good English". As opposed to what? Sign language? Animal wails? I'd stand on the street (this has happened way too many times) and I'll get splashed with puddles by yobs who just speed off laughing. I've never felt so demoralized in my life. It's all quite depressing. I guess what I'm trying to say (the big elephant in the room when it comes to race issues) is that I don't think some parts of Australia are well prepared for the diversity they are trying to imbibe. I try to approach things/people with an open mind but its very hard to do especially in a place like this where you walk into a bar/restaurant and you get side glances from people because you're the only black person in a room full of people. It shows in their attitude to you as well, some people are just so uncomfortable and don't know how to relate to you. I wish I could go back to London but I can't even afford to. I am so so so tired Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maruska Posted September 29, 2013 Share Posted September 29, 2013 As I read your responses and varying degrees of success in Australia, I weep. Things haven't been so good to me, I'm afraid. Bear in mind that I'm probably one of the most optimistic people you could ever meet and I approached this whole thing with naive exuberance but I have been beaten and fatigued by the system. Got here at the tail end of April and was able to secure a part time job (3 days a week) within the first 2 weeks. Unfortunately, that role ended and I have tried to no avail to secure a job since then. I'm qualified in Human Resources but that market has been hit quite badly since the beginning of the year so I tailored my CV to be more administration inclined. Funny thing is, I get called for interviews a lot but I just can't seem to get a job! I did manage to get a job in August (a temp to perm role that would have seen me working for at least 3 months) but was told after 2 weeks on the job that they were re-thinking the position and I had to leave. I've gone for interviews where I've been told that "you have work experience and qualifications that are too strong"?!!! This is after I've even toned down my CV! I have exhausted all my finances and if I don't get a job in 2 weeks, I'm surely going to be homeless. I don't think I've had a wink of sleep in the last month or so. Socially, things are just as bad. I've tried to make friends and get out more but I usually get burned. Someone actually opened his gob and told me he thought I should bleach my skin as I'm too "black". What that means, I'd never really know. Some, in an attempt to pay a compliment just end up insulting. I hear things like "You speak good English". As opposed to what? Sign language? Animal wails? I'd stand on the street (this has happened way too many times) and I'll get splashed with puddles by yobs who just speed off laughing. I've never felt so demoralized in my life. It's all quite depressing. I guess what I'm trying to say (the big elephant in the room when it comes to race issues) is that I don't think some parts of Australia are well prepared for the diversity they are trying to imbibe. I try to approach things/people with an open mind but its very hard to do especially in a place like this where you walk into a bar/restaurant and you get side glances from people because you're the only black person in a room full of people. It shows in their attitude to you as well, some people are just so uncomfortable and don't know how to relate to you. I wish I could go back to London but I can't even afford to. I am so so so tired Wow Walvia, that`s really awful for you :hug:. So sorry to hear that . You can find narrow-minded idiots everywhere I`m afraid:no:. Hope things will be only better for you in the future, job-wise and personal. We are still sitting on out butts in the US but have been contacted by immigration to provide some clarification of information so hopefully things will start moving. We went to Australia in July for 2 weeks to finalize nursing license and have some fun. We all enjoyed it a lot, the country is beautiful and unlike anything else I`ve seen so far . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnAli Posted September 30, 2013 Share Posted September 30, 2013 As I read your responses and varying degrees of success in Australia, I weep. Things haven't been so good to me, I'm afraid. Bear in mind that I'm probably one of the most optimistic people you could ever meet and I approached this whole thing with naive exuberance but I have been beaten and fatigued by the system. Got here at the tail end of April and was able to secure a part time job (3 days a week) within the first 2 weeks. Unfortunately, that role ended and I have tried to no avail to secure a job since then. I'm qualified in Human Resources but that market has been hit quite badly since the beginning of the year so I tailored my CV to be more administration inclined. Funny thing is, I get called for interviews a lot but I just can't seem to get a job! I did manage to get a job in August (a temp to perm role that would have seen me working for at least 3 months) but was told after 2 weeks on the job that they were re-thinking the position and I had to leave. I've gone for interviews where I've been told that "you have work experience and qualifications that are too strong"?!!! This is after I've even toned down my CV! I have exhausted all my finances and if I don't get a job in 2 weeks, I'm surely going to be homeless. I don't think I've had a wink of sleep in the last month or so. Socially, things are just as bad. I've tried to make friends and get out more but I usually get burned. Someone actually opened his gob and told me he thought I should bleach my skin as I'm too "black". What that means, I'd never really know. Some, in an attempt to pay a compliment just end up insulting. I hear things like "You speak good English". As opposed to what? Sign language? Animal wails? I'd stand on the street (this has happened way too many times) and I'll get splashed with puddles by yobs who just speed off laughing. I've never felt so demoralized in my life. It's all quite depressing. I guess what I'm trying to say (the big elephant in the room when it comes to race issues) is that I don't think some parts of Australia are well prepared for the diversity they are trying to imbibe. I try to approach things/people with an open mind but its very hard to do especially in a place like this where you walk into a bar/restaurant and you get side glances from people because you're the only black person in a room full of people. It shows in their attitude to you as well, some people are just so uncomfortable and don't know how to relate to you. I wish I could go back to London but I can't even afford to. I am so so so tired OMG I am horrified listening to your experience and I am disgusted to say it does not shock me as I have heard some really racist comments here. But saying that the private school I work in we have black children with very successful parents. Are you here alone or in a relationship? Do you want to meet up lunch coffee beach walk - anything PM if you do - my background 43 well 44 in 2 days from Liverpool travelled a lot live with John a home economics Teacher x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnAli Posted September 30, 2013 Share Posted September 30, 2013 Hi Kath, hubby couldn't get work as a sparky because it seems they only want you with the A grade license! Couldn't even find TA work...no one was interested. He's working as an electrical engineer for a well known company over here and doesn't require his A grade fortunately. But he's looking into getting his A grade still in case he needs it for the future. It's crazy they say they're crying out for sparkys over here but it is extremely hard to secure employment without that license i'll be honest with you. We are very fortunate that hubby is an engineer as well. We found out when we got here that in order to get it hubby had to find an employer to take him on with his provisional license (he came over with an OTSR through vetassess which automatically gets him the provisional, you just have to apply for it), and then do 12 months on-the-job training followed by an exam in order to be fully licensed. But he couldn't find anyone to take him on. So then he looked at his other options. Maybe try and get the license before you come over? You've probably looked at the 'tradies down under' website. I think you can get the license through them although it is expensive. There are jobs on the electrical side of things that don't require the A grade (hubby is proof of that) you just have to find them! Hope that helps a bit, just message me if you need any more info and i'll help you the best I can :wubclub: Take care Rach xx Dont know the ins and out but our friend spent about 3k getting his licenses and has had work and numerous offers of work since arriving last Nov , he is now sparking in the mines on mega money , from what I see it's work making the effort taking the exams and spending the money to get the licences - seems they are mad about licenses here ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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