£3000 for a Cert 3 in Carpentry?

[Guest creightz1051]

Hi everybody,

 

I'm 24 been a Carpenter for around 4 years and me and my Partner are looking to come to Perth in the New year on a working Holiday Visa with the view to maybe stick around if we like it.

 

I've been offered to have My UK Qualification converted in a Cert 3 Australian Qualification by a company for Around £3k, I was hoping for some advice on whether to fork the money out now and hope for better wages in Oz, or aim for more Labourers work and try and convert out there?

 

Does anyone have any advice in general about building work in Australia.

[Guest The Pom Queen]

You see I don't understand this, why would someone pay £3,000 to get it converted when you could get a recognition of prior learning and get your certificate for a hell of a lot less, am I missing something?

[Taylors4]

Have you looked at the Vetassess website (Trades Recognition Australia), they do a lot of skills assessments for trades people, pretty sure that when you get your carpentry one this gets you your conversion of your skills to the Aussie equivalent and also if/when you do come to apply for a visa you will already have proved your skills. The bricklayer one costs about £300 for the paper based section (which when you pass you go on to do a practical assessment which costs roughly £1,000). Think it will be either the same price or very similar for yourself. If it was me I'd do it before I got to Oz, so you can then work straight away (think you also need a white card - like the UK CSCS card).

 

Lots of people/companies like to make money out of this process, just be wary .....

[82rhoads]

Vetassess is the way to go with this I reckon,works out at just over a grand and is official and above board. You get your aqf3 so no worries.

[Guest fallguy]

Hi there, I am a City & Guilds qualified carpenter/joiner & machinist and have been in OZ 6 years. I have never converted or in fact been asked to convert to an Aussie qualification, nor have I even been asked to provide proof of my qualifications even though I am now working for my sixth employer & been offered a further eight positions during job searching. I feel it is the same as the UK in that you can tell during the interview/first day weather you are truly a carpenter or not. It may be different in other states but I have had no problems in Perth.

 

Good luck

[Guest Burchos]

If you want to obtain your cert III qualification then Vetassess is the way to go. My hubby is a carpenter and got his Cert III through Vetassess plus qualification certificate from Victoria University.

[Guest creightz1051]

thanks for the replies. I seem to be getting mixed infomation on whether I need an Australian qualification, some threads say you cannot work as a carpenter without a license that requires an AQF III Qualification.

 

is it worth going out on a working holiday visa testing the waters and then trying to convert.

 

I think it will aid the migration process if I have Auzzie Quals

[derren7]

thanks for the replies. I seem to be getting mixed infomation on whether I need an Australian qualification, some threads say you cannot work as a carpenter without a license that requires an AQF III Qualification.

 

is it worth going out on a working holiday visa testing the waters and then trying to convert.

 

I think it will aid the migration process if I have Auzzie Quals

 

Hi there,

You only need to do the vetassess if you want to migrate permanently. Carpentry is not a licensed trade (electrical, plumbing and air conditioning are the only licensed trades that come to mind), so you should be able to find work with your City & Guilds quals as Fallguy in #5 has already stated. I'm guessing the company offering their services is Down Under Tradies. Although they are a bona fide and legit company, I think the services they offer are way overpriced and the feeback I've read about them isn't great either.

Regards Derren