Victoria SS for carpenter

[chunter]

Has anyone recently gone through Vic SS as carpenter? We've had points confirmation from TRA now ready to apply for SS. My hubby is a carpenter and although still on the shortage list, I'm worrying about not being successful. Time is ticking on as he's 40 later this year so I'm conscious of losing more points when that comes around, so timescales are tight now. We'd look at another state I think if we'd have more chance of quick turnaround and success.

[buzzy--bee]

Hi, can't help with the SS, but I know a bit about the building industry here if you have any specific questions. Good carpenters are in short supply here. Carpenters in general (ie someone who can point a nail gun vaguely in the direction of where the nail is going) are very common.

 

Your husband will be reasonably shocked at the workmanship here in residential building.

 

BB

[kipper2]

Hi, can't help with the SS, but I know a bit about the building industry here if you have any specific questions. Good carpenters are in short supply here. Carpenters in general (ie someone who can point a nail gun vaguely in the direction of where the nail is going) are very common.

 

Your husband will be reasonably shocked at the workmanship here in residential building.

 

BB

I know you mean well and I'm not having a go at you but your info is incorrect mate.

I am a sub-contract carpenter and they are not in short supply.

I am fortunate in that I'm very experienced, have good contacts and have plenty of work.

But the industry has dramatically slowed up.I have had 3 mates this week alone asking me if I can fix them up.That was 2 chippies and a bricklayer.

A friend of mine who is a contract manager with a high volume builder laid off 10 supervisors a couple of months ago.There is work if your in the know but there is no longer a shortage of tradesmen.There hasn't been for a long time.Not in the West anyway.The rates have been consistently cut over the last several years.Last Wednesday we had a meeting at the office and I was told that the brickie rate was being dropped to 80c a brick as of Monday.A fix for a carpenter is worth 5 to 6 dollars a metre.I was getting $8.50 ten years ago.There is a whole load of **** going down at the minute because of a massive influx of new labour from overseas undercutting the locals.If you think the quality is bad now just wait and see.

I know you do the owner builder thing but you're not out there on the tools and as such you're not giving qualified information.

I realise I've made an assumption in saying you are not on the tools or a tradesman.If I'm wrong I apologise but if you are you're working in a very different industry to me.

Re: bad tradesmen.I know they're out there.I spend most of my time fixing the cock ups but there are plenty of good one's too.

I tend to be a bit overprotective to chippies because I went through the experience of being told by a relative who isn't in the industry 'come over here there's loads of work' This was pre internet. It was 1989 and there was no work at all.I ended up labouring in a factory with 2 chippies,a plumber,a welder and a fireman.All poms.I didn't get back on the tools for about 7 years and I had to move from Perth to Melbourne to do it.That said. I'm off to price a job. I'm not having a go at you Buzzy. Cheers.

[chunter]

thanks to both. Being a perfectionist I think my hubby will have to prepare himself. No sub-standards. It's a little worrying that there isn't much work around Melbourne unless your in the know. Being newcomers it'd be hard to get into the right circles but with the shortage of work then perhaps by the time we're ready to make the move there might be little opportunity even in those circles?? Given the state of the Aus economy compared to the UK though, I think that's chance we'll have to take. All the job sites I'm looking at seem to advertise for lots of chippies so positive in that respect. With that info maybe Melbourne isn't a good option??? I'll keep my eye on it. thanks

[Wooky]

Hey there, well, we've just turned up in Melbourne and, although I haven't been looking long, I'd say the trade is in a worse state than in the UK. I've fired off loads of applications, not one phone call back yet, registered with any agency I can find, nothing. Went to some big sites outside Melbourne today and they were ghost towns. Found one lonely chippy who wasn't exactly upbeat!!!! I hold Australian and UK citizenship, have been in the UK for 25 years and have a good, stable cv with loads of high end work on it as well as running large new build and refurb jobs.

 

Can't get a sniff!!! Not a carrot, looking at forklift jobs now to be honest.

[chunter]

Hey there, well, we've just turned up in Melbourne and, although I haven't been looking long, I'd say the trade is in a worse state than in the UK. I've fired off loads of applications, not one phone call back yet, registered with any agency I can find, nothing. Went to some big sites outside Melbourne today and they were ghost towns. Found one lonely chippy who wasn't exactly upbeat!!!! I hold Australian and UK citizenship, have been in the UK for 25 years and have a good, stable cv with loads of high end work on it as well as running large new build and refurb jobs.

 

Can't get a sniff!!! Not a carrot, looking at forklift jobs now to be honest.

 

That's really worrying, we've just last week submitted our VIC SS and when I've looked on sites like Seek.com.au there seems to be quite a few carpentry jobs http://www.seek.com.au/jobs/in-melbourne/#dateRange=31&workType=0&industry=&occupation=&graduateSearch=false&salaryFrom=0&salaryTo=999999&salaryType=annual&advertiserID=&advertiserGroup=&keywords=carpenter&page=1&isAreaUnspecified=false&location=1002&area=&nation=&sortMode=KeywordRelevance&searchFrom=quick&searchType= I'll have to assess the situation if and when the visa comes through. Let me know how you eventually get on it'd be good to hear that you find something. Good luck!

[Eddie C]

This Carpenter situation is driving me mad! I seem to be getting so many mixed reviews. I myself am a carpenter and looking to get out to Aus soon and keep getting so much mixed information I run my own business over in the uk so would like to think I could get a job easy enough but looking at these posts gets me worried. Is all of Australia's building industry the same or dose it vary from state to state

[kipper2]

 

This Carpenter situation is driving me mad! I seem to be getting so many mixed reviews. I myself am a carpenter and looking to get out to Aus soon and keep getting so much mixed information I run my own business over in the uk so would like to think I could get a job easy enough but looking at these posts gets me worried. Is all of Australia's building industry the same or dose it vary from state to state

If you want any info on subcontract domestic side in Melbourne I can help you with that. I'm on the tools and 24 years in Oz.

[Wooky]

That's really worrying, we've just last week submitted our VIC SS and when I've looked on sites like Seek.com.au there seems to be quite a few carpentry jobs http://www.seek.com.au/jobs/in-melbourne/#dateRange=31&workType=0&industry=&occupation=&graduateSearch=false&salaryFrom=0&salaryTo=999999&salaryType=annual&advertiserID=&advertiserGroup=&keywords=carpenter&page=1&isAreaUnspecified=false&location=1002&area=&nation=&sortMode=KeywordRelevance&searchFrom=quick&searchType= I'll have to assess the situation if and when the visa comes through. Let me know how you eventually get on it'd be good to hear that you find something. Good luck!

 

Yep, there always seems to be loads online, but I've applied for anything vaguely mentioning carpentry and had zilch response. Quite often the same 'job' gets readvertised a few days later. Quite a lot appear to be agencies I think, so not sure if the job actually exists or if they're just scouting about for when it does pick up. Only response I had was from one called 'troubleshooters' that said they had no need for any trade at the moment, not even labourers. Dunno, when I went to the bigger sites there seemed to be a lot of field but no machines turning it and only a few houses underway, but I'm used to the big London/South East sites so maybe they're not quite as frenetic over here. It's end of the tax year over here so that may have something to do with it. When I did my elf and safety course the other day there were a few estate agents on it so hopefully that means something is in the pipeline, having said that, I did a traffic control (getting worried ) course Friday and the majority on there were out of work tradesmen. I honestly don't know if this is a blip, seasonal, or a genuine downturn in the industry, have to wait and see I suppose.

[Palace]

Yep, there always seems to be loads online, but I've applied for anything vaguely mentioning carpentry and had zilch response. Quite often the same 'job' gets readvertised a few days later. Quite a lot appear to be agencies I think, so not sure if the job actually exists or if they're just scouting about for when it does pick up. Only response I had was from one called 'troubleshooters' that said they had no need for any trade at the moment, not even labourers. Dunno, when I went to the bigger sites there seemed to be a lot of field but no machines turning it and only a few houses underway, but I'm used to the big London/South East sites so maybe they're not quite as frenetic over here. It's end of the tax year over here so that may have something to do with it. When I did my elf and safety course the other day there were a few estate agents on it so hopefully that means something is in the pipeline, having said that, I did a traffic control (getting worried ) course Friday and the majority on there were out of work tradesmen. I honestly don't know if this is a blip, seasonal, or a genuine downturn in the industry, have to wait and see I suppose.[/quote

 

I have been in Australia for 7 years as a skilled migrant. Qualified Carpenter. I would not emigrate to Australia as a Carpenter. They have too many as it is.