dimple1 Posted September 21, 2015 Share Posted September 21, 2015 We are looking to move to Austrailia in the next 6 months and had our mind set on Perth but have recently been informed that the plumbing industry isn't as good as it was an there are not as many vacancies.. We are obviously moving to Austrailia for a better lifestyle although if there is no work then this will not be the case!! Could anyone advise the best place to move with the most jobs? Kind Regards :wink: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted September 21, 2015 Share Posted September 21, 2015 What kind of better lifestyle were you hoping for? That makes a difference, because the different states are quite different in climate, culture, housing etc. The job market all over Australia is in a downturn. In recent years, many tradies haven't worked in their normal trade because there's been so much money to be made working for the mining companies - and that also meant that the plumbers who were still working were in big demand! Now that mining is slowing down, workers are returning to the cities so there's more competition in all the trades. Western Australia had the biggest boom and therefore Perth is noticing the biggest change, but it's an issue everywhere I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dimple1 Posted September 21, 2015 Author Share Posted September 21, 2015 We have people we know in Perth and the climate is hot which we like although we have been looking at sydney suburbs also as we know someone who works for the government in construction and there seems to be lots of jobs there although cost of living is much higher . We have been looking on jobs sites and there seems to be quite a lot of vacancies. We wanted to move to Perth to be closer to the Beach although we don't have to be directly on top of the beach a drive away will do. We don't want city living.. hustle and bustle! rat race material... Would like a house with a pool, 4 bedrooms. We are going to rent first until we find our feet.. Don't get me wrong we have looked into this thoroughly but people say different things and it gets your mind thinking as its such a big move... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted September 21, 2015 Share Posted September 21, 2015 We have people we know in Perth and the climate is hot which we like although we have been looking at sydney suburbs also as we know someone who works for the government in construction and there seems to be lots of jobs there although cost of living is much higher . ...Would like a house with a pool, 4 bedrooms.. There would be more work in Sydney as it's such a big place, but you're right - the cost of housing is terrifying. Your only hope of a 4 bedroom house near the beach would be to go to the Central Coast (Umina Beach or similar), which would mean over an hour's train trip to town. If you have to drive your work vehicle in, it can take a LOT longer than that in rush hour. If you don't like the rat race, I wonder if you'd like Sydney - somewhere like Umina would suit you on a Sunday, but if you're spending most of your week struggling through horrendous traffic and working in the middle of a big city, would that work for you? Also do you realise that work sites in NSW work 7 to 3.30 Monday to Saturday (you get an RDO - rostered day off - once a week). I don't know what the other states' rules are, could be worth checking. If you're after a more relaxed lifestyle then I'd have thought a smaller city where you can have a shorter commute would be better. You could even look at somewhere like Newcastle which has a great quality of life for families and much lower house prices. But I don't have any understanding of demand for plumbers I'm afraid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacaranda Posted September 21, 2015 Share Posted September 21, 2015 Hi Dimple1 and welcome to PIO.At the top of the page is a search section.If you tap in Plumbers (I just did)you will find a lot of threads re the trade and stuff you need to know.Hope you find this helpful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dimple1 Posted September 21, 2015 Author Share Posted September 21, 2015 thanks for your help!!!! we will keep looking into it.. We are still going through the Visa process at the min so we have got a lot of time to think.. do not fancy working 6 days a week... will have a look at Newcastle area and see what we think.. thanks again :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted September 21, 2015 Share Posted September 21, 2015 thanks for your help!!!! we will keep looking into it.. We are still going through the Visa process at the min so we have got a lot of time to think.. do not fancy working 6 days a week... will have a look at Newcastle area and see what we think.. thanks again :-) Just to be clear, you don't actually work 6 days a week - the site runs 6 days a week and you'll be rostered on for 5 days out of the 6, which days can vary. Newcastle area - long lovely beach; on the doorstep of the Hunter Valley Wineries; dolphins, fresh oysters and safe snorkelling at Port Stephens; sand dunes at Anna Bay. Once upon a time it was a rough place and still suffers from an undeserved reputation. The city centre is a bit dead but if you're living there you probably wouldn't go there often anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swallow Posted September 21, 2015 Share Posted September 21, 2015 Hi dimple, I may be able to help you out on your decision making! I recently moved from the UK in August with my young family of two children. I myself was a fully qualified plumber in the UK, gas, lpg and oil as well as plumbing. I was apprehensive about moving to Australia as you do hear a lot of negative stories about plumbers in Australia not getting work and that. I came over with a possitive mind set. First things first... You need to be determined and put the effort in. I live in Newcastle, I found employment with a nice firm after trying for just under 5 weeks looking for work. My advice would be don't move to Perth, trades are suffering from the fact that no one has any money to spend because most the mines are closing and people are leaving. The east coast of Australia has much more going for it. Never further than 4 hours away from anything decent. Perth is very isolated. before you work as a plumber in NSW you will need to undertake white card training (construction health and safety) you can't go on a site without it! This takes 1 day but card takes about two weeks to arrive. Secondly get yourself to services NSW to get your provisional plumbing licence! This takes 8-9 weeks to arrive. This allows you to do plumbing work in NSW under supervision of a licenced plumber. Once you have gained up to 12 months of sufficient employment you can apply for your certificate III in plumbing while attending college. All at your cost. Like I said before, you need to be determined and have good financial backing. You need to expect up to 6 months of unemployment while looking for work. I was lucky to get work so quick. It's going to cost you a lot to get established anywhere you choose to live. In my honest opinion Sydney is too expensive. You won't earn much money there to begin with. Rentals in Newcastle are around £700 - £800 a month for a 3 bed house, £900-£1000 for a four bed. If your looking for a house by the beach with a pool you can be looking around £1200 a month. You can double that in Sydney with the same wage as newcastle. Plumbers are paid to a pay scale over here, there's a minimum they have to pay as per your skill set. Newcastle is a nice area for a young family, it's expanding with loads of work, lots of redevelopment etc. I f you want to know anything else drop me a message I'll be happy to answer anything you want to know. Kind regards Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swallow Posted September 21, 2015 Share Posted September 21, 2015 Just one other thing haha, I read about your expectations about weather beaches etc. Australia is not as affordable as it used to be 10 years ago. People used to be able to sell their 3 bedroom homes in the UK for 200k and but a 4-5 bed house with a pool for the same price!. Not the case now. I would say the house prices are on par with the UK if not more. The cost of living is higher with groceries costing more, higher rental cost and further to travel for places so.more fuel cost even if it does cost 75p a litre. Don't get me wrong I love Australia, been coming here the last 10years but a lot of people come over here thinking it's going to be perfect weather, beach every weekend etc. As a plumber you can expect to earn between $20 an hour to $35 an hour depending who you get work with. Lots of plumbing jobs advertised but as I have realised by applying for these jobs and speaking to these firms they want competent plumbers with Australian experience. Its a case of dropping your cv off and speaking to people in person to find the right firm to take you on as a supervised plumber. It just takes time and perseverance. If your determined and you really want i to happen it will! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newjez Posted September 21, 2015 Share Posted September 21, 2015 We are looking to move to Austrailia in the next 6 months and had our mind set on Perth but have recently been informed that the plumbing industry isn't as good as it was an there are not as many vacancies.. We are obviously moving to Austrailia for a better lifestyle although if there is no work then this will not be the case!! Could anyone advise the best place to move with the most jobs? Kind Regards :wink: The process does take time, and the economy may be in a different phase when you get approval. Might be easier to not set your sights on a particular location, and then fine the best place when your visa comes through. Even then you have time before you have to move. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dimple1 Posted September 22, 2015 Author Share Posted September 22, 2015 Thanks for your reply theres a lot to think about, you get a lot of advice. We had our heart set on Perth but there's no point going somewhere where there isn't any work.. Kind Regards Michele Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dimple1 Posted September 22, 2015 Author Share Posted September 22, 2015 Thanks. This is what we are going to do i think.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dimple1 Posted September 22, 2015 Author Share Posted September 22, 2015 We have no illusions that it isn't going to be easy.. We don't think its going to be the beach every weekend we just think in the long run after getting work and getting settled we can fit in and the children will have more activities to do and when they are older there will be more opportunities for them.. And if it doesn't work we can always come home, at least we have tried it and won't live with the regret.. thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dimple1 Posted September 22, 2015 Author Share Posted September 22, 2015 I have been looking at the house prices and sort of know what to expect we have had lots of advice so know the cost of living, going to try it and see :-/ thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted September 23, 2015 Share Posted September 23, 2015 We have no illusions that it isn't going to be easy.. We don't think its going to be the beach every weekend we just think in the long run after getting work and getting settled we can fit in and the children will have more activities to do and when they are older there will be more opportunities for them.. And if it doesn't work we can always come home, at least we have tried it and won't live with the regret.. If you're outdoorsy people then the lifestyle in Australia can be great, but forget the idea that your kids will have more opportunities in Australia. The reverse is true. They will have much, much more choice of careers and opportunities for promotion in the UK and Europe than in Australia. Twenty or thirty years ago, Australia was the land of opportunity because there were skill shortages everywhere, with not enough people to fill the jobs in a constantly growing economy. It was easy to find a job and you'd get promoted fast. Nowadays, there are plenty of people to fill most jobs - so work is, if anything, harder to find than in the UK, and promotion is no faster than in the UK. The unemployment rate is rising, too, as the mining boom fades. And the big problem is - if you're living in Sydney, it's almost impossible to get a job in, say, Brisbane or Perth or Townsville because employers insist on a face-to-face interview - and if you're unemployed, the cost of flying around the country is prohibitive. Whereas if you're in Manchester, it's not hard to get to London or Birmingham or Aberdeen or even Paris for an interview. That means opportunities to find work or land a promotion are much better in the UK - because if there's no work where you are, it's a lot easier to commute or move. Higher education choices are more limited too, because the population is smaller. You won't find nearly as many specialised courses in Australia. So, for instance, if one of your kids is good at languages and wants to be an interpreter, there are several courses in the UK but only one in Australia. And don't think he can just go back to the UK to do the course - he'll be classified as a foreign student and have to pay full fees. That's not to say, don't come to Australia. If the lifestyle suits you then that makes up for a lot of the limitations. But the "better opportunities for the kids" reason is not a valid one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dimple1 Posted September 23, 2015 Author Share Posted September 23, 2015 Thats not a good sign..its very important to us that the children have opportunities when they become of age..thats shocked me. Thats one of the risks then!!!! Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted September 24, 2015 Share Posted September 24, 2015 Thats not a good sign..its very important to us that the children have opportunities when they become of age..thats shocked me. Thats one of the risks then!!!! I wouldn't worry too much about it - I'm not saying they'll end up unemployed, just that they'll have a narrower range of choices than they would in the UK. The main thing is, it's off your list of "pluses". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mal1982 Posted September 25, 2015 Share Posted September 25, 2015 hi, myself and OH who is a plumber set our heart on Newcastle or Melbourne east suburbs. Now going through a visa process but looking at the above we may as well stay in the UK. We hate UK's weather and would love to move somewhere warmer. Thought Oz was a good choice esp for us - with 2 kids under 4. We understand the situation is getting more and more difficult but in UK you also have to be 1 man band in order to earn anything that gives you decent living. Any advice on the market would be appreciated. what we want - have a job that could give us living - have more laid back lifestyle for ourselves and kids what we dont want is - rat race/city lifestyle - find ourselves unemployed for ages thousands of miles away from home Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Que Sera Sera Posted September 25, 2015 Share Posted September 25, 2015 I'd suggest you join the Sister site Perth Poms and ask about plumbers before you rule out Perth especially on the day so of people who aren't here. Quite a few plumbers here working so might be worth visiting the site and asking. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amibovered Posted September 25, 2015 Share Posted September 25, 2015 hi, myself and OH who is a plumber set our heart on Newcastle or Melbourne east suburbs. Now going through a visa process but looking at the above we may as well stay in the UK. We hate UK's weather and would love to move somewhere warmer. Thought Oz was a good choice esp for us - with 2 kids under 4. We understand the situation is getting more and more difficult but in UK you also have to be 1 man band in order to earn anything that gives you decent living. Any advice on the market would be appreciated. what we want - have a job that could give us living - have more laid back lifestyle for ourselves and kids what we dont want is - rat race/city lifestyle - find ourselves unemployed for ages thousands of miles away from home I don't want to put a downer on your ambition, but moving to Australia will not necessarily give you a more laid back lifestyle, why would it? you still have to put the hours in at work, still get stuck in traffic, still have to pay the bills, and all the other cr@p that goes with a first world economy, and don't forget almost 90% of Australians live in an urban area, so unfortunately that is where the work is likely to be, I'm not trying to dissuade you from going, Australia can be a great place to live, but it's not some Nirvana where all the normal ups and downs in life don't apply, unfortunately the economy is in the doldrums at the moment so as far as jobs go, think about how hard it is to find a job in the U.K and it's a little bit worse than that, don't give up on your ambition but be realistic about your expectations. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starlight7 Posted September 25, 2015 Share Posted September 25, 2015 Have to say the plumbers round here charge what they like and will only come out for a big job. They charge a call out fee of around $90 without even doing any work. All the ones I know are very, very wealthy and drive big fancy 4 wheel drives. That is Melbourne though. As for Philip Island where we have a holiday house- forget it, they just won't come out, too much work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted September 25, 2015 Share Posted September 25, 2015 - have more laid back lifestyle for ourselves and kids I don't know why people think Australia offers a more laid-back lifestyle. Don't get me wrong, I loved my life in Australia (I'm currently back in the UK myself), and there is definitely something more relaxing and "laid-back" about the ability to sit out on your lawn enjoying a BBQ any time you like. However, Australians work longer hours and get less annual leave (20 days a year) than most Brits. If you're in construction, work sites operate 6 days a week - you'll be allocated a rostered day off every week, but it won't necessarily be Saturday, so you may see your kids even less often than you do now. If you're living in Sydney or Melbourne, you'll have a commute of at least 45 minutes each way, unless you're very rich. Sure, the beach lifestyle is great, but most Sydneysiders live one or two hours' drive from the nearest beach. You could pick any of the smaller cities in Australia and get a shorter commute, close to beaches with more affordable housing. The difficulty is that work is much harder to get in all of them. Have you thought of moving elsewhere in the UK? I know people say they can't afford it - but moving to Australia is going to cost you around £30,000 by the time you sell up, move and get fully set up again. Could you invest that money in a move locally, or in setting up your own business? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VERYSTORMY Posted September 25, 2015 Share Posted September 25, 2015 A few comments: The "outdoors lifestyle" will not be applicable to all. I am far less outdoors based than I have been anywhere else in the world - hight of summer is just too hot and drives many people indoors. From my experience, if you are not already outdoors people, you are unlikely to magically become so here. We get a lot less annual leave than the UK and things like time off for sickness can also be very limited - must of my full time contracts have always been around 10 days per year maximum permitted. I don't think it is any better for children or offers any more options to them. While they will get more sunshine per year, they will lose other aspects. Oz has the same issues as the UK in many areas affecting young people such as high unemployment, expensive university education, drugs, crime and all the usual first world country issues. One important aspect to consider for plumbers is the license requirements. When you arrive in Oz, you will not be regarded as a qualified plumber. You need to undertake study at college - expensive - and can not work as a qualified plumber. You need to work as a trade assistant, a bit like an apprentice, for a year. We have had a number of cases of people not being able to find this work and end up leaving financially ruined. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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