Shanejura Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 hey everyone, im Shane a 26 year old plumber and gas engineer from Bedford sighhhhh... im down in the dumps today.. i need some help please if anyone is out there. basically... I lived in australia for a year with my girlfriend and loved every second of it. i have been back in the uk for 3 years now and been going through the process of a skilled permanent visa for plumbing. i have my offshore skills assessment through victoria university and obtained a OTSR record and currently in the EOI process. apparently when i get to australia i need to carry out skills gap training, but everyone i seem to phone hasn't a scooby about it, i even phoned victoria building authority and spoke to some half wit surfer sounding dude who didn't have a clue and just carried on beating around the bush without giving me a definitive answer!!! :mad: so my question to you is, does anyone know how much the skill gap training will roughly cost assuming i have to go to college for a year, and also to get my natural and LPG gas qualifications recognised getting really fed up with this all now, its taken sooooooo long and im starting to wonder if its all worth it, if its worth giving up all my qualifications and starting from scratch in australia....and if any of you have been there for a while, is it all worth it? please someone give me some wise words of encouragement :err: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheese n pickle Posted November 19, 2015 Share Posted November 19, 2015 Hi Shane, Don't know if this will help?? http://www.chisholm.edu.au/Courses/Short_course/Plumbing_Registration_Training Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jumpingjellybean Posted November 19, 2015 Share Posted November 19, 2015 Is it all worth it? Only you can answer that. I say YES YES YES - you lived in Australia for a year and loved every second of it - so remember that and stop your moping, get your arse into gear and keep pushing onwards and upwards to achieve your dream and goal for the future. These are my words of encouragement; not sure if you would class them as "wise" though. :laugh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mims Posted November 19, 2015 Share Posted November 19, 2015 Hi there, I agree with jumpingjillybean, don't let this hurdle break you, you've not gone through all this effort to give up now, I think the problem is 3 years down the line it's easy to forget those little details of why you loved Oz and want to go back, we are only a year out of Oz and I know I've forgotten loads! My hubby has his vetassess plumbing practical skills assessment this Saturday and I'm going to get him to ask there, the assessor will surely know and like you we want to know what has to be done,if we find anything out I will be in touch. We are 25 and will be submitting our EOI in dec I think, hope to be there by June next year but we will see. Where in Australia are you off to? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shanejura Posted November 19, 2015 Author Share Posted November 19, 2015 Thanks for your replies! that looks quite helpful cheese and pickle! il look into that, thanks a lot! yea yea u know how it is going through the whole process sometimes you just got that wall :arghh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shanejura Posted November 19, 2015 Author Share Posted November 19, 2015 Melbourne area hopefully mims, yea it's a pain in the ass phoned up so many places last night that even the TRA reccomended and no one seems to have a clue where I need to go! from what I can piece together I need to have an interview with the Victorian building authority, then they will advise weather I need to do a course which is highly likely, but no one can give me costs, the thing I think I'm considering is that I'm stable in the uk and have top quals and have to go through it all again..but I'm sure itl be worth it.......hopefully.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 19, 2015 Share Posted November 19, 2015 If you did a WHV here then that is IMHO a very different side of Aus for the most part if you did the usual backpacking thing. Real life suburban living is different. Sure city living is a bit more upbeat and stuff but living in Aus long term making a life here isn't the same as having a year travelling round seeing the sights and stuff. Of course, doesn't mean you would love it less, but you might find aspects of it more noticeable and not so palatable once you are a permanent resident living in a place long term than if you are just passing through. Often travellers don't see more than the surface and are not really looking for more or around long enough to scratch deeper and see what others might see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mims Posted November 19, 2015 Share Posted November 19, 2015 Steven worked as a plumber for 5 months while we were there (signed off by a plumber with a licence) and you can seemingly earn a lot more over there than here so it's worth it from that point of view let alone the other benefits Oz brings! i did look into it when we were there as we wanted to see if getting licenced whilst on a WHV was poss and I'm sure it was $3500 if not a PR and less than $1000 if you were PR. My research may not have been spot on though and it may differ from state to state. I'm pretty sure it's only a year as a plumbers mate you have to do though and the money for such isn't that bad, what's another year after 3 to get this far? I know what you mean about being settled, we have jobs we love here but we just don't want to say 'what if we'd gone to Oz', we have the opportunity so if we do it and come home for whatever reason at least we won't always wonder... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flag of convenience Posted November 19, 2015 Share Posted November 19, 2015 If you did a WHV here then that is IMHO a very different side of Aus for the most part if you did the usual backpacking thing. Real life suburban living is different. Sure city living is a bit more upbeat and stuff but living in Aus long term making a life here isn't the same as having a year travelling round seeing the sights and stuff. Of course, doesn't mean you would love it less, but you might find aspects of it more noticeable and not so palatable once you are a permanent resident living in a place long term than if you are just passing through. Often travellers don't see more than the surface and are not really looking for more or around long enough to scratch deeper and see what others might see. My thoughts entirely. How many confuse the back packing experience to the 'real life' Australian suburban experience I don't know. Some will like it, but others get a little confused with regards the different reality. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shanejura Posted November 19, 2015 Author Share Posted November 19, 2015 We sound like we're in exactly the same boat mims, even if min is abit riddled with holes at the moment :laugh:I say exactly the same thing to people, I don't want to be one of those 60 odd year old 'oh I wish I would of just done that when I was your age' kind of people I meet so many of, i guess if you don't give it a try you don't know! well I did live in Melbourne and rented for 7 months, and I have lots of friends in Melbourne area, I visited the suburbs a fair bit but didn't work there besides one time trying to sell power cords for some rubbish company haha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shanejura Posted November 19, 2015 Author Share Posted November 19, 2015 What I do know is me and my partner saved $16,000 in 6 months after tax and rent etc working in a bloody bar!!! And going out with friends regularly, and struggling like heck to save anything back in the uk, find it way more expensive retrospectively in the uk. than working for the dollar and paying in the dollar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shanejura Posted November 19, 2015 Author Share Posted November 19, 2015 In melbourne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted November 19, 2015 Share Posted November 19, 2015 I lived in australia for a year with my girlfriend and loved every second of it. i have been back in the uk for 3 years now and been going through the process of a skilled permanent visa for plumbing. ... getting really fed up with this all now, its taken sooooooo long and im starting to wonder if its all worth it, if its worth giving up all my qualifications and starting from scratch in australia....and if any of you have been there for a while, is it all worth it? please someone give me some wise words of encouragement :err: I'm sure you'll get plenty of people giving you encouragement but I think it's also important to be realistic. Like you say, you're giving up a lot to start from scratch again - so you should be questioning whether that's really worth it. Maybe you need to sit down and think back on your year in Australia and why it was so great? I assume you were on a Working Holiday Visa so you spent a good part of your time having a blast, with a bit of work thrown in here and there? This time, you'll be coming to live a "normal" life - plumbers in Australia aren't any better paid than in the UK, so you'll be working exactly the same hours. You won't be able to take off to Byron Bay at the drop of a hat, you'll have four weeks holiday a year (that's the max you get in Australia). Even if you're working on contract, you can't be fancy free - work isn't any easier to get in Australia, and you'll have rent to pay, so once you finish one contract you're likely to be off hunting for the next one, not swanning off to laze in the Whitsundays for two months. Will Australia be as attractive in that situation? I'm not saying it won't be - only you know what made Australia such a great experience for you last time, I'm just playing devil's advocate here. After all, you'll still have your evenings, and a couple of free days a week to enjoy the Aussie lifestyle - and maybe that will be plenty for you. Only you can answer that question. The good thing is that if it doesn't work out, you're young enough to pick yourself up, dust yourself off and head back to the UK with very little harm done. And at least you'll know you tried. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shanejura Posted November 19, 2015 Author Share Posted November 19, 2015 Thanks guys, any input is really appreciated Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flag of convenience Posted November 19, 2015 Share Posted November 19, 2015 Yes low wage UK is a disincentive. Saying that wage growth in Australia is at its lowest levels since records began. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shanejura Posted November 19, 2015 Author Share Posted November 19, 2015 Thanks marisawright, how do you feel yourself about Australia and your life over there scince you immigrated? thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shanejura Posted November 19, 2015 Author Share Posted November 19, 2015 The draw for Australia is more the weather, and actually being able to do stuff at the weekends, head to the beach, take some forest walks etc, from when I'm from in bedford there's slim to nothing to do and the weather is terrible most the time!... plus I felt the opportunity may possibly be better although I may be wrong, i thought when I come to have kids they'd have a much better life then they could do in the uk, which seems to be declining... aim not coming to Australia to swan off and not have to work I expect to be very successful and will be working hard to achieve that, but you know there's pros and cons to everything... i had about $20 by the time I managed to get a job in Melbourne and left with $16,000 6 months later Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted November 19, 2015 Share Posted November 19, 2015 Thanks marisawright, how do you feel yourself about Australia and your life over there scince you immigrated? thanks I'm living in the UK right now for various reasons, but will be heading back next year. I was in Oz for 30 years so I'm more of an Aussie than a Brit by now, so not the best person to ask. What I would say is that things have changed noticeably in Australia over the last couple of years, with the mining boom ending. All my time in Australia, I've been so used to jobs being available for the asking, high wages etc, and it's a shock to see friends struggling to get work or getting laid off (mind you, most of my friends are over 50 so more vulnerable in a downturn). Also, Sydney is now so expensive I can't afford to live there at all, so when we head back, we'll probably end up in Tassie. Having said that, not all states are the same - I believe there's still a fair bit of work in Brisbane, for instance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jumpingjellybean Posted November 19, 2015 Share Posted November 19, 2015 living in Aus long term making a life here isn't the same as having a year travelling round seeing the sights and stuff. I have found it very similar actually. Doing the WHV and living in one place for a set period whilst working.....feels like what I am doing now in my life. I work, I have expenses, I buy things, I commute, I often do touristy and leisure things in my downtime. Did this on the WHV and I do it now. The only real difference now is a permanent stay and I have a better cash flow than when I was backpacking. From myself and many people I know, if you have spent a year here on a WHV prior, you are 99.99% almost guaranteed to settle in and be happy here long term. Because you already know what to expect and you are use to living independently away from your family and friends. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mims Posted November 20, 2015 Share Posted November 20, 2015 I have found it very similar actually. Doing the WHV and living in one place for a set period whilst working.....feels like what I am doing now in my life. I work, I have expenses, I buy things, I commute, I often do touristy and leisure things in my downtime. Did this on the WHV and I do it now. The only real difference now is a permanent stay and I have a better cash flow than when I was backpacking. From myself and many people I know, if you have spent a year here on a WHV prior, you are 99.99% almost guaranteed to settle in and be happy here long term. Because you already know what to expect and you are use to living independently away from your family and friends. I agree jumpingjillybean, knowing we were thinking of making the move permanently we made sure to live as close to normally for 5 months during our WHV as we could, we had full time jobs in our fields etc, work is work wherever you are but we couldn't ignore the benefits we found both in the workplace and even more so when we weren't working so our move is not based on a year of travelling and partying. I do know where snifter is coming from, there are bound to be many that misjudge the reality but like you say, just having 1) spent a year or two away from loved ones and 2) having actually been to Australia for an extended period of time before making the leap makes them more prepared than many. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dreamsofoz Posted December 15, 2015 Share Posted December 15, 2015 Following this thread with interest, we are at the start of a possible move to Oz, to the Melbourne area and my husband is a plumber too....he has nearly 20 years experience and runs his own 'one man band' business here in the Uk....we have three children and a house etc so we too worry about uprooting, selling up and starting from scratch....but we do have friends in the area and they and most people that I have met via forums etc just say for us to do it and find it a go....that their life is so much better than it was in the UK etc... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dimple1 Posted March 6, 2016 Share Posted March 6, 2016 Hi, i have been reading all the messages, we are looking to emigrate in around 6 months time to the Goldcoast/nsw area actually right on the border Tweed area hopefully. My husband is a plumber with the highest qualifications he understands that he has to obtain his gap cert when we arrive in Australia the question i am asking is, is the work in this area at the moment? we are under no illusion that he is going to have to take a step back and its going to be hard work. Thanks Dimple Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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