nattyboomboom Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 Hi there, Originally qualified from University with a Mechanical Engineering HND, I find myself today working as a self-employed plumber (specialising in renewables - solar, heat pumps etc.). I have worked as a plumber for the last five years and I have my City & Guilds Technical Certificate but not my NVQ (long story...), I have my solar qualification and my unvented ticket. We're hoping to move to Queensland and I'm just starting the process to get my skills assessed. I just wanted some advice as to whether it would be beneficial to me to get my NVQ before starting the assessment process? As I have left my workplace folder un-assessed for a number of years I fear I may have to re-compile it at great expense in terms of time and money! Could I avoid having to do this and still have my skills assessed? Would they take into account that I'm also a mechanical engineer and have experience in the renewables sector? Any help with this process would be greatly appreciated. My head is in a spin!:spinny: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Wellburn Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 Hi Natty I can see why your head may be spinning as you may have a few different avenues to pursue. You only need one skill assessment i.e. Plumber, Mechanical Engineer and depending on which occupation suits your situation (your points), will depend on how you go about getting the skills assessed. To give you more accurate advice I would need to establish full details of work history, qualifications, age etc. Do you have a CV? Regards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nattyboomboom Posted February 4, 2009 Author Share Posted February 4, 2009 Thanks Glenn, Yes, I have a CV. Let me know your email and I'll send it to you. Many thanks Aandy (Natty) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Gollywobbler Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 Hi Natty Welcome to Poms in Oz. Please start here: Department of Immigration & Citizenship A-Z Occupations List - Australian Skills Recognition Information The first thing to decide is what to call you for the purposes of a pre-migration skills assessment. Which occupation is chosen determines which skills assessment authority will be involved. The ASRI list only gives an abbreviated version of the job description. For the more detailed description, give the first four digits of the Code number to the ABS website: Australian Bureau of Statistics I don't know anything about plumbing. I don't know anything about engineering either. I'm a lady lawyer myself. (I've got the plumber's phone number for whenever I need him to fix something!) You could be a general plumber. You could be a Plumbing Engieering Associate. You might be some other type of Engineering Associate, Technician or Technologist. The guys who instal, service and fix central heating systems in the UK usually call themselves General Plumbers for the purposes of their skills assessments and visas. I don't know whether you could be called a General Plumber as well. If you could be then the skills authority would be Vetassess, who do not require formal trade qualifications: VETASSESS - Vocational Education Training and Assessment Services Please read the whole thing carefully, download the free assessment tool and see how you get on with it, I suggest: VETASSESS - Vocational Education Training and Assessment Services I think that sorting out what to call you for migration purposes could be quite fiddly in your case. Therefore I think you should send your CV to several agents because it is amazing how perceptions vary when one conducts a straw poll. Don't pay any third party any money at this stage. There is no obligation on you to use an Agent at all and the MARA Code of Conduct prohibits Agents from taking money from you in order to work out whether or not you have a viable chance of skilled migration to Oz. The idea is that the Agent works that out for free and convinces you - by providing solid evidence, links to the DIAC website which you can check for yourself etc - that s/he is right. Be aware too that the UK provides 18% of the annual migrant intake in Oz. The UK is a Low Risk country, the applicants are usually both professionally qualified and solvent, enjoy an excellent standard of health and speak fluent English as well. Something of a dream client, in short. However the UK is in the grip of a very deep recession as well, so the commercial game between client and would-be agent has changed to fit the new scenario. It is no longer a case of the Agent saying, "My fees are...." The new game is client telling Agent, "I am prepared to pay £x." What is happening is that loads of Brits want to flee - understandably, what with that idiot Mandy telling Brits to take advantage of our EU rights and naff off to work in Romania (why does he think the Romanians are all heading here?) and the Wanted Down Under TV series providing a guided tour of every beach in Australia - but the bottom line is that the average Brit's "migration fund" is the equity in his house. Three years ago with sterling strong against the AUD and house prices in the UK artificially high because of the ready availability of irresponsible bank loans, it did not really matter if one gave £5,000 to the Estate Agent flogging the house and another £5,000 to the Migration Agent flogging the visa. However that game has changed and it is unlikely to return any time soon. Best wishes Gill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest madplumber1 Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 I don't know anything about plumbing. I don't know anything about engineering either. I'm a lady lawyer myself. (I've got the plumber's phone number for whenever I need him to fix something!) But Gill....thought you could fix your own plumbing!!!!! Hi Natty To go for General Plumber you'll need to be assessed by Vetassess before you can apply for a visa, as far as i'm aware they'll need you to have a minimum of NVQ2 in Plumbing....also to gain provisional plumbers license, some states require you to have Uk quals....might be worth a phone call to veatssess just to clarify. Best of luck madplumber Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Gollywobbler Posted February 5, 2009 Share Posted February 5, 2009 Hi MP But Gill....thought you could fix your own plumbing!!! That turned out to be beginner's luck.... Cheers Gill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nattyboomboom Posted February 6, 2009 Author Share Posted February 6, 2009 Thanks guys, I'm going to get in touch with VETASSES and see what they say the minimum requirements are. I'll send my CV off to a few agents as well and try and see what the general consensus is. I'm hoping to avoid having to pay out too much here on qualifications, I'd much prefer to spend the money in Oz when I retrain. My ideal situation would be to get sponsored by some kind of renewables company doing solar hot water/heat pumps etc. Then I could use both my engineering and plumbing....I think I may do a search on companies in Brisbane and maybe send off a few emails? Is this the done thing when looking for a sponsor? Anyway, I'm still a bit confused but once I've decided my route I'll be able to finally get the ball rolling! Thanks for the advice so far! Natty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bod Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 Hi there, Originally qualified from University with a Mechanical Engineering HND, I find myself today working as a self-employed plumber (specialising in renewables - solar, heat pumps etc.). I have worked as a plumber for the last five years and I have my City & Guilds Technical Certificate but not my NVQ (long story...), I have my solar qualification and my unvented ticket. We're hoping to move to Queensland and I'm just starting the process to get my skills assessed. I just wanted some advice as to whether it would be beneficial to me to get my NVQ before starting the assessment process? As I have left my workplace folder un-assessed for a number of years I fear I may have to re-compile it at great expense in terms of time and money! Could I avoid having to do this and still have my skills assessed? Would they take into account that I'm also a mechanical engineer and have experience in the renewables sector? Any help with this process would be greatly appreciated. My head is in a spin!:spinny: City & Guilds in Plumbing and Heating will be good enough Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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