Guest philandbecks Posted June 25, 2010 Share Posted June 25, 2010 I am moving out to frankston in september with my 2 children & wife who has got a sponsored job and visa, I currently run my own plumbing and heating business in the UK, and will enventually want to go into the trade in oz,can any one give me any advice on licences and what type of work is available for heating and plumbing engineers Thanks Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest big yogz Posted June 30, 2010 Share Posted June 30, 2010 Hi Phil, my name is john i've just arrived here in Brisbane i also am a plumbing and heating engineer. it's all so different over here i'm an advanced level 3 plumber and when i got here i was only granted a provisional licence, i have just sent all my gas qualifications to a place called TAFE and it will be down to then to decide if i qualify to have my gas licence. (and i have more corgi's than the queen) i have been here 5 weeks now and i cant get a job it's a bit of a pain you also need a blue card you can do that online. if you need the name of the place just let me know and i'll get it for you it's only $50 it's a peace of cake. you can get me on bigyogz@hotmail.com if there is anything i can help you with. the only other thing i can say to you is contact TAFE (trade recognition people) and get it all done before you come out and dont do what i have done Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest philandbecks Posted June 30, 2010 Share Posted June 30, 2010 hI john thanks FOR GETTING BACK TO ME, ITS REALLY DIFFICULT TO FIND ANY INFORMATION ABOUT PLUMBING AND HEATING WORK OUT IN OZ HAVE YOU MOVED THERE WITH OUT A JOB OR DID YOU GO WITH FAMILY, IF YOU MOVED OUT THERE BY YOURSELF HOW DID YOU GET THE VISA AND HOW LONG DID IT TAKE AND HOW DID YOU GO ABOUT GETTING IT. CAN YOU SND ME THE WEBSITE LINK FOR TAFE, WHATS A BLUE CARD WHATS IT FOR AND CAN YOU SEND ME THE LINK, CAN I DO ANY OF THESE THINGS BEFORE I GO TO OZ,AS I WONT HAVE A VISA OR A OZ ADDRESS. I'm NOT A ADVANCED LEVEL PLUMBER, STARTED AS A MATE AND WORKED MY WAY UP AND WORKED FOR DIFFERENT HEATING FIRS AND HAVE OIL AND GAS AND COMMERCIAL TICKETS ETC BUT DO NOT HAVE ANY NVQS, I HAVE NOW SET UP MY OWN BUSINESS ABOUT 4 YEARS AGO WHICH IS DOING OK IN THE PRESENT CLIMATE,NOT HAVING ANY NVQS DO YOU THINK THIS IS A PROBLEM, IVE BEEN TOLD YOUR QUALIFICATIONS ARNT REALLY THAT RECONIZED OVER THERE ANY WAY. BIG QUESTION IS JOHN ARE THERE JOBS IN OZ? AND OF COURSE BEING A POM IS THAT A PROBLEM I THOUGHT YOU HAD TO TAKE EXAMS TO GET YOUR GAS LICENSE? DO YOU REGRET GOING IN ANYWAY THANKS FOR ALL YOUR HELP AND LOOK FOWARD TO YOUR REPLY PHIL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
legoman Posted June 30, 2010 Share Posted June 30, 2010 gas licence is very easy if you already know your stuff in the uk, gas work alone will not be sufficient to live and you will need a plumbers licence. was a shock to me to be unblocking cess pits and sewage pipes, if in wa a good shovel is a necessity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Aaron W Posted June 30, 2010 Share Posted June 30, 2010 Hi lads im also a gas engineer/plumber and im moving to gold coast in sept, ive got my perm visa and its just me and my girlfriend, just wondering is it worth me doing my lpg gas in england or just come over with my natural gas, and do i have to go to a tafe centre to get a plumbers licence, if anyone has any info on these jobs, i would be very grateful Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
legoman Posted June 30, 2010 Share Posted June 30, 2010 just come over with your nat gas, in wa I completed a 3 week course and at the end of it i had a licence to work on nat gas, lpg in boats and vehicles but not converting cars to nat gas. its really easy course, and the 3hr exam took me 20mins to do. the plumb licence was the 'bugger'. and by all accounts is a long drawn out exercise now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Aaron W Posted June 30, 2010 Share Posted June 30, 2010 thanks mate, how u finding the gas work out there is it alot different to over here, did the course help with the way they do things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest paulallan Posted June 30, 2010 Share Posted June 30, 2010 HI I am just getting ready to book my plumbing practical with vetassess at accrington, I am also a heating engineer, just wondering if any of you have done the practical at accrington and if so do you have to take all your own tools etc or do they have some to hand then you dont have to mug evrything there. any help and advice on it would be great as im looking forward to getting down under cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
legoman Posted June 30, 2010 Share Posted June 30, 2010 I changed career like a lot of plumber gas from uk, i couldnt handle the endless unblocking sewer pipes etc, in wa if a pan is blocked it means removing the block pavework outside the bathroom, digging down til u come across the first bend of the 4'' pipe which has an access point. thing is undoing the access point meant 4' of raw sewage to jump from when it gushes out. I was more a gas engineer than plumber. plus i older too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Aaron W Posted June 30, 2010 Share Posted June 30, 2010 hi mate i didnt go through vetassess I am gasfitter so went through TRA, didnt have to do a practical just sent my qualifications off. I would check the Vetassess website for the list of things you need to take. But i do remember someone saying they took there tools there, if you,ve got your gas quals then you should look into going through a tra [trades recognition australia] as its cheaper, but you need proof of a 3 year apprenticeship, and alot of other bits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest philandbecks Posted June 30, 2010 Share Posted June 30, 2010 plumbing practical with vetassess at accrington, does this course get you a licence?? for working in oz or does it go towards your visa application phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bod Posted June 30, 2010 Share Posted June 30, 2010 You need to Google Hydronic Heating, its Aussie for Central heating. It is installed in Tassie, SA & Victoria. I do have a couple of names of fellas I did a bit for. Heating is hard phisical work but far better than Plumbing and a piece of p!ss. You won't need a shovel or have to know how to drive a Bob cat or a dingo. I was paid between $30 - $35 per hour. My advice would be stick with the Heating as the Plumbing is sh!t Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
legoman Posted June 30, 2010 Share Posted June 30, 2010 yep, I second that $hit literally. I couldnt stand coming home with boots and overalls impregnated with poo, and the stench of vans arrrgh. no heating in wa though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bod Posted June 30, 2010 Share Posted June 30, 2010 yep, I second that $hit literally. I couldnt stand coming home with boots and overalls impregnated with poo, and the stench of vans arrrgh. no heating in wa though. I mainly worked in Qld, I dug more holes in my first week than I've ever dug in my whole UK life. And as for clearing Sh!t, I don't even want to talk about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest paulallan Posted June 30, 2010 Share Posted June 30, 2010 Hi cheers for that but I didnt do an apprentiship, i just did a plumbing course of my own back then got on with a company who put me through my gas but been with them for 4 years now, i used to be a sheet metal/ air-con engineer/ coded welder but i got fed up, I have looked into different ways of getting over with a trade and vetassess is the only way for me!! I dont like doing exams and stuff like that, my head goes to pieces even though I know what im doing but cheers for the reply. how long you been over and how you finding it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bod Posted June 30, 2010 Share Posted June 30, 2010 Hi cheers for that but I didnt do an apprentiship, i just did a plumbing course of my own back then got on with a company who put me through my gas but been with them for 4 years now, i used to be a sheet metal/ air-con engineer/ coded welder but i got fed up, I have looked into different ways of getting over with a trade and vetassess is the only way for me!!I dont like doing exams and stuff like that, my head goes to pieces even though I know what im doing but cheers for the reply. how long you been over and how you finding it? Well if you can do Heating then Hydronic heating may be down your Street. To my knowledge it is not regulated like the rest so no exams apart from the Gas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin jc Posted June 30, 2010 Share Posted June 30, 2010 Hello Paulallen I done the vetassess in acrington last month and yes i would take your own tools as far as possible, they do have most tools there but it is always nice to use your own and shows you are in the game and not pulling a swift one i guess. Heard of a fella that went there with not a single tool and was told he was not treated to well, think they like to see you make at least an effort, just take basics if you can, I drove there so took all they asked for, you will get a list when they send you the assessment date. Also i will say dont stress about the test, is an easy day really, i worried to much before i done it. three practical task's and some questions. If you want more of a heads up on it let me know. can PM you to put your mind at rest. Good luck Kev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin jc Posted June 30, 2010 Share Posted June 30, 2010 Hello Phil The vetassess gets you a provisional licence to work, think it is called OSTR, means you can work from the off but not alone. No matter how many certs you have in the uk you have to go to Tafe for a course, from what i hear it is a year of 2 nights a week, well least thats is one of them, not sure if there are other ways. Also heard it cost around $3,000 but im sure someone will correct me if my memorey fails me. Good luck Kev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin jc Posted June 30, 2010 Share Posted June 30, 2010 Also Phil Yes you need the vetassess as part of your application if you are going as general plumber. Kev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest paulallan Posted July 1, 2010 Share Posted July 1, 2010 Hi kev yeah if you can PM me with a bit more detail about it if you dont mind that would be great, thanx for the info you have already given thats one beer I owe you already cheers paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest humpy Posted July 3, 2010 Share Posted July 3, 2010 I'll give you all a brief insight into my gas and plumbing experience in SE Qld, Back in the UK I was a British Gas Engineer with NVQ's in gas servicing, I moved to Oz in Jan 2009 I was told to contact the Queensland Mines & Energy who issue the gas licence, I made an appointment, met a guy called Ray Watt who is one of the gas inspectors, ex Scottish gas guy, very helpful. Once I showed him my corgi quals and had a quick chat to him I was issued a NG licence straight away, it had an LPG restiction on it, this would be lifted when I had done some supervised work on LPG. He also gave me a list of companies and contacts to try and get a job. Most of the gas inspectors are British and are very helpful. I have now been told recently that this way is changing and you now get an interim licence for a year and have to go to TAFE to do a course, I'm not sure on this but Mines & Energy would inform you. I started work for someone and got messed around, I came out of the trade for a few months then tried again to get a decent job, I started with a gas company based in Brisbane in August and I'm still there now, and I really enjoy it, I work on Gold Coast and Brisbane areas. As for the plumbing, I have a City & Guilds in plumbing, this enabled me to get a provisional licence over here, but to get a full licence I will have to go to TAFE, 2 nights a week for a year and will cost me nearly $5000. I cant afford to do this yet and as I mainly work on gas there isn't much point anyway. Please take note it doesn't matter how qualified a plumber you were/are in the UK you will only get a provisional licence and will have to go to TAFE. If you dont have any paper qualifications in plumbing then forget about the provisional, a mate at work tried to get one saying he had 15 years of practical experience and owned a plumbing business but they wouldn't give him a provisional licence. Red tape in Queensland is a joke and there is no way round it, A lot of companies want fully licenced plumbers, and can employ you as a trades assistant without a full ticket. There are a few companies around that really rate British tradies but hard to find. Any more questions then fire away, I'll try to help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
legoman Posted July 3, 2010 Share Posted July 3, 2010 same in wa mate, licence for this licence for that. was a complete joke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin jc Posted July 4, 2010 Share Posted July 4, 2010 Hello Humpy Thanks for your post and glad to hear you are getting setteld in your work. Just wanted to ask how much of your working day is spent on LPG? Am also guessing it is not worth getting LPG ticket here in uk as that will also mean nothing there? In general, how much does a days work differ from doing the Gas in the uk? Thanks mate Kev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin jc Posted July 4, 2010 Share Posted July 4, 2010 Hello again I was wondering if the course you do at the TAFE is called the journey man? Kev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest humpy Posted July 4, 2010 Share Posted July 4, 2010 Hello again I was wondering if the course you do at the TAFE is called the journey man? Kev Queensland dont have a journeyman course, only got told that last week. The course at TAFE is the Plumbing Licensing course. I dont do much on lpg to be honest, sometimes not even once a week, there is loads of natural gas in brisbane and Gold Coast. LPG is in the sticks and places that dont have pipelines installed, all new housing estates get piped up with NG as a rule. I wouldn't do the LPG course in UK, might be a waste of money if they have changed the rules about getting a licence, To get LPG licence when I went you had to show competence in it and I had never done it. My job mainly consists of servicing, I work on larger boilers now, upto 300kw mainly in hotels and high rise buildings, easy to work on. We also do a bit of installation with smaller instant hot water systems, again these are simple to install. Our company also contract to gas pipeline company meaning that we do meters, risers and gas mains into building, a crew do the plastic pipe and we bring it in the building in copper. Interesting work, I enjoy the variety. In theory similar to UK with regards to servicing etc but different appliances, lot simpler than repairing condensing boilers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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