Guest Cozzy Posted July 4, 2012 Report Share Posted July 4, 2012 Hi All, Right can anyone shine any light on where all these supposed ' Plumbing Jobs' are in WA?? I have 3 friends out there at present (All plumbing/gas engineers from the UK). One guy has been there 3 years and is running his own company out there which was not his plan but when he arrived found work hard to come by. He has done well but is quiet at present. The other 2 mates have both been actively looking for employment since arriving in WA. Both have done their Oz exams and have their Licenses. One of them I can understand it being at little slow to get going as he has only been there 8 weeks. But the other has been looking for work for over 8 months! Both guys worked for me in England so i know it is not because they dont know there stuff or are poor quality fitters. Far from it...one guy is amongst the best I have worked with in 24 years in the game. The other guy has had to take a job in the Mines ( Like every one else!). Whilst I am not being negative about the Mines, far from it...it is wonderful that this industry is booming and providing tons of employment for the people of WA its just not what we figured we would be doing when we all applied for this gig. I dont want to be away from my family and friends for weeks on end ! The money at the mines is ok but not what Im earning here in the UK running my own firm. Now I can hear you all going "It depends how much you want it"....or...."He dont want it enough!" Well your wrong on that one, I promise. I want it enough to give up a very successful buisness to go. My question is this ; We was all told there is a shortage of plumbers in Perth and that you can just rock up get your ticket and earn upwards of $100,000 a year. Do you sometimes feel that you was sold a dream that was not available?? (I dont want to piss on any ones cornflakes here but its got to be said) Now I was there for the whole of April and I had no real success in networking around plumbing employment. Ive explained the pals above situations who (bar one guy) are not finding it easy. Whats going on? Where is all this supposed work then? I am aware that it really is.. who you know..not what you know! but this is a bit of a worry. Has any one in my industry gone out there recently and slipped into employment earning decent money? Can any one shine any light on this? Maybe you have been in WA for a few years and seen a slow down out there. I just want to try and gauge work climate in my industry in WA. ( I thought it was weird that they asked you on the forms if you would be prepared to 'work outside your professional field' if you needed to support your family when you arrive.) I know im slightly spoiled living and working in London but come on ...I saw 3 maybe 4 plumbers vans in a month driving round Perth. WHERE IS EVERY BODY? LOL. No seriously...Can anyone restore my confidence and desire please?? PLEASE ?? Calling all plumbers and Gas engineers in Perth ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgiajoemillie Posted July 5, 2012 Report Share Posted July 5, 2012 Hi, I'm in the same boat as you, had my own plumbing/ heating business for 11 years now. ill be watching this post . thing that gets me is most jobs on seek etc want 5 years WA experience . If I advertised a job here in uk and put English only I'd get sued. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Cozzy Posted July 5, 2012 Report Share Posted July 5, 2012 From what Ive been told most decent jobs dont even get advertised! So how you meant to get a bloody job. I tell you if my pal whos there now cant find a job most would struggle unless they are walking over to a place. I think you really got to have some dosh behind you to do this move. He has done alot of dosh just getting started out there and he still aint got a job. And to throw into the factor that theres a real shortage of decent rentals aswell. he had a nightmare but did find one at the last min. They nearly had to go into a hotel. But thats all nothing new really...its the work issue that worries me. I would live in a card board box on the side of the motorway if i had to. (Not sure the mrs would be upn nfor that!) LOL. Cant wait for someone to put my mind at rest ! Anyone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plumber Paul Posted July 5, 2012 Report Share Posted July 5, 2012 In my opinion there is a fair amount of work out in Perth. Seek isn't the only place to be looking for work. How about http://www.wjobs.com.au/, the local west australian newspaper has tradesman jobs advertised on wednesdays and saturdays, how about looking at the master plumbers association website? Getting work is all about being in the right place at the right time, networking and research. You are right that its not so much what you know but rather who you know. In my first week in Perth I had 3 interviews, 1 never got back to me, I declined one and took the other. 3 months later just as my probation period was ending I got offered another better paying job with much better prospects. It depends on what industry you'd like to work in. Mantainance? Commercial? Residential? I believe the better paying is commercial. Residential is hard labour intensive work and the cut throat industry doesn't pay well. Get out of your mind the possibility of earning $100 000 at a company in Perth - thats only if you head up to the mines where you take home about $3000 a week. My mate is starting his FIFO tomorrow. Finally I really do believe that Australian employers expect a hell of a lot more out of you than English employers so expect to work hard, really hard. Plumb with passion Paul Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgiajoemillie Posted July 5, 2012 Report Share Posted July 5, 2012 I knew you'd solve this Paul !!!! Ian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Cozzy Posted July 5, 2012 Report Share Posted July 5, 2012 Hey Paul, Thanks for the reply. I wont be so rude as to ask what salary you are getting but as a Gas fitter in London I really have to knock my pipe out. But Im paid very well charging £80 + Vat an hour and working 10 paid hours a day, 6 days a week. So from what I gather Im looking at taking a massive drop in wages and will be expected to work just as hard! At last someone whos telling me the real deal out there. I would want to earn at LEAST $3000 a week (I dont want to sound like a flash git here or whatever mate its just the truth). Thanks alot for the info mate I will pass it on to my Pals and I think ive got some thinking to do ! Regards Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgiajoemillie Posted July 5, 2012 Report Share Posted July 5, 2012 Mate, I'm certainly in the wrong part of the country. im in Devon been plumbing since school 24 years , had own business for 11. i charge £25+ vat and people moan!!!! maybe that's why I haven't got a penny to scratch my ass with. thats why folks from the south east can afford to sell up and move into a Devon house and tell us tht they don't want to pay London Rates !!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Cozzy Posted July 5, 2012 Report Share Posted July 5, 2012 (edited) Mate, I'm certainly in the wrong part of the country.im in Devon been plumbing since school 24 years , had own business for 11. i charge £25+ vat and people moan!!!! maybe that's why I haven't got a penny to scratch my ass with. thats why folks from the south east can afford to sell up and move into a Devon house and tell us tht they don't want to pay London Rates !!!! Yeah I totally understand that Ian but what they dont tell you its £8 per day congestion charge, £6 per hour to park (Hopefully you dont get a £100 parking ticket...or flashed in a box junction £100 fine...or go 35 mph in a 30 zone £100 fine and 3 points...and can take 2 hours to get home just 8 miles away....shall I go on!!! LOL. Its horses for courses i suppose. Supply and demand. I can pay £20 for Steak in a London restaurant and pay £6 for the same piece of Steak else where in the country. I pay London prices to live here so I need to charge London prices to survive. £25 per hour is fine if your parking on someones drive in the country with no over heads.We dont charge £80 an hour in the outer suburbs its £65 per hour. (There are companies doing massive buisness in London charging £120 per hour (£1200 a day!+ vat) for domestic property plumbing and heating works ...so we are cheap!! LOL) Dont get me wrong Im by no means a wealthy plumber because your lifestyle goes up and you spend more anyway. But what concerns me is what we would all expect to earn over there. Even if your charging £25 an hour.. thats £250 a day..£1250 a week £65,000 a year approx gross profit. Now Paul is saying to earn that in WA you will need to be Plumbing in the Mines (£65,000 = Approx $100,000). Dont forget everything is much dearer in Perth compared to UK bar a few things. I really dont want to be a kill joy here but I reckon you need Min $3000 a week to have the lifestyle we all want and hope to have. Unless of course you are selling and £500,000 house with little or no mortgage and moving too Oz...then nothing really matters!... For the record ..thats NOT me! Funny you should mention people moving down there (Devon) I have a plumber pal who sold up and moved to Cornwall. He still works in London and travels home to Cornwall every 2 weeks to see the wife and kids for a long weekend then back to London for another 2 weeks solid graft.. Earns great money, has big house,.....and he is as miserable as Sin and the Mrs is bored stiff! Not for me Im afraid. Thats probably similar to working FIFO in the Mines. I dont think I could be away from the family so long just for $100k a year. Im not going to Oz to chase the Dollar and earn tons of cash...I just want to have enough for my family too survive and enjoy life. If it was a money thing Id stay right here. Shame theres not more Fitters on here to get a broader spectrum. Plus theres probably people who dont want to publish where they are working and where there contacts are as they will have loads of competion for their job...and who can blame them a !! Im off for large whiskey!! Oz has never felt so far away. Edited July 5, 2012 by Cozzy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgiajoemillie Posted July 5, 2012 Report Share Posted July 5, 2012 Hi mate, £ 65000 I wish, more like £35000 after all the expenses. devon is a very beautiful county and I never thought I'd be leaving for Australia. The main reason we are leving is the weather, I know that's not a brilliant reason but it's the truth. people in Devon still want and think about paying 1980-90's rates and are shocked if you mention above £20. the negative side of the move is I've built up a very good customer base over the past 11 years , I don't need to advertise and work for around 8 builders . if I was employed it would be easy as hand in your notice , go to perth if things go tits up return and work for someone again. im sure cozzy and paul are/were in same position.it's a Gamble to give up your area and customers. I'm going over with the positive attitude, do the required courses, work hard ( strange to have a Boss after all theses years ) if it goes t up, give plumber paul a ring , buy him a few beers that I owe him from throughout these forums and go and swim with the great whites !!!! Cheers Ian ( joe is my boys name) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Cozzy Posted July 5, 2012 Report Share Posted July 5, 2012 Hi mate,£ 65000 I wish, more like £35000 after all the expenses. devon is a very beautiful county and I never thought I'd be leaving for Australia. The main reason we are leving is the weather, I know that's not a brilliant reason but it's the truth. people in Devon still want and think about paying 1980-90's rates and are shocked if you mention above £20. the negative side of the move is I've built up a very good customer base over the past 11 years , I don't need to advertise and work for around 8 builders . if I was employed it would be easy as hand in your notice , go to perth if things go tits up return and work for someone again. im sure cozzy and paul are/were in same position.it's a Gamble to give up your area and customers. I'm going over with the positive attitude, do the required courses, work hard ( strange to have a Boss after all theses years ) if it goes t up, give plumber paul a ring , buy him a few beers that I owe him from throughout these forums and go and swim with the great whites !!!! Cheers Ian ( joe is my boys name) LOL!!!!! Ha! Give me a bell before you up of Fremantle Port to 'swim with the Whites!!!'. I will talk you round mate!! Same as Ian... its the weather we like too. Hate it here to be honest. Its just scared me a bit what with my mates struggling a bit. PS; Sorry Ian thought you was called Joe but thats your boy. Ive edited the thread! DOH. Just pouring my second large Whiskey!! LOL Wish i had a crystal ball. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgiajoemillie Posted July 5, 2012 Report Share Posted July 5, 2012 (edited) I spoke to my mate whos a thicky bricky on Sunday who lives in baldavis ( south Perth) He said there's a lot of work about, so don't worry mate. you, myself and paul start up a Business , installing underfloor heating for the cold winters nights!!' solar seems not to be that big considering the climate ( thermal not pv) If we all end up within drinking distance if each other we shoud have a Drink together Cheers Ian Edited July 5, 2012 by Georgiajoemillie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Cozzy Posted July 5, 2012 Report Share Posted July 5, 2012 100% Ian. Would love to think we could all one day have a few beers and chew the fat saying "What the f*** was we worried about"!!. Take care mate. Chat soon. Dave (Cozzy) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgiajoemillie Posted July 5, 2012 Report Share Posted July 5, 2012 Just looked at my last statement , bloody I pad missed out loads of letters , didn't read back before posting. I will edit Ian ps mines a cider being a Devon boy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Cozzy Posted July 5, 2012 Report Share Posted July 5, 2012 Just looked at my last statement , bloody I pad missed out loads of letters , didn't read back before posting. I will edit Ian ps mines a cider being a Devon boy Scrumpy Jack ! Dont think they do that Ian! LOL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgiajoemillie Posted July 5, 2012 Report Share Posted July 5, 2012 Scrumpy Jack ! Dont think they do that Ian! LOL. Must be able to find a thatchers or a Cornish rattler though ( forget the rattler head banging gear) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Cozzy Posted July 10, 2012 Report Share Posted July 10, 2012 Bump!.....Tumbleweed!.....Theres got to be more than one plumber in Perth that reads these threads!!..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest richard b Posted July 16, 2012 Report Share Posted July 16, 2012 hi, ive been out here since february, i come over from uk having run my own buisness for 14 yrs been doing plumbing and gas and oil for 25 years. Basicly its a nightmare, your uk qualifacations count for nothing as does your experience, there are loads of jobs but hardly any if you do not have WA experience.To re-train is expensive and its a chicken and egg situation, employers do not want you if you do not have a full plumbing licence but you cannot complete your plumbing licence if you do not have a job, so you see all these jobs advetised and in my situation have applied for at least 20/30 jobs with just 1 interview and no replies from the others, it is definatly not what you know but who you know because most jobs will say they want plumbers with minimum 5 years WA experience, so how do you get experience if you cannot get a job and from what i have seen from plumbing overhere its 20 years behind in somethings so for uk plumbers the work is not exactly rocket science.You may have to seriously consider doing something different or make sure you come over here with plenty of money to live off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Cozzy Posted July 16, 2012 Report Share Posted July 16, 2012 hi, ive been out here since february, i come over from uk having run my own buisness for 14 yrs been doing plumbing and gas and oil for 25 years. Basicly its a nightmare, your uk qualifacations count for nothing as does your experience, there are loads of jobs but hardly any if you do not have WA experience.To re-train is expensive and its a chicken and egg situation, employers do not want you if you do not have a full plumbing licence but you cannot complete your plumbing licence if you do not have a job, so you see all these jobs advetised and in my situation have applied for at least 20/30 jobs with just 1 interview and no replies from the others, it is definatly not what you know but who you know because most jobs will say they want plumbers with minimum 5 years WA experience, so how do you get experience if you cannot get a job and from what i have seen from plumbing overhere its 20 years behind in somethings so for uk plumbers the work is not exactly rocket science.You may have to seriously consider doing something different or make sure you come over here with plenty of money to live off. Thanks Richard. It is exactly what ive been hearing. Thanks for your honest account of the situation. It seems other trades dont have half the problems (Sparkys excluded) that we are going to have. My mate is a Plasterer and he doing great! No licence required....he just got his white card and away he went. It wont put me off coming but its nice to be prepared. All the best Dave. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plumber Paul Posted July 16, 2012 Report Share Posted July 16, 2012 hi, ive been out here since february, i come over from uk having run my own buisness for 14 yrs been doing plumbing and gas and oil for 25 years. Basicly its a nightmare, your uk qualifacations count for nothing as does your experience, there are loads of jobs but hardly any if you do not have WA experience.To re-train is expensive and its a chicken and egg situation, employers do not want you if you do not have a full plumbing licence but you cannot complete your plumbing licence if you do not have a job, so you see all these jobs advetised and in my situation have applied for at least 20/30 jobs with just 1 interview and no replies from the others, it is definatly not what you know but who you know because most jobs will say they want plumbers with minimum 5 years WA experience, so how do you get experience if you cannot get a job and from what i have seen from plumbing overhere its 20 years behind in somethings so for uk plumbers the work is not exactly rocket science.You may have to seriously consider doing something different or make sure you come over here with plenty of money to live off. Hi Richard b, I've also been here since February 2012. I completed the 2 week migrant plumbing course in April which gave me an AQF Level III but no gas. I wasn't gas qualified in the UK either. To get gas qualified and licensed means a 3 week course at TAFE which I can't afford at the mo. Have you done your migrant plumbing course and gas course yet? And is it pretty straight forward? I've seen loads of jobs advertised for commercial plumbers at www.indeed.com.au, but I've heard that to get on the big commercial sites you need to join up with the unions and starting rate on those sites is about $40p/h. I agree that a lot of ads say minimum of 5 yrs wa experience but as long as you got your Australian standards 3500 they'd give you a fair go I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest richard b Posted July 17, 2012 Report Share Posted July 17, 2012 hi paul, with regards to your questions, yes i have my gas licence i did it at Balga tech i completed it in about 3 days this was due to the fact that Balga unlike other training centers were prepared to acknowledge my uk gas qualifacations so i was able to skip quiet a bit of the course but if your doing this first time around you have to do some sheet metal work as well as all the different welding methods such as arc welding, mild steel welding ect. i think my course cost me about $ 1100 also there is a bit of writen work to do as well but my problem with it was the lack urgency to complete it so it meant doing a few hours hear and there and even once you have completed you have to wait several weeks to get your certificate as without that you cannot apply for your licence from energy saftey.At the moment i am doing a 4 day migration gap course which is costing $2200 and yesterday i turned up and left again because the first day and a half was doing gas stuff which i have already done as part of my gas licence. My problem is that because i do not currently have a job you have to get practical work done and signed off by your employer as well as produce photographic evidence of the jobs that you have done and you have to be if possible be in the photo as well showing off what you have done, so yet again its all going to come to a grinding halt. KEEP THE FAITH !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plumber Paul Posted July 17, 2012 Report Share Posted July 17, 2012 hi paul, with regards to your questions, yes i have my gas licence i did it at Balga tech i completed it in about 3 days this was due to the fact that Balga unlike other training centers were prepared to acknowledge my uk gas qualifacations so i was able to skip quiet a bit of the course but if your doing this first time around you have to do some sheet metal work as well as all the different welding methods such as arc welding, mild steel welding ect. i think my course cost me about $ 1100 also there is a bit of writen work to do as well but my problem with it was the lack urgency to complete it so it meant doing a few hours hear and there and even once you have completed you have to wait several weeks to get your certificate as without that you cannot apply for your licence from energy saftey.At the moment i am doing a 4 day migration gap course which is costing $2200 and yesterday i turned up and left again because the first day and a half was doing gas stuff which i have already done as part of my gas licence. My problem is that because i do not currently have a job you have to get practical work done and signed off by your employer as well as produce photographic evidence of the jobs that you have done and you have to be if possible be in the photo as well showing off what you have done, so yet again its all going to come to a grinding halt. KEEP THE FAITH !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hi, I'm confused by what you say about 'photographic evidence?' Whats that all about? I remember getting a booklet from my visa agent saying that I had to have a 12 months gap training course through a group called CPSISC and that I'd have to fill out profiling cards for each stage of on-site training etc. When I applied for my plumbers tradespersons license I asked the plumbing licensing board what this 'gap training' and 'profiling' was all about and they said they didn't know anything about it. So I just forgot about it and never bothered about it again. Is this what you're talking about? If so, would you mind giving me some more details/information about it? Is this 'gap training and profiling system' just another way to get an AQF level III in plumbing? This whole thing is just a money making gimmick i reckon. That TAFE migrant plumbers course is all that you need to be get a 3 year re-newable tradespersons license. I'm keen to hear back from you. Thanks, Paul Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Cozzy Posted July 17, 2012 Report Share Posted July 17, 2012 Hi, I'm confused by what you say about 'photographic evidence?' Whats that all about? I remember getting a booklet from my visa agent saying that I had to have a 12 months gap training course through a group called CPSISC and that I'd have to fill out profiling cards for each stage of on-site training etc. When I applied for my plumbers tradespersons license I asked the plumbing licensing board what this 'gap training' and 'profiling' was all about and they said they didn't know anything about it. So I just forgot about it and never bothered about it again. Is this what you're talking about? If so, would you mind giving me some more details/information about it? Is this 'gap training and profiling system' just another way to get an AQF level III in plumbing? This whole thing is just a money making gimmick i reckon. That TAFE migrant plumbers course is all that you need to be get a 3 year re-newable tradespersons license. I'm keen to hear back from you. Thanks, Paul So am I Paul!...This is what Im talking about! What Richard has said is what ive been told by other mates out there. Its a catch 22 situation much the same as in UK. You need to be employed with a plumbing company just to get your Course work signed off. I have 3/4 x e mails a week from mature students asking to work for nothing just so they can get there Gas and Plumbing course work signed off. It seems the same out there....but this time WE are the migrants so not easy at all. What does concern me is what you are looking at earning after youve gone through all this expense and training again. A mate of mine was offered agency work for a Plumbing company for a while for $26 an hour......The week before he was doing agency labour work in a carpet warehouse humping rugs around (Due to lack of plumbing jobs) on $28 an hour!!!! Whats that all about? Richard have you got an idea what a Gas engineer is likely too earn an hour? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgiajoemillie Posted July 17, 2012 Report Share Posted July 17, 2012 So am I Paul!...This is what Im talking about! What Richard has said is what ive been told by other mates out there. Its a catch 22 situation much the same as in UK. You need to be employed with a plumbing company just to get your Course work signed off. I have 3/4 x e mails a week from mature students asking to work for nothing just so they can get there Gas and Plumbing course work signed off. It seems the same out there....but this time WE are the migrants so not easy at all. What does concern me is what you are looking at earning after youve gone through all this expense and training again. A mate of mine was offered agency work for a Plumbing company for a while for $26 an hour......The week before he was doing agency labour work in a carpet warehouse humping rugs around (Due to lack of plumbing jobs) on $28 an hour!!!! Whats that all about? Richard have you got an idea what a Gas engineer is likely too earn an hour? Thats the same with me , I get loads of cv's after work. its a bit scary , us lot being at the bottom of the pecking order. i still believe its going to be a case as over here , it's who you know not what. i e mailed a guy from energy safe ages ago ( I'll try to find it) he was an English bloke teaching the gas elements in Perth . He said that he'd need to see my gas elements and hopefully RPL them as Richard ( above) said.I've just re sat my core elements( the 5 yearly ones) the big difference guys is plumber paul is over there and has done it , some of us are still dreaming it. its going to be hard and scary , but imagine if loads of eastern Europeans kept asking us for work in the uk. You would be p**ed off with them.probably that's how the aussie feel Chin up Ian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgiajoemillie Posted July 17, 2012 Report Share Posted July 17, 2012 Hi Ian, My name is ***********and I’m one of the Plumbing Lecturers, I’ve been here for 3½ years having moved from *********College where I was the Head of Construction and ran the ACS Gas Centre and also taught Plumbing so I understand the qualifications that you have etc. and have mapped them over to Western Australia making the process a bit simpler for everyone from the UK. To enable you to get a Class G Permit (from Energy Safety which are CORGI/GAS SAFE equivalent) Energy Safety require you to undertake the full Certificate III in Gas Fitting. This will allow you to install, commission & test pipe work and appliances with Natural and LPG Gases and work on Boats & Caravans. (but not Service Appliances, this is a separate qualification undertaken once Class G permit is completed – a bit different to the UK). There may be an opportunity for you to have some RPL for certain units that we could cross map from your existing qualifications – such as ‘Use of Hand & Power Tools’ etc. but I’ll have to have a look at your certificates from the UK such as City & Guilds Basic/Advanced Craft, NVQ Level 2 & 3 etc. and all of your current ACS certificates such as CCN1, CKR1, HTR1, CEN1 etc. Each Unit that we can’t RPL you’ll have to undertake here with us and they are split into 2 sections – 1 Theory (with an Assessment) & 2 Practical (with an Assessment). I’ve added to this Email the Certificate III in Gas Fitting Units that need to be covered – if you have a look through them you might find that there are some Units that you can provide evidence of completion for – this is where the RPL comes into play. I hope this information helps but if you have any queries at all just let me know and I’ll help as much as I can. Hope to hear from you soon Best wishes ******* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgiajoemillie Posted July 17, 2012 Report Share Posted July 17, 2012 I've got a document sent with all the required elements pm me you e mail address and I'll send it, tried to copy and paste but too many characters Ian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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