spain

[tonto33]

hi guys

im thinkin about moving to spain wanna know how easy is it to do this kind of work over there any ideas who to contact :cool:

[momo]

There are two main lines of work related to this forum, though they interlink due to the use of refrigeration machinery:

0.Know the language, you're stuck without it.

1a. Plain refrigeration: two year college course "FP" followed by industry exam in the Comunidad Autonoma where you reside. At this stage you will have barely covered the fundamentals and should work for a company as an apprentice to get experience.

1b. Then either self-employed fulfilling an endless list of paperwork and equipment requirements or underpaid by UK standards (the industry wage rates are ridiculously low for the cost of living.)

2. RITE for work on air conditioning, heating and hot water supplies, we are in a transition period with a course and industry exam, but this apparently ends soon and the FP course will be mandatory. You nonetheless need 1a to deal with the refrigeration cycle parts.

Things are tightening up with restrictions on ref gas supplies and recycling and pressure containers (another exam to take!) etc.

Spanish Industrial engineers (5 years at university) can apply for industry card automatically, but are of little practical use in business except when called on to design big systems (above 70kW) which must be approved by the local standards committee - their courses lack practical hands on experience.
Many thanks to the EU for further controlling things :(

Ah... and you will find all sorts of creatures in this world: real family geniuses from 4 generations of fridgies to absolute bodge-it and scarper :p who don't even vac A/C installations.

Many come thinking Spain is a life of beer, surf, beaches, beautiful women:cool:... the other side is low wages, expensive housing, skin cancer (sun exposure), over-stressed health service, a structure of businesses which has changed little since before Franco died...:mad: not a moan just a warning ;).
In my case I certainly fear the thought of living and working in the UK and its regulations, weather etc. Never better said the grass is greener on the other side of the water (if there is any rain - oh it is raining here this winter - just a bit too much :D:D at the moment.)

[tonto33]

im a fully qualified refrigeration and air con engineer mainly deal wiv domestic and catering appliances and samsung specialist. just wonderin if u have same over in spain and is parts easy to get hold off.. as u say wages are low im self employed here and charge £45 call out can i expect to get roughly same over there

[momo]

When I say wages are low, relative to UK, they are: average chargeable rate now is 30€ an hour (some addition for transport) on call out then pay your business costs out of that!

The main issue of this forum is cooling and heating but the heat in Spain at the moment is on housing and the relative wages etc.
Since the question has arisen I suggest the following link - the forum is structured similar to this ref-eng and you should head to the end links "Ultimo" of this rich collection of foreign reports (English texts and links should be clear) ... it will chill a few or lead them to consider makeing moves about Spain at the moment.:eek:

http://www.burbuja.info/inmobiliaria/showthread.php?t=18982