Australians look here please

[Tycho]

Hello Australians

I am a Norwegian service engineer, looking to move to Australia in 2 years (I am under contract right now), and I am looking for a job in Oz, I won't need sponsorship, since i will be married next year.

But I am looking for a job, and the online job databases is leaving much to be desired.

So here goes, I am experienced on industrial plants, be if ***** or ammonia, the last 5 years has been mostly ammonia, since that is what my company delivers.

I am way above average when it comes to electrical and PLC knowledge, in my current job, I help develop plc programs.

Not going to say more, other than that I am an experienced field technician, with both ***** and ammonia and I and very good with electrics.


so even if you can't get me a job in the future, please hook me up

[Tesla]

Hi Tycho there are probably only two main companies in each state that work on amonia systems so google them and approach them directly. Sorry I don't have a contact personally.

[FreezerGeezer]

Be very careful where you choose to live, as it is very easy to accidentally find yourself in an area with very little or no relevant market for your specialisation.
I moved here the same way you are going to, I'll post more about my experiences later on.

[mikeref]

Only 15 or so cities in Aussie that might be able to suite your qualifications. There is bugger all in Queensland rural areas that use Ammonia. Queensland is just one of 8 independent states of Australia so you need to do some homework before relocating here.... or other areas. Could elaborate more on climate conditions and wildlife though that aspect can be discussed later

[RANGER1]

Tyco, Are you marrying an Australian & if so what area would she prefer to narrow things down. I may be able to help.

[PaulZ]

Hi Tycho
We have offices in Victoria and South Australia and are always looking for good mechanics so if you decide to live in either Melbourne or Adelaide PM me and I can send you some contact details.
Paul

[question mark]

Hi Guys
i m a learning at this stage in our hvacr trade on the job 18 months exp , tycho talks about plc program , i was wondering if some one can tell how can i learn about this skill, practicaly and theoraticaly , names of subject stc happy to go to school if neccesary.
thanks

[question mark]

I m in Melbourne

[PaulZ]

Hi question mark
TAFE used to run PLC classes of different levels, I am not sure if they still do. Best thing is to call your local TAFE or RMIT and ask if they still run these courses.
Some of the PLC suppliers may also run courses, Allen Bradly, Siemens etc you could try them as well.
Paul

[FreezerGeezer]

Ok, so as promised here's my experience.

My wife had said to me early on that she'd want to move home @ some point.
So with that possibility in mind (and 'cos it's romantic?) we kept things from our life together from the start.
When we decided it was time to move, some of our friends had already gone through the process & advised against going through a visa agency. The forms for the spouse Visa are simple, and with our scrap book we had plenty of proof of relationship.
Because we'd been together for >5 years, I automatically got Permanent Residence.
This is a lie. The Permanent Residence lasts for a few years, whereupon you need to renew it before leaving the country. It can be done overseas (in NZ anyway) but it's much easier & less stress to do it here. Or just get citizenship.
Also, with a spouse visa, there is NO legal requirement for you to do the Trade Recognition.
However, there was a catch - ARTICK, in their boundless wisdom (ha ha!) refuse to allow you a refrigerant handling licence unless you've got the Trade Recognition pass certificate. Won't even allow you to get it via doing their licensing course. So you will have to do it, as you cannot legally work without a refrigerant handling licence. You will also need some form of electrical licence. Probably a restricted one - but if you're electrically qualified, get Trade Recognised for it as well. That way you can get a full electrical licence. Handy, as according to Aussies, we fridgies can't be trusted to replace cable like for like, never mind size it. In fact, you cannot even fit the interconnecting wiring on a split A/C without a full electrical licence unless you pay a licensed sparky to inspect & sign it off.
I understand that in Victoria you also need a restricted plumbing license!
A white card (the general construction induction card) will be required in Qld & NSW. Dunno about the other states.
Your licences will have to be renewed every so often. Employers expect you to pay for all your own licences. You can claim the cost against your tax.
Oz is still very unionised. Most places I've worked have used collective bargaining, so there is no (or extremely limited) room for negotiation in those companies. But at least no one can bitch that they're not paid as well as someone else of the same seniority.
Utes are the norm here for tradies vehicles. I find a flat bed to be the most versatile & easy to work out of - style sides are a pain with a canopy, but have concluded that a van is the best compromise of service vehicle.

I don't know what you're used to in terms of company issue tools. Here most firms will issue you a multi meter, megger, vac pump, O/A. Drills, reclaim units, condenser cleaners, scales etc. may or may not be individually issued. Gauge manifolds are considered 'hand tools' to be provided by you. Even if the company policy is that they provide all specialised tools & equipment. Go figure.

I'll continue later.

[HVACRsaurus]

I want to go and be a G string inspector on Ibiza - any one know how I can do that?

[question mark]

what is this G string never heard of it

[PaulZ]

Hi question mark
If you don't know what a G string is you must have led a sheltered life so far, Google it and see what you find.
HVACR I reckon the applicant line for that job would be fairly long.
Paul

[Tesla]

Hang on, wait a minute I got this one ...
it's the 7th sting on a guitar?
Annnd let me know where the end of the que is for job applicants too. I take that back I just remembered I'm wearing one hahaha

[Grizzly]

Brilliant post Freezer geezer.

More or less what most of us had learnt about the Oz experience, from the guys above.
But more condensed.

The oz system seems unfair, but I bet the guys that have reached their criteria feel better.
Than those that work in a free for all market place.

Do you lads in oz have the same situation with regards to supermarkets, facilities companies and tupe.
Over here idiots can play games with peoples lives.

Not a lot changed in the 40 odd years I have been working then eh!
Grizzly

[HVACRsaurus]

Never heard of tupe. What is it?

[question mark]

HHHHAhhahahhahahhah, silly me should have google it before asking.

[FreezerGeezer]

Thanks Grizzly.

It is indeed a pain, especially given that when I moved over, Aussies could come & work in the UK without jumping through hoops. Still, you choose to move to a country, you have to do things their way where necessary.
What really rankles is that ARTICK, who are theoretically supposed to protect the industry via the licensing system are Hell bent on screwing us over. They spend all their time auditing licence holders, don't appear to ever prosecute unlicensed fly by nights & don't regulate CARE type refrigerants. Added to which they're trying hard to let sparkies become 'overnight' fridgies, but don't seem to give a **** about pushing the ETU for a level playing field for us to get electrically licenced to do our work.
How many sparkies do you know that don't brown their pants when they see controls systems?
Basically they're my least favourite beaurocracy (sp?).

No, we don't have the TUPE system here. City are here, in partnership with Coles.
Between them, Coles & Woolworths are the big 2 supermarkets. They'r both as bad as any Brit ones. There isn't (in my experience) the huge milage issue here. Contractors get Subbies to look after the rural & remote stores. Over here, the employer pays the benefit in kind tax on your vehicle, so they try hard to avoid high miles. Also, unlike the UK (at least when I was last there before the GFC) most companies do NOT pay your travel time. In fact the only one I heard do were Hussman, but I haven't run into one of their blokes for some time so I suspect they're losing ground.

You need to be in or around a major city to get what I would consider to be the good work here. By Major I mean a Capital. By good I mean Chillers & industrial with at least a modicum of maintenance spent on them. As soon as you hit the regions, no-one wants to spend any money.
There seems to be a lack of consultants or something. Buildings (like Q1 for e'g, which when built was the tallest building in the Southern Hemisphere) often have water cooled DX plant - one per tenancy - instead of a chilled water system.
They also still love cooling towers. Mostly the water side gets looked after because of Legionella.
Australia LOVES open drives! It's a bit weird after having it hammered into me that open drives are a big leak risk, and open drive compressors are generally a third world technology. (Aussies like to think they're up there with America & Europe. They don't like being called backward. )

Sounds a bit negative eh? Well yes, there are frustrations. But there's positive too. I'll try & concentrate on the positives next post.

[FreezerGeezer]

Never heard of tupe. What is it?

A system wherein the tech's are supposed to move employer with the service contact (if they want to) while retaining (if they want to) their existing T&C.
It was supposed to stop the situation where tech's are forced into redundancy due to loss of work load, & thus as often happened, being forced to accept poorer T&C with the new contractor.

As always, there are loopholes. Poke around on the forum via the search engine to see some of the stories.

[750 Valve]

Typical pomme, always whinging.

[FreezerGeezer]

Not meaning to 750, rather trying to point out the potentially negative differences (at least in perception) between what we're used to in the UK & what we do here.
As I pointed out earlier, Oz is NOT the UK with sunshine & funny accents. If you choose to move here, you must understand that we have our way of doing things which you will have to fit into.
I stand by my opinion of ARCTICK though.
As stated, I will get to the positives soon.

[mikeref]

F.G. Waiting for you to jump into the price of refrigerants and the high cost of living.
You can't be doing too bad for yourself if you live on the Gold Coast. Sun,surf and sand at your doorstep. Surfers Paradise. Mmmm, Green with envy.

[Tycho]

Good replies all around

sorry it has taken me so long to get back here, but work being work, you know

I'll be moving to Sydney, and as far as I can see it leaves much to be desired in the industrial field, could only find two companies in NSW that really did any industrial work.

I understand that you do things differently there, here in Norway I get everything I need from the Company I work for, because they want their service people to have the best possible tools to do the job.

I see that most things, like rent and bills are done on a weekly and quarterly base, same with salary. In Norway most things go on a monthly base, so that's something to get used to.

What kind of salary can one expect with 17 years in the field (of course after doing all the weird qualifications I'd need)
Here, we are allowed to do electrical work on equipment that is part of the plant (up to 220V, for motor connections and other high current stuff I always get an electrician)

[Tycho]

Good replies all around

sorry it has taken me so long to get back here, but work being work, you know

I'll be moving to Sydney, and as far as I can see it leaves much to be desired in the industrial field, could only find two companies in NSW that really did any industrial work.

I understand that you do things differently there, here in Norway I get everything I need from the Company I work for, because they want their service people to have the best possible tools to do the job.

I see that most things, like rent and bills are done on a weekly and quarterly base, same with salary. In Norway most things go on a monthly base, so that's something to get used to.

What kind of salary can one expect with 17 years in the field (of course after doing all the weird qualifications I'd need)
Here, we are allowed to do electrical work on equipment that is part of the plant (up to 220V, for motor connections and other high current stuff I always get an electrician)

[750 Valve]

Its the same here for electrical - you can do all associated electrical repairs.

Pays are weekly, fortnightly or monthly (for wage earners mainly weekly), most bills are monthly or quarterly, rent can be paid weekly as well.

The 2 main players in Sydney are Tritech and Gordon Brothers. I'd say you'd be looking at about $35 per hour as a start but I could be corrected by those in the industrial field, there are some other smaller firms like Strathbrook as well

[Brian_UK]

Thread reopened as requested by OP Tycho.

[Tycho]

WOW, Long time no reply, but luckily I have had my missus visit me in Norway for three months, and she see's more for her here in Norway than in Australia when it comes to education.

However, being a service engineer, she is from Australia, I am not known with products from thereabouts, she might be prone to breakdowns, do you have a return policy??

All joking aside, first of all, I have learned that what is called a G-string in the modern world is called a "thong" in australia, I have also learned the term "Budgie smuggler" don't ask me how or why, but it's hillarious for a Norwegian.

Anyways, if I were to practise my skills in NSW, as I gather, I would be considered a nobody in the trade no matter what I bring with me from Norway? unless I have all the classes and courses?

In Norway I company will give you all the tools you need to do your job, are you all saying that in NSW you get a multimeter and an adjustable spanner?

[RANGER1]

Tyco,
Have you investigated Howden/Austcold in Sydney, they might be interested in someone, worth a try.
Lots of travel though.

[Tycho]

Tyco, Are you marrying an Australian & if so what area would she prefer to narrow things down. I may be able to help.

Yes, I am marrying an Australian, and the are of choice would be NSW

[Tycho]

Tyco,
Have you investigated Howden/Austcold in Sydney, they might be interested in someone, worth a try.
Lots of travel though.

Getting to it, it's been a bit back and forth between the missus moving to Norway, or me moving to oz, she loves Norway because the air is so fresh and the surroundings are so beautiful, but moving from smack bang in the middle of Sydney to Norway might not hold it's novelty for too long, since there is only one sushi shop in the area where I live, and she can't just walk across the street and have 200 restaurants to choose from

[RANGER1]

Tyco at the end of the day one of you has to adapt to a different country.
you would definitely find a job somewhere, but might take a few to find something you like.
Sydney is expensive & a lot of travelling to & from job & home.
Nice place to visit just the same, good weather. Also nice countryside.

How would you cope?
If you have kids will she want to return to Australia?

[FreezerGeezer]

You have to provide the spanner. (Adjustables are called shifters here, btw.)
You will likely get issued a multimeter - then go buy your own when the cheap / worn out issue one pee's you off enough! Lol.

For what it's worth, my wife & I have a policy of staying where we relocate for 2 years, then assessing.
That seems to give us long enough to get settled, adjust to the local lifestyle (yes she's from here, but after several years in the UK she wasn't sure she'd enjoy being back!) and so forth. Anything less & you're not giving it enough time in my opinion.
Teach your wife the nature, if you're an outdoors person yourself. She might decide the different lifestyle is worth the lack of restaurants.
The best salmon I've ever had was one we Ponessed (sp?) on a bushcraft weekend once.

[Dynamic-Fridgy]

Tyco, have you made it Sydney yet?