Christchurch

WUFF

Hey,does anyone know it there is much demand for bricklayers in NZ at the moment. Have been searching the recruitment sites ect but not too much is coming up. Seems to be a big demand for carpenters but not brickies.
Planning to head over in Feb & trying to get a heads up on work.

Thanks.

danielstook

hey wuff,
any ideas on your visa options, or are you just looking to wing it ?

WUFF

Visa sorted...just need to find a job now!

Mrs OBumble

WUFF wrote: »

Hey,does anyone know it there is much demand for bricklayers in NZ at the moment. Have been searching the recruitment sites ect but not too much is coming up. Seems to be a big demand for carpenters but not brickies.

Ahh, brickwork and earthquakes kinda don't mix so well. Sorry 'bout that.

danielstook

wuff,
i guess you are young enough to qualify for the working holiday visa! best of luck with the job search!

WUFF

"Ahh, brickwork and earthquakes kinda don't mix so well. Sorry 'bout that."



EARTHQUAKE!!! What Earthquake??;)

danielstook

heybuddy wrote: »

hi,
ye i am over here now 3 wks working for canstaff..They are an agency and arrange work for u through other companys. We are working for a company called hannan and philip..have so much work on...Reckon we could be here for at least 5 years.. They have about 20 years work before there r back on there feet. Myself and my mate travelled over. Its all at your own expense but they sort out accomadation for you and meet you at airport. They organise for you to start work a few days after you land (which u will nee as it took 1 week to get over jet lag), they sort out ur bank account and also ur tax number...All the stuuf that you need is done and they r great help. Just realise that its freezing over here right now..The summer or warm weather starts in sept/oct...but if u arrive before this bring therminals and warm jackets..We didn as we were told its not that cold and we were caught out. If u need any more info let me know..thanx graham

hi buddy,
i'm just wondering how are you getting on over in chch, ? i'm looking to find out how guys got on with the move over, and maybe some info on visa options and all the ins and outs! it would be great if you could help!

thanks

FearDark

I'm going down to The Irishman for a change of scenery tonight

Big Tidalwave

Hi everyone, got some really useful info off this thread.

I should be moving to Christchurch in April with my mate through Canstaff, he's a carpenter and i'm a painter. They offered us a contract on $23 per hour for a 40 hour week. Just wondering if this is enough of a wage to live on out there, and how much would this come to after tax etc.

Also would love to hear from anyone that moved out with Canstaff about accommodation. what sort of digs did they organise for your arrival, how much did it cost etc?

danielstook

Big Tidalwave wrote: »

Hi everyone, got some really useful info off this thread.

I should be moving to Christchurch in April with my mate through Canstaff, he's a carpenter and i'm a painter. They offered us a contract on $23 per hour for a 40 hour week. Just wondering if this is enough of a wage to live on out there, and how much would this come to after tax etc.

Also would love to hear from anyone that moved out with Canstaff about accommodation. what sort of digs did they organise for your arrival, how much did it cost etc?

hey there,
congratulations on your news.
how did you find the process with canstaff ? sorry to roll off questions, but do you know is that pay before or after tax? and could you tell me a little about what visa you have?
thanks

Big Tidalwave

danielstook wrote: »

hey there,
congratulations on your news.
how did you find the process with canstaff ? sorry to roll off questions, but do you know is that pay before or after tax? and could you tell me a little about what visa you have?
thanks

The whole thing with canstaff has been ok, you just gotta be patient as there are a few stages to go through. That wage i was offered was before tax. I struggle to make ends meet where i live now so i dont wanna go to the other side of the world just to struggle there too. Havent applied for the visa yet as i need to get the job offer finalised first. But hopefully applying for a work to residency visa.

DG22

Single lads with a wage coming in wont struggle in chch... Theres not a drinking culture here, a few beers after work is the norm but thats it.. Even the city is quite. Im not sure about the digs but if ur with Canstaff uve no worries. Life is alot easier going over here.. no bling... no stress no crap.. Everyone just gets along and wants a laugh.

FearDark

To the person who said theres no work for people as brickies? There is tonnes. I have guys asking me every week do I know anyone who can lay blocks. Why wouldnt there be a demand for brickies here???? Absolute massive rebuild, one of the biggest the world has ever seen, work for 15-20 years...

danielstook

hi feardark,

do you like the lifestyle in chch? just wondering what you work as and is it through an agency or direct?

regards,
daniel

FearDark

danielstook wrote: »

hi feardark,

do you like the lifestyle in chch? just wondering what you work as and is it through an agency or direct?

regards,
daniel

Hi Daniel. The lifestyle in New Zealand is great in general, people are relaxed, nobody cares what car you drive or what you wear. It's great that way. Theres tonnes of outdoorsy stuff to do and its all only a few minutes away. If you like to go out on the lash in the town you'll be disappointed because of the lack of a city centre. Theres only a few pubs and theyre scattered around the suburbs.

I work for a small company that specialises in epoxy injection, i.e. fixing cracks in walls, tilt slabs, floors etc. We do any kind of concrete work though from building walls to laying slabs to plastering. We do it all. The money for me is definitely the upper scale for a non trades person such as myself but if you've got a trade especially if you're a chippy you should expect to get 25-30 dollars an hour and more if you're good. My advice to you is absolutely stay away from agencies.

danielstook

FearDark wrote: »

Hi Daniel. The lifestyle in New Zealand is great in general, people are relaxed, nobody cares what car you drive or what you wear. It's great that way. Theres tonnes of outdoorsy stuff to do and its all only a few minutes away. If you like to go out on the lash in the town you'll be disappointed because of the lack of a city centre. Theres only a few pubs and theyre scattered around the suburbs.

I work for a small company that specialises in epoxy injection, i.e. fixing cracks in walls, tilt slabs, floors etc. We do any kind of concrete work though from building walls to laying slabs to plastering. We do it all. The money for me is definitely the upper scale for a non trades person such as myself but if you've got a trade especially if you're a chippy you should expect to get 25-30 dollars an hour and more if you're good. My advice to you is absolutely stay away from agencies.

hi feardark,
good to hear you are doing so well there, your work sounds interesting! i like the sound of the outdoorsy stuff and the weather. i actually travelled new zealand a few years back, so i'm not a total stranger to the place. but i never made it to chch.

not too bothered about the city scene, give me a few pubs and a good bit of craic, and of course the opposite sex! ha ha. are you there on a working holiday visa, or another? could you tell me how you got on with that? i'm too old for the whv, so will have to see if i can get a job offer, and i will try to stay away from the agency. are you able to put a few bob away there? is there alot of reidential work happening or is it all around the cbd. i think i would like to get into residential work, but if its not to be then feck it, i'd do anything!

thanks for your reply,
daniel

Mrs OBumble

FearDark wrote: »

To the person who said theres no work for people as brickies? There is tonnes. I have guys asking me every week do I know anyone who can lay blocks. Why wouldnt there be a demand for brickies here???? Absolute massive rebuild, one of the biggest the world has ever seen, work for 15-20 years...

Concrete blocks and bricks are not the same.

I have no idea if a "brickie" is also a block-layer, but I'm be pretty sure that bricks won't feature in the rebuild.

(And yes, I have visited post-earthquake Christchurch, and know exactly how much of a rebuild there is to be done.)

JustRoss23

hahah yea usually a brickie can do both lay bricks and blocks:D

Big Tidalwave

Hi guys, just to let you know, my friend and I decided against moving to Christchurch. We couldn't agree on the contract offered by Canstaff. While we could have lived with the $23 p/h wage on 40 hrs/week the killer was that there was no overtime incentive, no time and a half or double time for working saturdays or sundays. back to the drawing board

DG22

Big Tidalwave wrote: »

Hi guys, just to let you know, my friend and I decided against moving to Christchurch. We couldn't agree on the contract offered by Canstaff. While we could have lived with the $23 p/h wage on 40 hrs/week the killer was that there was no overtime incentive, no time and a half or double time for working saturdays or sundays. back to the drawing board

Good Luck with the drawing board.. U cant even imagine what ur giving up:rolleyes:

FearDark

Forget can staff and all the agencies that go with them. There are so many jobs here you can walk into a 25ph job. I got 30myself and I don't have a recognised trade.

aicushen

I have been reading all the threads on Canstaff and was wondering when this would come up. My son decided against going for this very reason as well Plenty of overtime but at flat rates. You could be working 60 or 70 hours flat rate

WUFF

Hi,
Heading out to Christchurch mid March beeen offered a job as a Brickie, didnt bother with the agents just sent cv over to a few firms. There seems to be loads of rebuilding judging from the emails i got back.
Just a few questions to anyone already there.

Been offered 25dollars per hour to start with a promise of more if my work is up to scratch. Is this standard rate?

Will have no transport for a while until I get some money together, is public transport good in Christchurch?

Can anyone recommend a good Hostel?? as in somewhere you can get a nights sleep!!

FearDark

25 is grand as a starting wage, should really try and push for the 28+ mark though. On 25 you'll pay your rent, food and have a night out and not a whole pile leftover. Transport is pretty good within the city, there is a decent bus network and it covers all the suburbs. You'll need a car asap though, be prepared to spend 3 times more here on a runabout as you would at home though.

WUFF

Thanks for that FD
yeah was looking at the classifieds on Trade me; your right the price of cars is bananas!

jank

FearDark wrote: »

25 is grand as a starting wage, should really try and push for the 28+ mark though. On 25 you'll pay your rent, food and have a night out and not a whole pile leftover. Transport is pretty good within the city, there is a decent bus network and it covers all the suburbs. You'll need a car asap though, be prepared to spend 3 times more here on a runabout as you would at home though.

Thats weird! When I was there in 09 the price of cars were crazy cheap! They cost nothing to run as well and cheap to service.

Cookie_Monster

FearDark wrote: »

You'll need a car asap though, be prepared to spend 3 times more here on a runabout as you would at home though.

or not. cars are really cheap and unlike at home are actually serviced propery so are less likely to be total sh1t.
cheaper fuel, cheaper tax, cheaper insurance and cheaper repairs and servicing too.

lizaberry

Hi. New to the site but was particularly interested in all that you've had to say. We are a family of 6 - me, hubby, 3 teens and a 6yr old. We too made an approach to Canstaff as my hubby is a Carpenter - well, he's a traditional wooden boat builder but due to the downturn in work over the years, he has diversified into specialist carpentry work, particularly heritage work. Anyway, Canstaff rang us last night and have today sent an email. Just how realistic would it be for him to go out on a work visa, and for us to join him as soon after as possible. I work in admin, and it concerns me that I may struggle to find work. Additionally, houses to accommodate a large family could be hard to secure, especially given that if things move quickly, we are likely to keep our home in the UK and rent it out for a time. My hubby is currently s/e earning a good wage - how likely is it that he could expect to get a decent starting wage on the ChCh rebuild. It also worries me about the fact that they are still experiencing earthquakes - whilst work is plentiful, are we jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire? Really don't know what our next move should be? Is NZ worth the risk for me and my family? There's much to consider, but after recent disappointment with an invalidated visa application for Oz (through no fault of our own), we really wanted the chance of a fresh start somewhere 'down under; but it's not clear if this is the right path for us to take.

I'd be grateful to hear any words of wisdom you wish to share.

Thanks, Lizaberry

jacksie66

This post has been deleted.

banbutcher

jacksie66 im heading out at the end of april... any chance you have more info on the electrical side?

cheers