Manufacturing in WA

Alzir

Hey. My gf and I are moving to Kalgoorlie in January on WHVs. She has cousins there and we need to do the regional work before Im 31 in May and have our second year WHV application in the pipeline.

Im a manufacturing engineer with 8 years experience and am wondering is there much or any industrial engineering or manufacturing in WA?
Im researching jobs at the minute and almost all of the engineering and technical roles I can find are in mining and are seeking specific mining experience. How do Irish engineers get into this sector coming from a country which has never had a major mining sector?

catbear

Alzir wrote: »

Hey. My gf and I are moving to Kalgoorlie in January on WHVs. She has cousins there and we need to do the regional work before Im 31 in May and have our second year WHV application in the pipeline.

Im a manufacturing engineer with 8 years experience and am wondering is there much or any industrial engineering or manufacturing in WA?
Im researching jobs at the minute and almost all of the engineering and technical roles I can find are in mining and are seeking specific mining experience. How do Irish engineers get into this sector coming from a country which has never had a major mining sector?

Got to be honest with you unless you've got really tight contacts the chances of landing an engineering gig on a WHV are slim to none.
Get your regional work done on a farm and you'll be sorted.
You mightn't know about it but mining is actually contracting in WA at the moment and there's plenty of qualified Australian citizens in the queue before you.
Remember, it's a working "Holiday" so don't worry about the career, just work, save cash, drink beer, put your cash in the skimpy tip jar and repeat.
Ah Kalgoolie....it had beer before it had water.

Alzir

Yeah Im aware of the slow down in the mining sectors. We don't want to get caught in the whole work, drink, have the craic cycle. Is the WHV not our only way of initially getting into the country or are there other options?
We were thinking of just getting the regional done in Kalgoorlie and then move to one of the bigger cities where are experience may be more relevant. Do you know what its like to get regional work in Kalgoorlie?

aido79

Alzir wrote: »

Hey. My gf and I are moving to Kalgoorlie in January on WHVs. She has cousins there and we need to do the regional work before Im 31 in May and have our second year WHV application in the pipeline.

Im a manufacturing engineer with 8 years experience and am wondering is there much or any industrial engineering or manufacturing in WA?
Im researching jobs at the minute and almost all of the engineering and technical roles I can find are in mining and are seeking specific mining experience. How do Irish engineers get into this sector coming from a country which has never had a major mining sector?

You realise that manufacturing work won't qualify you for a second working holiday visa regardless of where you do it?

Alzir

aido79 wrote: »

You realise that manufacturing work won't qualify you for a second working holiday visa regardless of where you do it?

Yep, I know. Were going to get the regional work done as soon as we land and try look for better jobs then. We need to get the specified work completed and 2nd year application granted before mid May.

aido79

Alzir wrote: »

Yep, I know. Were going to get the regional work done as soon as we land and try look for better jobs then. We need to get the specified work completed and 2nd year application granted before mid May.

That's a good plan. I don't know much about regional work in Kalgoorlie but as catbear said it is very difficult to get engineering work on a whv. Have you looked into permanent migration visas?

Alzir

aido79 wrote: »

That's a good plan. I don't know much about regional work in Kalgoorlie but as catbear said it is very difficult to get engineering work on a whv. Have you looked into permanent migration visas?

|Yeah we looked into the skilled migration a while back but decided to try a whv first to see what the place is like and at least we would have the skilled visa as a second option if things didnt work out and we wanted to go back.

I understand the restrictions of the whv and it not being attractive to potential employers. I guess I am hoping to maybe get some contract work on projects or in validation or maybe get sponsored by a company.
If not I don't mind working at any general labourer or operator job in the bush.

catbear

Skilled migration sounds like your best option for continuing in your field.

2 or 3 years ago you might have got a 457 off a WHV but with so much local surplus labour it's extremely unlikely now. The 457 would have allowed you work for four years as long as you had a employer who'd sponsor you.

BTW there are lots of aussies who dream of getting plant operation gigs on the mines and they pay big money for courses in Perth to get the required tickets. Edit to add this http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-10-18/rio-tinto-opens-worlds-first-automated-mine/6863814

Your best bet is the seasonal work which isn't so sought after by the locals and which the WHV is designed to supply. They're so stuck for workers in some rural areas that they'll allow asylum seekers to work if they'll live rural.
http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2015/05/31/nsw-offer-refugee-visas-condition-rural-living

Like you say at least you'll get a taste of life in the outback, see if it's for you. If you like it enough you can start applying for other visas, there may be a regional migration visa that will suit you very well.

Ultimately it's a holiday, enjoy yourself. Work hard, avoid the dodgy places, spend your money on experiences. Personally I think Australia is the place to make money and New Zealand is the place to spend it!

Alzir

catbear wrote: »

Skilled migration sounds like your best option for continuing in your field.

2 or 3 years ago you might have got a 457 off a WHV but with so much local surplus labour it's extremely unlikely now. The 457 would have allowed you work for four years as long as you had a employer who'd sponsor you.

BTW there are lots of aussies who dream of getting plant operation gigs on the mines and they pay big money for courses in Perth to get the required tickets. Edit to add this http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-10-18/rio-tinto-opens-worlds-first-automated-mine/6863814

Your best bet is the seasonal work which isn't so sought after by the locals and which the WHV is designed to supply. They're so stuck for workers in some rural areas that they'll allow asylum seekers to work if they'll live rural.
http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2015/05/31/nsw-offer-refugee-visas-condition-rural-living

Like you say at least you'll get a taste of life in the outback, see if it's for you. If you like it enough you can start applying for other visas, there may be a regional migration visa that will suit you very well.

Ultimately it's a holiday, enjoy yourself. Work hard, avoid the dodgy places, spend your money on experiences. Personally I think Australia is the place to make money and New Zealand is the place to spend it!

Yeah thats some sound advice alright. Think ill just stick with the regional work for now. From reading previous threads it seems to be almost impossible to sort regional work before arriving in OZ but is it reasonably easy to pick up when there and is the money enough to live off and put away a little?

catbear

Alzir wrote: »

From reading previous threads it seems to be almost impossible to sort regional work before arriving in OZ but is it reasonably easy to pick up when there and is the money enough to live off and put away a little?

From the WHV travelers I've talked to the hostels would have information on farm work etc. I don't know about Kalgoolie but from what I remember Perth city is really handy as there are regional zones that qualify you for the second year visa really close to the city so you mightn't have to go remote. The only thing to be aware of is that January is their August, lots of businesses head for the beach and casual jobs in the city have been taken by locals on school break.
You're going to be in for a shock, January can be 40c in Perth!

Peregrinus

He's heading for Kalgoorlie, not Perth; he has family there.

Kalgoorlie, sadly, is even hotter and drier than Perth, and I don't know what the market for temporary/casual jobs will be like in January. It's not the tourist season and for the few jobs that might be going in the town you are competing with high school kids on their summer holiday. Mining is what it's all about in Kalgoorlie, and they don't have much in the way of temporary or casual jobs on offer, so far as I know. The OP's family may be able to give him more promising information, and perhaps even a few contacts.

catbear

Peregrinus wrote: »

He's heading for Kalgoorlie, not Perth; he has family there.

It is really handy to have family to crash with and hopefully they'll be able to set them up with some regional work to secure the second year visa but if that fails then Perth would be the next nearest destination. Plus it's a city with a beach.

seachto7

Peregrinus wrote:

Kalgoorlie, sadly, is even hotter and drier than Perth,

Spent 24 hrs in Kal, and f**k me, it was hot. Way hotter than Perth!
One of the wealthiest cities per head in Aus? Tough place. I wouldn't be able to hack it but it'll be an experience. "Real Aus"