Info About New Zealand
The Job
The technical part of the job is very similar. Plumbers and gasfitters here use benders to put a bend on a copper pipe for 15mm and 20mm pipe. The trades are licensed. Thousands of english plumbers and gasfitters have come here over the years. Many have retired here after long careers. They go back from time to time to see friends and family.
Will Your Qualifications Transfur to New Zealand
The short answer is no. Your apprenticeship may be recognised if you have done around 4 years.
The agency that deals with the determination of your qualifications is the Plumbers Gasfitters & drainlayers Board and the ITO (Industry Training Organisation)
You should contact the ITO for an assessment of your qualifications. www.ito.co.nz
You can ring them if required for information on your quals.
To practice in NZ you need an exemption from the Plumbers Board www.pgdb.co.nz
This allows you to work under the supervision of a supervisor, in their direct presence even for the simplist of tasks for a minimum period of two years, unless you become a licensed person.
To become licensed you will need to sit a 3 hour external exam, after taking a course of instruction. Then you may need to undertake a practical examination costing several thousand dollars. The examination takes at about a week as they are assessing a wide range of skills. For example sheet metal skills, copper piping using benders, drawing patterns for something like a square to round flue reducer, brazing using hard solder, knocking up a copper branch, making square to round you have drawn, mains pressure hot water cylinder installation, lead pipe flashings, and many other things you are not likely to have done in England. The chances of passing with out getting tuition is near nil.
New Zealand does recognise the British Code for soil pipes but thats about it. You need to know about New Zealand and Australian Codes also.
Click this link to the Plumbers Board website
Differences between Britain and New Zealand
Plumbing and Gasfitting
Being a smaller country there is less ability to specialise, meaning trades people need to be able to do a wide range of skills. Gas fitters may need to do plumbing in the summer to have enough work or alternatively work for manufacturers or suppliers doing warranty or repair work on lower rates. The range of materials is less. Because there is a smaller range of materials trades people often make do or have to be imaginative where in Britain they have a special fitting for it.
Climate
Generally warmer, the skies are clearer. This is summer. Our firm is in the top left of the photo. The middle is down town Wellington.
Wellington City
Class System
There is none.
The people
Kiwis just get on with it. We are down to earth non complaining types. We have a can do attitude. We are versitile.
Cost of living
Houses are cheaper, food is generally cheaper. Over all cheaper, but wages are also less.
Population
4.3 Million Verses 65 Million. There are no crowds, less waiting.
Why Come to New Zealand?
Climate, people, the landscape, life style, slower pace of life, no crowds.
Why you will leave New Zealand
You miss home, your family miss home, the english pubs, you cant stand the parochialism, you miss the english culture.
Why am I telling you all this?
We will invest sums of money into retraining you to the New Zealand way of doing things and we would rather you sorted out the above issues before coming.
Links
http://www.immigrationvisa.org/immigrating_to_new_zealand.htm
http://www.govt.nz/record?tid=3&treeid=9&recordid=1108
http://www.nzembassy.com/topic.cfm?c=14&l=56&s=to
Currently we do not have any jobs going call around.
