Australia for Development Engineers

[Hodd]

Here goes: Vague Post of 2010 Award.

I’m a Brit “Aero Engine Development” Engineer, i.e. I have a degree and sit at a desk.

I’m planning to apply for an Australian visa via the General Skilled Migration program. This process seems surprisingly straightforward, and fortunately I have a MARA Agent friend who can advise.

Now the vague part - I obviously need to get a job before/after my visa is sorted. I have the skills and qualifications to be, for example, an Airline Powerplant Engineer. I would also look at Power Generation and other jobs, but as this forum is Aerospace-based, could I ask what’s out (down) there?

Many thanks for any input.

[Dodo56]

Good luck on that one. Staring from a near-identical point some years ago I considered doing the same several times but could never accumulate quite enough points without an actual job offer in place. By the time a job offer seemed close I was too old to be granted a visa. Catch 22.

The only people who seem to recruit down there are QF and with the current world economic situation they like every other airline are struggling to keep their heads above water and not recruiting, certainly from overseas.

All I can suggest is keep your eyes on the airline's own website and various recruitment sites. Maybe see if you can get out there on some other basis before trying to get back into the industry as a resident.

[Hodd]

Please could I ask how long ago that was? Maybe the points system has changed in recent years.

The qualification figure is 120 points, which I just about achieve as follows (dumbed down to avoid waffling):

60
points for your nominated occupation (Engineer – Aeronautical)
15
points for your age (40 to 44)
25*
points for English language ability (see below)
10
points for your work experience (worked in “skilled” job for 3 of the last 4 years)
15
Points for your occupation in demand / job offer (in demand but no job offer)
0
points for Australian qualifications (none)
0
points for spouse skills (have “unskilled wife)
0
points for work experience within Australia (none)
0
points for language experience (no community/foreign languages)
0
points for regional study experience (not studied in Australia)
0
points for State/Territory sponsorship (none)
125
total points


* Rightly or wrongly, I will have to take an English IELTS examination to reach 25 points. As a native English speaker, I am only entitled to 15 points. The 25 points is assuming I get good IELTS grades!

[Dodo56]

I don't know if the points system has changed, it was some time ago that I was looking seriously though. My problem was despite being a graduate they weren't looking for graduates in my field, it was hands-on trades they were short of. It tickled me to find recently that pastry chefs were in the list of required occupations, obviously of far more use to a country than graduates! :D