Posted By Bryn Maidment
Kieran

First e.mail me and tell me where you're intending to go! ................well, competition is competition!!

Nah only joking, I'll be out there soon after a hard slog through the custardy paperwork (some people have commented that I've devoted more time to migration than to actual work ....as if!).

Can give you some pointers, although I have to admit to only keeping half an eye on things due to me being a kept man initially.

Goodonyermate!

Posted By Richard Spencer
The level of responsibility generally indicates the level of qualification.

For instance, if you want to perform a factory safety officer role then the current qualification would suit some but not all employers.

If you intend to work in the mining /construction industry then there are other considerations in respect to qualifications that are specific to that industry.

Most people in OHS in Australia have a minimum of a Graduate Diploma in OHS from a University that offers such courses.

Most courses are available by ‘distance learning’, a bit like Open University and allow you to continue working – however, it means sacrificing, your free week ends at the beach and two or three nights per week during semesters. I can assure you that it is worth it if you are prepared to put in the hard yards.

You may also try the National Safety Council of Australia. This is a good starting point as you will, subject to being acceptable, quickly learn the target market, so to speak.

I would encourage you to look at the SIA homepage and apply for membership. The reason, it has a list of jobs all over Australia.

Another avenue is, Seek, and Byron job pages these also have many OHS/risk/audit opportunities.

I would encourage any Brit to look at this option if your intention is to ‘live the good life’ down under. I did 35 years ago and have never, but never looked back.

All English speaking prospective migrants have a walk up start: it just depends what you do with it as to how successful you ultimately become.

Australia is a great place for families. My kids grew up in Queensland and, in my view had a ‘whale of a time’, they all owned dirt bikes and used to go camping in the bush, fishing weeks ends with there mates and no more cold weather. In high school they wore short sleeve shirts and shorts all year round.

Its winter time in Sydney where I now live and run my own consultancy. Overnight it can drop to 8 or 9 degrees but then by midday its 18-21 degrees. Canberra and Melbourne can get a bit chilly too. When I was in the defence forces (navy) I would often drive down early in the morning and have ice on the wing mirrors, this is because it is inland.

Last summer was a scorcher, we had 44 degrees in Sydney – but this was unusually hot.

If you are thinking of Perth, where there are a lot of Brits, then be prepared for warn weather. It’s a long way from Perth to Sydney – about 4000 kilometres.
You have made a good choice, but be prepared for ‘homesickness’. We all go through this at some stage, but rest assured you do get over it one way or another.

I would love to see more Brits take the plunge.

Good luck with it all and if I can provide any further insight let me know.

Posted By Richard Spencer
That's the spirit. I did a Master Applied Science at the same University.

I like to think that the $$$$ I spent was an investment in 'my future'.

As I said before, there are plenty of opportunties if you have the courage to invest in yourself.

UWS Hawkesbury Campus is situated in a quaint little town of Richmond which is about an hour and a half drive from the centre of Sydney New South Wales.

Posted By Richard Spencer
Your best bet would be to contact the Universities that cater for OHS courses and forward your academic record and the NEBOSH course details and see what they say.

There is as far as I’m aware no direct equivalent, but I could be wrong.

What does Portsmouth Uni say about the NEBOSH course? Methinks that would be a good ‘yardstick’ and you could almost consider their scoring in respect to advanced standing. Also Ballarat University in Victoria is full of graduates that came from UK so hunt them down on the net.

As I have already mentioned to another member the bit of paper at Grad Cert of Grad Dip level is broadly accepted as the most accepted OHS qual for any job in Australia.

If you have a pre-existing degree then I would suggest going straight to a Master Degree in Safety Management or OHS/Hygiene or Ergonomics. I am pretty sure the Uni NSW does all of these including some Fire courses.

Certainly IEAust has this as one of its societies.