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Home > For Employees > Job Search > Working in Australia
Working in Australia
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SKILLED people work in virtually every industry sector across all major cities, country towns and remote mining sites in Australia.
SKILLED is always seeking qualified tradespeople to work in Australia. We can offer you assistance with obtaining a working visa for up to four years, with the possibility of support for permanent residency.
When you arrive in Australia a SKILLED staff member will collect you from the airport and place you in paid accommodation. We will then assist you to find permanent accommodation that suits your individual situation. SKILLED can also offer reduced rates on car hire. If you would like to travel around Australia, SKILLED offers employees the flexibility of working for one company with multiple locations around the country. Employees of SKILLED enjoy tremendous diversity of work, many different environments and systems, and work with a wide variety of plant and equipment. Under these conditions, SKILLED employees become extremely versatile and are highly sought after for their expertise. With opportunities available to work everywhere in Australia, you can get to see a bit of the country too!
SKILLED is heavily involved in sporting and other sponsorships and believes in being a positive contributor to local communities. SKILLED employees benefit from the various sponsorships and programmes that SKILLED are involved. Tickets to various sporting and cultural events, free footy tipping competitions offering great prizes, V8 Supercar pit crew challenges for SKILLED workers and functions at SKILLED Stadium on game day are all benefits that SKILLED employees can enjoy.
For more information on what SKILLED can do for you, email us, contact one of our branches or search our current vacancies online now!
Australia is the largest island and the smallest continent on Earth. With 19 million people spread across just over 7.5 million square kilometres we enjoy clean, safe, open, uncrowded spaces. For recreation, you will be really spoilt for choice, especially if you enjoy the outdoors. There is everything from fishing, four wheel driving, bungy jumping, mountain biking, diving, and the ski fields are only a couple of hours away. Less physical pursuits include touring the country and enjoying the breathtaking scenery or unique wildlife. If it is excitement you are seeking, Australia will not disappoint. Restaurants, nightclubs, wineries, theatre and the arts, Australia has it all.
Australia is also a central travel location from which to travel to New Zealand and South East Asia.
Experience a hot balmy Christmas Day! Australia's seasons are the opposite of the northern hemisphere with summer starting in December and winter in June. There are two main climatic zones in Australia; the tropical zone lies north of the Tropical of Capricorn and affects some 40% of the country, while the remaining area lies in the temperate zone.
Typical of tropical climates, northern Australia experiences wet, humid conditions in summer (also known as 'the wet'), and dry, sunny conditions in winter (also known as 'the dry'). The temperate zone (down south) experiences all four distinct seasons: Summer - December to February, Autumn - March to May, Winter - June to August and Spring - September to November.
Cold weather is rarely extreme however in winter snow does fall on the higher mountains in Victoria and New South Wales, giving you plenty of opportunities for skiing or snow-boarding on your days off!
Whether you prefer the sun and surf, or the more moderate climates of the south, Australia's climate offers an outdoor lifestyle second to none.
For update to date weather forecasts check out the Australian Bureau of Meteorology - www.bom.gov.au
There are three time zones in Australia:
- Eastern Standard Time (EST) which operates in New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory, Victoria, Tasmania and Queensland;
- Central Standard Time (CST) in South Australia and Northern Territory;
- Western Standard Time (WST) in Western Australia. CST is one half hour behind WST, while EST is two hours behind WST.
All Australian states (except Northern Territory, Western Australia and Queensland) have daylight saving (or 'summer time') during the summer months.
EST is +9 hours GMT. During daylight savings time eastern Australia is +11 hours GMT, also known as Eastern Daylight Savings Time (EDST).
The Australian currency is decimal with the dollar as the basic unit (100 cents equal one dollar). Notes come in $100, $50, $20, $10, and $5 denominations. Coins come in 5c, 10c, 20c, 50c, $1, and $2 denominations.
The Australian taxation year runs from July 1st to June 30th. Information on taxation is available at www.ato.gov.au. You are urged to consult your local accountant regarding any local taxation implications.
Australia has a goods and services tax (GST) of 10% which applies to most things except for essential items including fresh food (similar to VAT).
Banks generally open from 9.30am - 4pm Monday Thursday and from 9.30am - 5pm Friday. In some states, selected banking facilities are available on Saturday morning.
As most salaries are paid directly into a bank account, it is important that you open one as soon as possible after your arrival. To open a bank account you need to attend in person and provide 100 points of identification (your passport is always a good source of points, but you may be required to provide additional identification) and have a nominal amount of cash ($5) to deposit.
Visitors are often surprised at the number of charges that are applied to banking transactions over here and as fee schedules vary considerably between banks, it is best to do some research before deciding on which one to go with. The four major banks in Australia are the Commonwealth Bank, ANZ, National Australia Bank and Westpac. There are many other banking institutions in addition to these.
Existing bankcards can be used in Australia at both ATMs (Automatic Teller Machines) and at participating retail locations, so long as they have been enabled for international access. Travellers should contact their bank at home for information on availability and service charges.
Commonly accepted credit cards are American Express, Bankcard, Diners Club, MasterCard, Visa and their affiliates. Use may be restricted in smaller towns and country areas and small retail shops.
Medicare is Australia's national public healthcare system and covers people who reside in Australia and either hold Australian or New Zealand citizenship, or who have been issued with or have applied for a permanent visa.
The Commonwealth Government has signed Reciprocal Healthcare Agreements with eight countries - New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, Italy, Malta and Ireland. Under these arrangements, residents of these countries are entitled to restricted access to health cover while visiting Australia. The agreements give these visitors access to Medicare and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) for the treatment of an illness or injury which occurs during their stay, and which requires treatment before returning home (basically, they cover immediately necessary medical treatment). The agreements do not allow for visitors to access Medicare or the PBS where the treatment is not immediately necessary. Prearranged and elective treatment is not covered.
For this reason it is highly recommended that all visitors to Australia from Reciprocal Health Care Agreement countries buy health or travel insurance designed for overseas visitors.
Whether you are want to enjoy a quiet drink at the local, or go out raging, there is something for everyone in Australia; Theatre, festivals, music, fine (and budget) dining, sport, outdoor pursuits and so many sights to see!
The legal drinking age (18) is very strictly enforced here (particularly in the cities) so always carry a form of photo ID with you to avoid disappointment.
Big department stores, arcades, malls, gift shops, fashion boutiques and specialty stores abound in Australia. Shopping hours vary from state to state but generally big department stores open from 9am - 5.30pm Monday to Sunday with late night shopping either on Thursday or Friday until 9pm. Supermarkets are generally open until late evening, with many being 24 hours a day in metropolitan areas.
Australians drive on the left hand side of the road. The speed limit in cities and towns varies between 50km/h and 60km/h (35mph) and on country roads and highways, 100km/h (62mph) - 110 km/h (68 mph) unless signs indicate otherwise. Strict drink-driving laws apply.
Visitors may drive on their current overseas licence indefinitely, provided that:
- It is in English; or
- It is accompanied by an English translation (e.g. as part of an International Driver Permit); and
- The holder does not possess a permanent visa
If you hold a permanent visa you can drive for three months on your existing licence upon arrival in Australia. If you obtain a permanent visa after your arrival in Australia you can drive for three months from the date the permanent visa was issued. You will then be required to apply for an Australian licence which includes taking a full road test.
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