help

[gary2436]

hello,
me and my partner want to live and work in spain or gib, i am a qualified plumber and domestic gas engineer (gas safe registered) and i will have my air con ticket as well, are these recognised, we would like to no how to set up and who to see, we are prepared to spend a month looking and getting to no people, can anyone help

gary and caroline

[Stravinsky]

Originally Posted by gary2436

hello,
me and my partner want to live and work in spain or gib, i am a qualified plumber and domestic gas engineer (gas safe registered) and i will have my air con ticket as well, are these recognised, we would like to no how to set up and who to see, we are prepared to spend a month looking and getting to no people, can anyone help

gary and caroline

Hi Gary

Well, let me be the first to give you the bad news part.
Unemployment in Spain is at an all time high. The construction industry is in deep crap, because no one is building houses now. The banks are being baled out, and loads of Brits are heading home because they cant find work.
Can you speak Spanish by the way, and were you aware that you have to pay €230ish upwards per month to register as autonomo (self employed) here, irrespective of if you have a low level of business in a particular month

On the plus side, depending on where you live the cost of living is lower than the UK. The CDS seems to me to be higher cost of living than the Costa Blanca. The weather is great at the minute and I'm just going out to the pool for a swim.

Sorry, but I know thats very basically what people are going to tell you.

[Alcalaina]

What Stravinsky says about Spain is right, there is absolutely zero chance of you getting work here now. Gibraltar might be a different matter though. Try searching some of the recruitment agencies there - they mainly want IT and office staff but you never know!

Finding work in Gibraltar | Jobs in Gibraltar | Working in Gibraltar

[xabiachica]

yes, & I see you have already been told much the same in Portugal - except unemployment there is (only) 15% compared to 25+% here - & more like 35% down south

I can't say about Gib - but people do seem to get work in the IT & gaming industry there

[mrypg9]

Sorry to add to the gloom but six million Spaniards are looking for work...many of them qualified plumbers.
Your UK qualifications may not be recognised in Spain and if you don't speak Spanish your chances are really zero.
Yes, the cost of living is cheaper than in the UK, depending on the region. But that counts for nothing if you have no work.
Come for a holiday...

[Hepa]

After hearing all the negative replies from the Spain Forum, with your qualifications, perhaps you should look further afield, Australia? New Zealand?

Both good countries, that speak English, play rugby, cricket and drive on the correct side of the road

[1questxx]

I am UK qualified too (City&Guilds) and the certificate is not valid in Spain, I can tell you this for sure. I was told by the Spanish Ministry of Education that I would have to make copies of the certificate, get everything translated into Spanish by a professional translator, find a notary to stamp it and send the papers to them so that the Spanish equivalent can be issued.

In the end I never did it but I am guessing that it takes months for them to issue valid qualifications, the Spanish administration is painfully slow. And you should add that everyone here is right about how bad the employment situation is in Spain.