Does anyone have experience/knowledge of jobs abroad for tram/light rail drivers? I want to quit Sheffield as the city is going downhill fast and feel the time is right to move and upsticks abroad. There are plenty of systems across the world but its the work situation (ie visa requirements) and language barriers I'll be up against.
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Light Rail Jobs Abroad - any experiences?
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Old Timer
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Most foreign Countries, eg those outside of the EU have quite stringent Entry requirements to the Country.
Most will want you to be sponsored and supported by a national Company, and there will need to be a good reason for them to employ someone from "overseas" when there are unemployed nationals.
Even large Companies such as mine who operate overseas have to set up and run our offices with local people or we do not get to do business. Specialists and senior management are accepted but the emphasis is upon as much money being spent within the Country as possible.
I am sorry if this seems negative but the rest of the World is rather more protective of its National Interest and that of its people than the UK.
Most will want you to be sponsored and supported by a national Company, and there will need to be a good reason for them to employ someone from "overseas" when there are unemployed nationals.
Even large Companies such as mine who operate overseas have to set up and run our offices with local people or we do not get to do business. Specialists and senior management are accepted but the emphasis is upon as much money being spent within the Country as possible.
I am sorry if this seems negative but the rest of the World is rather more protective of its National Interest and that of its people than the UK.
I was wanting to move to NZ after my trip there but because im just over the 30 Yr old benchmark i would have to get sponsored. Kiwi Rail loved my CV and thought i could do 3 or 4 jobs but they would not sponsor me to move over there - i would have to emigrate myself..
Still in the pipeline but they mostly want residents to do those jobs..
Still in the pipeline but they mostly want residents to do those jobs..
WatcherZero
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Australia has extensive Light rail network, but very tough points based entry requirements.
YorkshireBear
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generalvegitable
Member
when the brakes failedsheffield down hillfast, since when ?
(sorry, couldn't resist)
Failed when too much slip slide down Park Grange 
Australia has a high cost of living and the average property price is more over there than here.
I was tempted by the USA.... for a start for $100k I think about £70k you get a huge property looking at the property websites, bargains after the housing market crashed. I had a look at the new system in Austin, Texas. It only appears to run 5 days a week, rush hour in the morning and in the afternoon!! There appears to be quite a few good looking set ups, eg Phoenix, Arizona etc. The only barrier is the Visa system and from reading up I have got absolutely no chance whatsoever its strict, very strict. My brother is now an American citizen by marrying his american girlfriend over there a couple of years back.
Sheffield has been failing for sometime, the city centre is becoming a ghost town and its a place where you dont even feel safe walking through the city at night. In addition my daughter has acute asthma brought on by the cold weather so we were looking at a warmer climate.
Just missed out on the US visa green card lottery for next year so will try again
Australia has a high cost of living and the average property price is more over there than here.
I was tempted by the USA.... for a start for $100k I think about £70k you get a huge property looking at the property websites, bargains after the housing market crashed. I had a look at the new system in Austin, Texas. It only appears to run 5 days a week, rush hour in the morning and in the afternoon!! There appears to be quite a few good looking set ups, eg Phoenix, Arizona etc. The only barrier is the Visa system and from reading up I have got absolutely no chance whatsoever its strict, very strict. My brother is now an American citizen by marrying his american girlfriend over there a couple of years back.
Sheffield has been failing for sometime, the city centre is becoming a ghost town and its a place where you dont even feel safe walking through the city at night. In addition my daughter has acute asthma brought on by the cold weather so we were looking at a warmer climate.
Just missed out on the US visa green card lottery for next year so will try again
notadriver
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- 3,695
Whats the wages and terms / conditions like for a Sheffield tram driver?
Just missed out on the US visa green card lottery for next year so will try again
Can't enter the lottery if you're from mainland Britain
£20k - 75 line roster so you know year and a bit in advance what you are doing on any particular week. Mixture of shifts from 5am - 1am.
Old Timer
Established Member
Be very wary of moving abroad if you have a lot of pension money invested.
If you move outside of the EU, you will not be allowed to take the NI contributions you have made, which make up part of your pension. They will be lost forever, so if you then come back, you cannot pick them up again. The same could apply to your employers contributions.
If you "retire" outside the EU then there will be no annual increase in pension, so that needs to be considered also.
Most Countries will give you a right of residence as opposed to citizenship. Treat this VERY carefully as a right of residency will only apply so long as you are in employment. It will generally only confer emergency medical treatment and will give NO right to state benefits, such as pensions, long term healthcare, non-emergency medical care, etc, etc.
Rights of residency are also normally associated with sponsorship by an individual citizen or by a Company
If you move with one employer asnd then decide you dont like it, then when you resign you could well find you have no right to remain in the Country UNLESS you can gain sponsorship. Your new employer may well NOT wish to pay those charges.
With regards to Holidays, the UK has some of the best paid leave arrangements in the world. The US pay only 10 days, even to their top people and the work ethic is very much different. They have no national health system such as ours and their basic healthcare system really is basic, so much so that some "Third World" Countries have better arrangements. If you lose your job there are no state benefits in the way we know them as you are expected to make provision for yourself. Similarly with healthcare, you have to take a healthcare scheme or work for an employer who will contribute to one.
Finally do not think the grass is greener. Most Countries in the World are in some form of deep economic recession (the except in South America) and in much the same way as the Brits blame all their ills and lack of jobs on "foreigners", remember that YOU are now the foreigner. Many Countries do not have laws like we do and you can find yourself unpopular. Again depending upon where you work, as a foreigner your security can be a serious issue for you.
Where I am working I need to be accompanied by "minders" for example, and the residents tend to live in enclosed communities, which although being luxurious, does mean you cannot simply go and walk down the streets at night in some areas, similarly when you drive you have to use a car with darkened windows.
All in all, you need to do a lot of investigation before you make the decision, it really is that big and the way back is not so simple.
If you move outside of the EU, you will not be allowed to take the NI contributions you have made, which make up part of your pension. They will be lost forever, so if you then come back, you cannot pick them up again. The same could apply to your employers contributions.
If you "retire" outside the EU then there will be no annual increase in pension, so that needs to be considered also.
Most Countries will give you a right of residence as opposed to citizenship. Treat this VERY carefully as a right of residency will only apply so long as you are in employment. It will generally only confer emergency medical treatment and will give NO right to state benefits, such as pensions, long term healthcare, non-emergency medical care, etc, etc.
Rights of residency are also normally associated with sponsorship by an individual citizen or by a Company
If you move with one employer asnd then decide you dont like it, then when you resign you could well find you have no right to remain in the Country UNLESS you can gain sponsorship. Your new employer may well NOT wish to pay those charges.
With regards to Holidays, the UK has some of the best paid leave arrangements in the world. The US pay only 10 days, even to their top people and the work ethic is very much different. They have no national health system such as ours and their basic healthcare system really is basic, so much so that some "Third World" Countries have better arrangements. If you lose your job there are no state benefits in the way we know them as you are expected to make provision for yourself. Similarly with healthcare, you have to take a healthcare scheme or work for an employer who will contribute to one.
Finally do not think the grass is greener. Most Countries in the World are in some form of deep economic recession (the except in South America) and in much the same way as the Brits blame all their ills and lack of jobs on "foreigners", remember that YOU are now the foreigner. Many Countries do not have laws like we do and you can find yourself unpopular. Again depending upon where you work, as a foreigner your security can be a serious issue for you.
Where I am working I need to be accompanied by "minders" for example, and the residents tend to live in enclosed communities, which although being luxurious, does mean you cannot simply go and walk down the streets at night in some areas, similarly when you drive you have to use a car with darkened windows.
All in all, you need to do a lot of investigation before you make the decision, it really is that big and the way back is not so simple.
kentuckytony
Member
I just watched a DVD a month or so ago called "The Bombay Railway", a BBC special.
I learned a lot and got to really admire some of the people that were featured.
As far as train driving jobs:
The plusses sounded great -
a) a government job for life
b) English spoken (among other dialects)
c) housing provided close to work at subsidized prices
d) good wages compared to other trades
But some negatives -
a) probably hard (impossible?) for an Englishman to get a job!
b) old beat-up trains (but they do keep them running!)
c) overcrowding at rush hours - beyond anything in the UK - people hanging out of the doors (which do not close) and sometimes on the roof.
d) one guy with 30 years in had over 60 PUTs in his career.
e) average PUTs is 10 a week on the system, if I recall.
f) people always crossing the tracks wherever they want (see above).
g) maybe a bit of a different atmospheric aura to get used to.
Like Old Timer indicates, things aren't always rosier other places.
I learned a lot and got to really admire some of the people that were featured.
As far as train driving jobs:
The plusses sounded great -
a) a government job for life
b) English spoken (among other dialects)
c) housing provided close to work at subsidized prices
d) good wages compared to other trades
But some negatives -
a) probably hard (impossible?) for an Englishman to get a job!
b) old beat-up trains (but they do keep them running!)
c) overcrowding at rush hours - beyond anything in the UK - people hanging out of the doors (which do not close) and sometimes on the roof.
d) one guy with 30 years in had over 60 PUTs in his career.
e) average PUTs is 10 a week on the system, if I recall.
f) people always crossing the tracks wherever they want (see above).
g) maybe a bit of a different atmospheric aura to get used to.
Like Old Timer indicates, things aren't always rosier other places.
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