Warning to all overseas qualified electricians emigrating to Australia.

[theweave]

This thread is being put on as not sour grapes or anger but as help and advice to any overseas qualified electricians emigrating to Australia especially English (I myself being from England).

 

I will start my story I came to Australia in October 2014 my wife being the main visa applicant as a registered nurse.Having done lot of research in the U.K prior to leaving about my job as a electrician I knew it was going to be tough to work in my trade out here.It is now July 2015 and I have 100% had enough of it here.This post is to warn electricians coming out here in the same position I was how tough it really is.

We started our journey in the gold coast and after looking after my son for three months until he started school I decided to get started as my wife is the visa holder I had to get my U.K qualifications verified and take a theory and a practical exams.

Which came to about 1500 dollars the exams were fairly difficult and the practical exam involving motors was hard (having not a lot of experience with motors).I failed the practical exam (involving motors) and was told I had only one more chance to pass this exam for another cost of 1000 dollars!.It was clearly a money making scam as they know how much you need to get this assessment,so I paid another 1000 dollars and passed this exam.

After that I was issued with a OTSR qualification which states I have been assessed and passed exams and can work as a electrician "under supervision" the OTSR qualification is a complete con.In Australia in every state to work as a electrician you have to have a electrician licence.A OTSR qualification lets you work as electrical trades assistant (a glorified apprentice) until you have completed more theory and practical exams and worked for a year completing a log book doing various tasks being signed off by a aussie qualified electrician all for the cost of another 3000 dollars!.I the started to look for work as TA and got nowhere there are no TA jobs well in the gold coast-Brisbane there was not.

 

All the job vacancies were for qualified licenced electricians (how the hell can you get your licence if there are no jobs for you to complete your training?).

After 6 months of this and clearly strain on our finances and our marriage we decided to move on to Sydney where we hoped the job opportunities would be better for me.

After arriving in Sydney I got work quite quickly as a electrical trade assistant and thought things were on the turn I worked agency on a job which lasted a month.

The work wasnt very interesting and I was treated like a labourer being mainly put with the aussie apprentices which is not great!.After that job ended I got a few days here and there again for agencies were you are treated like a apprentice.Again there are no jobs at least full time were you can complete the training.

Now I am at the end of my patience and have resigned to the fact of returning to the U.K there are other reasons missing family friends etc.I am glad I have at least tried out here and wont have any regrets but do not understand why they make it so hard?.Is it a money making scam? Is it they do not want overseas immigrants taking there jobs? I have heard lots of times that british standards are a lot better than aussie which makes me think it is a combination of those reasons.In New Zealand to work as a electrician you have to have your qualifications verified and take exams but then you can work as a electrician perhaps thats were we should have gone from the start.Again I dont want this post to sound like sour grapes but as a warning to hi light the issues out here to work as a electrician from overseas.

And I cannot wait to return to the U.K to work in my chosen profession.Its a shame as Australia is a beautiful country and wish things could of been different.:mad::elvis::chatterbox::arghh::arghh::arghh::arghh:

[Bungo]

It is indeed very hard for electricians and some other trades to make the move, I don't think you have sour grapes as definitely not the first time I have read stories like this. Just one other point though, see quite a lot of people heading to the Gold Coast or Sunshine Coast because yes they sound great, but the high unemployment rates in those areas do need to be considered.

[flag of convenience]

Not forgetting the business component to modern immigration.

[Guest The Pom Queen]

 

@theweave I am really sorry to hear how your new life has turned out. I hope things improve for you

[adele244]

I'm so sorry about your situation. It is quite worrying, although my husband trade is electronics (on circuit boards), he does have his 16th edition and was going to complete his 17th edition so if work situation was bad, he could do some electrician work as a back up. What you have said, it will cost so much at the other side it probably isn't worth doing. I just hope there Is more electronic work out there. Good luck for the future x x x

[Wooba]

Thank you so much for posting this. I'm also an electrician, but in Canada. I've been reading and preparing intensively for the last several weeks to apply for a visa. Emailing back and forth with TRA and the 2 RTO organizations has been giving me practically daily WTF?!? moments. The process for electricians is a joke.

 

As I live in Canada the process for me is worse. As a Canadian I have to be assessed by TRA to begin, not by VETASSESS or Future Skills. I am a British citizen, so I could fly to the UK and apply through them there, but that's just not realistic.

TRA told me that I can be still be assessed in Canada in order to obtain my OTSR. Their RTO Finder on the web page backs that up, it says Canada for both organizations. But in reality neither of them operate in Canada, so I can't get my qualification until I arrive in Australia or fly to a 3rd country. The most amazing part of this is that the first stage of the RTO assessment (the training/employment paperwork verification) is exactly the same as what TRA does. I cannot transfer their assessment, I have to do it all again, which includes copying and certifying a couple hundred pages. It's beyond a joke.

 

Here's an interesting piece of information which was a warning for me before I even began that something didn't smell right.

For year 2014-2015 there was a visa ceiling for electricians of 7854 which was the second highest number behind only nurses. Visas issued? 191 (it was less than that when I first looked). That's a mere 2.5%. Pathetic by any standard of measurement. Clearly most give up with so many hurdles and I find myself constantly asking why I'm bothering, I've got a great well paid job and I have to do all this crap to start again?

 

I can't understand why they have set the bar so high when based on their numbers they really want electricians. I'm coming close to saying forget it myself. Your posting is just making that even more likely.

[Pommie]

Theweave... It's hard I know for your trade - these rules were introduced a few years back aimed at protecting the local industry... but my advice is to pause and reflect on this... it is a pain in the backside and I know that sounds like an understatement, however you have made a start, paid the fee's and you are part way on the journey..!!! If you get the qualification - then you are part of that protected club....

 

I know from personal experience how easy it is to look back to the UK with rose tinted glasses..... good luck for the future....

[AJ]

To be honest, I dont know why Electricians are still on the list, there are so many unemployed over here now(all chasing the same jobs) without adding to it.

[dodgy]

Im afraid since the 60's,Maybe before Australia has been selling the "Australian dream" at seminars all over the world telling everyone how much in demand trades are over here when in reality its just a money making exercise for them.Think about it for a minute the Australian economy benefit from :

Migration agent fees.

Immigration fees.

Shipping container companies.

Removal companies.

Airlines.

Rental agents.

Builders.

Realestate agents.

Car sellers.

Insurance companies.

Utility companies.

Supermarkets etc.

Re-training costs - Tafe, licences etc

Etc etc etc.

 

The whole Australian economy benefits and goes around and around on the backs of migrants so they are not about to tell people "your qualifications are worthless here" or "The streets really aren't paved with gold" or "The high unemployment".

For many (not all) this is a harsh reality and end up giving up and going back or working as labourers in a trade they have worked in as qualified for many months or longer just to survive.

[VERYSTORMY]

Im afraid since the 60's,Maybe before Australia has been selling the "Australian dream" at seminars all over the world telling everyone how much in demand trades are over here when in reality its just a money making exercise for them.Think about it for a minute the Australian economy benefit from :

Migration agent fees.

Immigration fees.

Shipping container companies.

Removal companies.

Airlines.

Rental agents.

Builders.

Realestate agents.

Car sellers.

Insurance companies.

Utility companies.

Supermarkets etc.

Re-training costs - Tafe, licences etc

Etc etc etc.

 

The whole Australian economy benefits and goes around and around on the backs of migrants so they are not about to tell people "your qualifications are worthless here" or "The streets really aren't paved with gold" or "The high unemployment".

For many (not all) this is a harsh reality and end up giving up and going back or working as labourers in a trade they have worked in as qualified for many months or longer just to survive.

 

Sadly have to agree. Prospective migrants think that because there occupation is on one of the lists, there is actually a shortage of people and so lots of jobs. But, the lists have very little to do with the availability of jobs in the occupation. My own professional body was dismayed at the new CSOL to see it is still on there, despite them repeatedly calling for it to be removed and despite we have 40% unemployment.

 

Every year, many of us that have been around for a while on the forums are surprised to see accountants on there still - last year they actually bothered to give an excuse - albeit a feeble one - for keeping it on. Haven't even bothered with the excuse this year.

[Keith and Linda]

Im afraid since the 60's,Maybe before Australia has been selling the "Australian dream" at seminars all over the world telling everyone how much in demand trades are over here when in reality its just a money making exercise for them.Think about it for a minute the Australian economy benefit from :

Migration agent fees.

Immigration fees.

Shipping container companies.

Removal companies.

Airlines.

Rental agents.

Builders.

Realestate agents.

Car sellers.

Insurance companies.

Utility companies.

Supermarkets etc.

Re-training costs - Tafe, licences etc

Etc etc etc.

 

The whole Australian economy benefits and goes around and around on the backs of migrants so they are not about to tell people "your qualifications are worthless here" or "The streets really aren't paved with gold" or "The high unemployment".

For many (not all) this is a harsh reality and end up giving up and going back or working as labourers in a trade they have worked in as qualified for many months or longer just to survive.

 

Most of your list applies to life anywhere really, but the qualification thing really does need a look into,. especially they are what you must have to get into Aus in the first place, and therein after in a lot of cases, become useless.

After all our qualifications were gained for work purposes not migration.

[Bobj]

Im afraid since the 60's,Maybe before Australia has been selling the "Australian dream" at seminars all over the world telling everyone how much in demand trades are over here when in reality its just a money making exercise for them.Think about it for a minute the Australian economy benefit from :

Migration agent fees.

Immigration fees.

Shipping container companies.

Removal companies.

Airlines.

Rental agents.

Builders.

Realestate agents.

Car sellers.

Insurance companies.

Utility companies.

Supermarkets etc.

Re-training costs - Tafe, licences etc

Etc etc etc.

 

The whole Australian economy benefits and goes around and around on the backs of migrants so they are not about to tell people "your qualifications are worthless here" or "The streets really aren't paved with gold" or "The high unemployment".

For many (not all) this is a harsh reality and end up giving up and going back or working as labourers in a trade they have worked in as qualified for many months or longer just to survive.

 

Absolute twaddle! In the early 60s and before, the £10 scheme was on. None of that garbage you listed at all. About 98% of migrants in the time I mentioned, came by sea, mum, dad and anything up to 10 kids for that price.

 

How do I know? I was one of 'em; I bellied up to the counter at Australia House in London, gave my particulars and got on a ship along with squillions of others.

 

Cheers, Bobj.