Electricians Thread !!!!!

[Gaza]

WA as a lot of work on and government have just given the go ahead for 61 new major projects, so only going to get busier.
I arrived in Perth on 24/11/11 having 176 and OSTR as assessed by Vetassess. On the 05/12/12 I started two week 'Electrical Trade Licence' course which I passed and on the 22/12/12 I picked up my Electricians Licence from Energy Safety (thats it all done).
Hope this helps

Andy

Hello tommo,
just what I wanted to hear!
i presume you booked your course before arrival In Oz?
did you use a friends address?
did you get the course for the subsidised rate?
whats your prospects of work now and any idea what rate to expect can you expect it to be relatively local to where you live ie within an hours travel?

Thanks for the info
all the best
gary

[tommo66]

Hello tommo,
just what I wanted to hear!
i presume you booked your course before arrival In Oz?
did you use a friends address?
did you get the course for the subsidised rate?
whats your prospects of work now and any idea what rate to expect can you expect it to be relatively local to where you live ie within an hours travel?

Thanks for the info
all the best
gary

Hi Gary

I was lucky with the course, was told by Energy Safety that they had changed rules and I would have to do log book etc but when I arrived and phoned them they said they had scrapped the idea and I could sit two week course. So it was a all bit of a rush as I only found all this out on the Friday and course started Monday. Spoke with Leslie Dryden at Balcatta Tafe (told her I had wife, six kids two dogs etc etc to feed and no money) she was great, squeezed me in for the Monday start.
As far as work goes and locality, all depends what you want to do and where you are going to be?
In general they all talk over here like its slow, believe me they haven't got a clue what slow is. I would compare it to the U.K. back in 2002/3 when all were booming. Mind you I am talking about W.A. I don't know about other states etc.
Big article in 'The West' the other day saying gov just given go ahead to 61 new major projects and they have estimated they will need 400 construction/engineering workers per week every week for the next two years, 41000 in total.

Hope this helps
Andy

[Alanlisa]

Hi everyone.

I've posted on here a few times but I can't seem to find the aswer for my question.

My husband has been a spark since leaving school at 16, he is coming up to 33, so a good few years experience. The thing is in August last year he went from working on the tools to being a Project Engineer in the office. I am worried what the time limit we have to apply for the VETASSESS. For some reason I have got in my head that you have to show at least 12 months experience in the last two years. Does anyone know if this is correct. Also if that is the case, is that just for your VETASSESS or do you also have to show the same again for your visa???

Please help because I feel we are slowly running out of time and we are nowhere near even supplying all the paper info for the VETASSESS yet both financially and practically!

[RJM]

No doubt this has all been covered 10 times but i cant possibly read all 134 pages. I am currently waiting for my visa 175 to be approved and hope to be in Perth by June/July. My concerns are.......
Is it hard to register for your "B" License
How long do you wait and what is entailed in going from B to A license
Do you get stroked money wise when on a B license ( how much would i expect to get paid)
Will i be able to arrive and start work next day??
I have all the skills test certs at a cost of £1600

[garyheidi7]

Hi Gary

I was lucky with the course, was told by Energy Safety that they had changed rules and I would have to do log book etc but when I arrived and phoned them they said they had scrapped the idea and I could sit two week course. So it was a all bit of a rush as I only found all this out on the Friday and course started Monday. Spoke with Leslie Dryden at Balcatta Tafe (told her I had wife, six kids two dogs etc etc to feed and no money) she was great, squeezed me in for the Monday start.
As far as work goes and locality, all depends what you want to do and where you are going to be?
In general they all talk over here like its slow, believe me they haven't got a clue what slow is. I would compare it to the U.K. back in 2002/3 when all were booming. Mind you I am talking about W.A. I don't know about other states etc.
Big article in 'The West' the other day saying gov just given go ahead to 61 new major projects and they have estimated they will need 400 construction/engineering workers per week every week for the next two years, 41000 in total.

Hope this helps
Andy

Hi Andy

Well done for doing the two week course.
just a quick question as I'm coming to Perth in June/july. How much did you pay for the college course as a australian resident??
And how much work is there involved within the college course??

Much appreciated

Gary

[Gaza]

Hi,
Yeah I'm off to Perth probably mid June.
Have got the info from Leslie re college course just need to
Book and pay for it.
Have you landed a job yet?
Did it take you long?
Thanks
Gary

Hi Gary

I was lucky with the course, was told by Energy Safety that they had changed rules and I would have to do log book etc but when I arrived and phoned them they said they had scrapped the idea and I could sit two week course. So it was a all bit of a rush as I only found all this out on the Friday and course started Monday. Spoke with Leslie Dryden at Balcatta Tafe (told her I had wife, six kids two dogs etc etc to feed and no money) she was great, squeezed me in for the Monday start.
As far as work goes and locality, all depends what you want to do and where you are going to be?
In general they all talk over here like its slow, believe me they haven't got a clue what slow is. I would compare it to the U.K. back in 2002/3 when all were booming. Mind you I am talking about W.A. I don't know about other states etc.
Big article in 'The West' the other day saying gov just given go ahead to 61 new major projects and they have estimated they will need 400 construction/engineering workers per week every week for the next two years, 41000 in total.

Hope this helps
Andy

[tommo66]

Hi Andy

Well done for doing the two week course.
just a quick question as I'm coming to Perth in June/july. How much did you pay for the college course as a australian resident??
And how much work is there involved within the college course??

Much appreciated

Gary

Hi Gary

The course at Balcatta was discouted, I paid about $200 ish mind you the books you require cost as well. Without searching for the receipt I think with books and course it was around $670 so still not cheap. Not every one got a discount on the course, I think the Tafe gets grants and its just pot luck on your timing.
The course itself is pretty straight forward, it gets a involved in motors and starters and a small project on max demand etc.Practical side was a little like the Vetassess test. Most seemed to cope quite well in my class with a couple of guys that struggled a bit, but everyone passed. Its not a pass fail type of teaching, the tutors go over and over with you if required. I got the impression the Tafe only likes positive results from their campus (your basically mothered through if required)

Hope this helps and thanks for the well done.

Andy

[tommo66]

Hi,
Yeah I'm off to Perth probably mid June.
Have got the info from Leslie re college course just need to
Book and pay for it.
Have you landed a job yet?
Did it take you long?
Thanks
Gary

Hi Gary

Yes I start work next week.
I didn't start looking until last week and have been for a few interviews and offered the jobs there and then but not been right for me so knocked them back.
I've just booked in to do the 'Contractors' course so ultimately will be going on my own but we'll see.
To me here seems to have plenty of work about but 'the locals' seem to think its quiet, house prices are dropping slightly and there's a lot of adverts in the papers and t.v. with companies offering discounts etc so I assume they are all having to fight for business. On the other hand there were about 16 adverts in paper last night for sparks, so who knows!!

Anything you guys need to know an I'll try to help

Cheers Andy

[garyheidi7]

Hi Gary

The course at Balcatta was discouted, I paid about $200 ish mind you the books you require cost as well. Without searching for the receipt I think with books and course it was around $670 so still not cheap. Not every one got a discount on the course, I think the Tafe gets grants and its just pot luck on your timing.
The course itself is pretty straight forward, it gets a involved in motors and starters and a small project on max demand etc.Practical side was a little like the Vetassess test. Most seemed to cope quite well in my class with a couple of guys that struggled a bit, but everyone passed. Its not a pass fail type of teaching, the tutors go over and over with you if required. I got the impression the Tafe only likes positive results from their campus (your basically mothered through if required)

Hope this helps and thanks for the well done.

Andy

Hi Andy, cheers for the info its a great help to have advice and info from someone who is actually there and doing it. hopefully have our visa fingers crossed in a couple of weeks, although dont intend to come until June, my wife has mentioned maybe coming out to get the licence sorted incase it all changes again. Hope your enjoying it there, and everything is working out, on another subject though if you dont mind me asking... any areas you are liking particularly,? we are struggling to decide on which area to live.

All the best and thanks again for the info on the licensing.

Gary.

[tommo66]

Hi Andy, cheers for the info its a great help to have advice and info from someone who is actually there and doing it. hopefully have our visa fingers crossed in a couple of weeks, although dont intend to come until June, my wife has mentioned maybe coming out to get the licence sorted incase it all changes again. Hope your enjoying it there, and everything is working out, on another subject though if you dont mind me asking... any areas you are liking particularly,? we are struggling to decide on which area to live.

All the best and thanks again for the info on the licensing.

Gary.

Hi Gary

As far as coming over and getting your licence sorted. I would like to think you would be o.k. by June, but you just never know. Things here (as far as I see) just change without notice/warning etc, in u.k. they just wouldn't get away with it. My tutor at Balatta was having a conversation with another member of staff saying that he had heard that WA gov and Energy Safety were not happy with the time scales it would take to get oversea qualified electricians into the workplace so had over ruled the Vetassess log book system. He also said that they were in discussions with Vetassess about sorting an alternative system.

Where to live? now that's a question and half.
I've seen many ugly threads on PIO on this subject!!

I suppose it all depends on you and your priorities. The general rule, as is the world over 'you get what you pay for'.
What area are you looking at?

Cheers Andy