VETASSESS -Electrician practical -what to expect!!

bernie · 28-12-2007, 04:25 PM

Hi All

Just to say that we have received a letter from Vetassess, and it confirms that I have a successful outcome, and may proceed to apply for my visa. An 'offshore record' will be sent to me shortly and this is for presentation to any future employer.

We're now in celebration mode for the new year!!!

Practical Assessment
If you are due to do a practical electrician assessment with VETASSESS, it will take place in City College, Birmingham, and will be over 2 days. It is your responsibility to find accomodation in Birmingham (I did £49 Holiday Inn Express)!
A practical assessment is outlined, and you are provided with an individual work bay in the college. You are provided with info on what is required -ie cables run in conduit (saddle bends etc), surface mounted, distribution board, accessories etc. All materials are provided (eg switches, cable, d/b,mcb's, conduit). At the end (allowed 3hrs) you will need to test the electrical installation (IR and continuity), record results, and finally make the inst. live. I recommend you take your IR/Cont tester (make sure it's calibrated!).
After a brief lunch, you are then given a 3 page written test, and this covers questions such as resistors in parallel, series, units of measurements etc. The type of thing you learn at college....
There are another series of practicals. One of them is to wire a DOL starter from scratch with a remote on and emergency stop. After completion and working, a fault is made on this, and you have to carry out full test proceedures to rectify.
After all this, you are then given a series of technical questions verbally, and then this is followed by a technical interview.
I was absolutely knackered at the end!!
Everything is explained very well to you by the assessor. You are under constant supervision, and throughout the practical assessment you will be asked technical questions, such as expected readings on inspection and testing work, expected earth fault loop readings etc. This is from memory, and you are not allowed any books such as BS7671 on site guide etc.
You are required to wear PPE clothing etc as required by the college.
You will then find out if you have been successful by receipt of letter from Vetassess. The assessor is not able to provide you with the outcome.

It's worth all the hastle, because at the end of the day you are assessed here and not in Oz, and you are able to apply for provisional licence when you arrive in Oz. The assessor is from Box Hill TAFE, which is one of the organisations that carries out assessments of migrants in Oz.

Hope this helps anyone going down the electrician route with Vetassess.

Happy 2008!!!

Bernie the hubby

Roberts13 · 28-12-2007, 04:34 PM

Hi,
Info great thanks

My o/h will have to do electrician practical so find your info very useful. On receipt of your result was you given a breakdown of areas you passed or didn't pass etc? is there a pass rate or does it all have to be done 100% to be successful?

Well done

Tom the Pom · 28-12-2007, 08:26 PM

Sounds a complete doddle!!!

Any half decent spark will walk it.

It's just to sort out the chancers out

Well done mate - just the small matter of the visa now

fatpom · 29-12-2007, 12:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom the Pom

Sounds a complete doddle!!!
Any half decent spark will walk it.
It's just to sort out the chancers out

Yep! I agree it reads pretty close to the restricted electrical license course plus a bit. They're obviously not out out to make it hard, just making sure you are what you say you are... which seems more than fair enough to me. :)
I hope they eventually extend this kind of basic testing across all trades and professions. It strikes me that there's been too many eroding the quality and value of the apprenticeship system. :)

Tracyb37 · 02-01-2008, 08:41 PM

Hi Bernie,

I'm glad you passed. It's Geoff from Portsmouth. Your thread was very good I think I will post one simular on Aussie move. Tracy the other half has made a start on our Visa, we hope to be in Perth for next Christmas if not before. Do you know how many of the other Guys passed. That had to be one of the hardest exams I have ever taken and for days after I was still going through things and how I could have done things different.
My friend saw your thread and gave me a call so I thought it might be an idea to stay in touch this way. Wishing you all the best in the New Year
Geoff and family

bernie · 05-01-2008, 09:25 PM

Hi Geoff
Sorry mate for late reply, been trying to motivate myself into work mode!!
Yep I agree it was quite tough as we said at 8pm that evening! I heard from Steve, he also passed so I expect it was 100% pass for all. They could definately improve on the practical for the next lot.
We are in the process of the visa at the mo.
I think this year is certainly going to be full of action and preparation!!
I am waiting for the Offshore Record which I am sure will have full details of how we coped under the spot light!
Was reading an article recently, and it would seem that there is a strong motion to do away with the vetassess system for trades since the new Oz government has come in.
Will comms more soon mate. Please stay in touch
Wishing all the best for 2008 to you and your family
speak soon, Phil

iaint · 24-03-2008, 03:27 AM

Hi

just thought i'd reply to discussion point. This is not intended to put anyone off coming to australia, but i think you need to know what to expect when you arrive, especially if you are bringing a family.

I passed the prcatical assessment in birmingham in december and iam now here in adelaide australia. I was under the same impression as yuour self. Do all the work before i arrive here. How wrong was I!!!!!!. I went to the SA licensing offices in adelaide with my OTSR and to my shock and disbelief they had never heard of Vetassess!!. They informed me I needed a TRA certificate and the wiring rules to apply for an A Licence. They said they would look into this and get baack to me, which they didn't. I went back a week later and had the exact same response!!. This time i managed to speak to a supervisor who said that she had just spoken to the TRA and that they were still excepting applications. I informed that the process changed last september!!!!. Basically the upshot of all this is that the process changed SEVEN months ago but nothying as been put into place yet!!!!!!.

They offered me a C licence in the interim which is basically a 1st year apprentince!! I politely turned this down. Meanwhile I have been in touch with vetassess who have been apologetic. They said that i have arrived too soon to which i informed them it wsa seven months since you changed the process!!

They have now informed me that i have to go back to college to do the following courses at my own expense. (I passed all modules in the practical assessment in Birmingham)

AS/NZ Wiring rules = $1150 (including books and studying at PEER TEC)
Occupational Health & Safety
Electrical Safe Working
Electrical Installation-protectice methods & devices
Electrical Installation-design & equipment
Electrical Installation-testing and verification

Now i haven't put the cost of the other courses because not to my amazement none of these courses have been set up yet!!
As a rough guess, I would estimate about $600 each. SA licensing body in the meantime got back in touch with me and offered me a b licence which is the equivalent of a third or fourth year apprentice. - As well as doing the above courses, you will need to gain 12 months work experience before you can apply for an A licence (an A licence is the licence you need to be earning full wages, most employers (nearly all) ask for an A licence! i.e, with a B licence you will be on less money (apprentice wages) whilst financing the above courses and if you have a family supporting them.

All the jobs that are advertised here ask for an A-licence and employers want you to be unsupervised. This is particularly difficult to go to interviews and advise potential employers that I have a B licence when I'm up against other migrants who've been through the TRA process and now have an A-licence - as all you needed to do if you had a TRA certficate was to do the wiring rules. Also if you are wanting to do alarms and data work or work for yourself you will have to go back to college to do a licence for each one of these.

I am now waiting for these courses to be set up. Hope this helps, if anybody wants to know anything else, drop me a mail at twiggi_69@hotmail.com

iaint · 24-03-2008, 03:29 AM

Hi

just thought i'd reply to discussion point. This is not intended to put anyone off coming to australia, but i think you need to know what to expect when you arrive, especially if you are bringing a family.

I passed the prcatical assessment in birmingham in december and iam now here in adelaide australia. I was under the same impression as yuour self. Do all the work before i arrive here. How wrong was I!!!!!!. I went to the SA licensing offices in adelaide with my OTSR and to my shock and disbelief they had never heard of Vetassess!!. They informed me I needed a TRA certificate and the wiring rules to apply for an A Licence. They said they would look into this and get baack to me, which they didn't. I went back a week later and had the exact same response!!. This time i managed to speak to a supervisor who said that she had just spoken to the TRA and that they were still excepting applications. I informed that the process changed last september!!!!. Basically the upshot of all this is that the process changed SEVEN months ago but nothying as been put into place yet!!!!!!.

They offered me a C licence in the interim which is basically a 1st year apprentince!! I politely turned this down. Meanwhile I have been in touch with vetassess who have been apologetic. They said that i have arrived too soon to which i informed them it wsa seven months since you changed the process!!

They have now informed me that i have to go back to college to do the following courses at my own expense. (I passed all modules in the practical assessment in Birmingham)

AS/NZ Wiring rules = $1150 (including books and studying at PEER TEC)
Occupational Health & Safety
Electrical Safe Working
Electrical Installation-protectice methods & devices
Electrical Installation-design & equipment
Electrical Installation-testing and verification

Now i haven't put the cost of the other courses because not to my amazement none of these courses have been set up yet!!
As a rough guess, I would estimate about $600 each. SA licensing body in the meantime got back in touch with me and offered me a b licence which is the equivalent of a third or fourth year apprentice. - As well as doing the above courses, you will need to gain 12 months work experience before you can apply for an A licence (an A licence is the licence you need to be earning full wages, most employers (nearly all) ask for an A licence! i.e, with a B licence you will be on less money (apprentice wages) whilst financing the above courses and if you have a family supporting them.

All the jobs that are advertised here ask for an A-licence and employers want you to be unsupervised. This is particularly difficult to go to interviews and advise potential employers that I have a B licence when I'm up against other migrants who've been through the TRA process and now have an A-licence - as all you needed to do if you had a TRA certficate was to do the wiring rules. Also if you are wanting to do alarms and data work or work for yourself you will have to go back to college to do a licence for each one of these.

I am now waiting for these courses to be set up. Hope this helps, if anybody wants to know anything else, drop me a mail at twiggi_69@hotmail.com

Roberts13 · 24-03-2008, 04:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iaint

Hi

just thought i'd reply to discussion point. This is not intended to put anyone off coming to australia, but i think you need to know what to expect when you arrive, especially if you are bringing a family.

I passed the prcatical assessment in birmingham in december and iam now here in adelaide australia. I was under the same impression as yuour self. Do all the work before i arrive here. How wrong was I!!!!!!. I went to the SA licensing offices in adelaide with my OTSR and to my shock and disbelief they had never heard of Vetassess!!. They informed me I needed a TRA certificate and the wiring rules to apply for an A Licence. They said they would look into this and get baack to me, which they didn't. I went back a week later and had the exact same response!!. This time i managed to speak to a supervisor who said that she had just spoken to the TRA and that they were still excepting applications. I informed that the process changed last september!!!!. Basically the upshot of all this is that the process changed SEVEN months ago but nothying as been put into place yet!!!!!!.

They offered me a C licence in the interim which is basically a 1st year apprentince!! I politely turned this down. Meanwhile I have been in touch with vetassess who have been apologetic. They said that i have arrived too soon to which i informed them it wsa seven months since you changed the process!!

They have now informed me that i have to go back to college to do the following courses at my own expense. (I passed all modules in the practical assessment in Birmingham)

AS/NZ Wiring rules = $1150 (including books and studying at PEER TEC)
Occupational Health & Safety
Electrical Safe Working
Electrical Installation-protectice methods & devices
Electrical Installation-design & equipment
Electrical Installation-testing and verification

Now i haven't put the cost of the other courses because not to my amazement none of these courses have been set up yet!!
As a rough guess, I would estimate about $600 each. SA licensing body in the meantime got back in touch with me and offered me a b licence which is the equivalent of a third or fourth year apprentice. - As well as doing the above courses, you will need to gain 12 months work experience before you can apply for an A licence (an A licence is the licence you need to be earning full wages, most employers (nearly all) ask for an A licence! i.e, with a B licence you will be on less money (apprentice wages) whilst financing the above courses and if you have a family supporting them.

All the jobs that are advertised here ask for an A-licence and employers want you to be unsupervised. This is particularly difficult to go to interviews and advise potential employers that I have a B licence when I'm up against other migrants who've been through the TRA process and now have an A-licence - as all you needed to do if you had a TRA certficate was to do the wiring rules. Also if you are wanting to do alarms and data work or work for yourself you will have to go back to college to do a licence for each one of these.

I am now waiting for these courses to be set up. Hope this helps, if anybody wants to know anything else, drop me a mail at twiggi_69@hotmail.com

This is quite worrying, we are in the process of doing our paper based assessment ready to send off for Hubby being a sparky, if when we arrive he still has to do these courses to obtain licence A its a bit costly, and lengthly too as only getting a wage on apprentice level isn't much to support a family. Considering the change from TRA to vetassess increased so much cost wise for the out come to be no diffenet when you arrive, It all seems a bit wrong, i'm a bit reluctant to apply for vetasses just yet after reading your post.

Bit unsure what to do ?????????

bernie · 24-03-2008, 09:32 PM

So sorry that this has happened Iain, it sounds like a worry and not acceptable when the whole systems gives the impression that the vetassess allows you to do the ground work here and work straight away in Aus. Is this just South Australia, as I have heard different states vary? Can you go higher on this? It certainly isn't clear that further courses should be undertaken that end and seeing as we have been the guinea pigs on the new vetassess assessments surely we have a right to give our feedback. It's crazy that they haven't heard of vet. there and a worry. We are happy to back you up!