colinmaclec
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I posted some stuff earlier on this thread. Its basically power calcs and some wiring, first aid, safety and some stuff about motors. After the 2 weeks depends on when you got your restricted from energysafe or whether you done ARTC or Vetassess. Out of interest have you managed to find work yet?
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All my class is working(some have been here for 6 months) but that does not tell how many have decided not to pay for the course until they secure jobs. I know i held off actually paying and confirming my booking until i found work as its not just $2000 you pay you are also losing 2 weeks pay or being unable to earn for another 2 weeks. I recently met someone here who couldn't find work and has gave up and went to Sydney. I am not being a doom and gloomer i am just stating how it actually is here.I am working now but i applied for over 100 jobs and got very few replies and those that did said i have a great CV and experience but i am no use without a WA license.Employers would prefer a dummy with a license to a gap trainer. I don't see a lot of jobs advertised for TA's although there are plenty for electricians . I don't know the exact figures but lets say 9000 sparks are accepted to oz per yer? Half go to Perth as everyone thinks there is loads of work here. That's a lot of gap trainers and that's before you even count the number of guys here on WHV. All i am saying is don't arrive here and expect to work straight away and be making 100k
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Yeah we just have to get on with it. The one problem i do see though is for other electricians arriving after us, i just cant see how there will be enough jobs for the amount of electricians arriving. Companies can only employ so may guys with a yrs gap training at once............................................
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The course is basically like being back in first year of apprenticeship. We are getting taught basic power calcs and about how to wire 2 way light switches! The log book we have to fill out online looks time consuming and we will be sent a project to do from home in the post. We really are being treated as apprentices when we arrive here now!
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According to what we are being told. Anyone applying for ARTC has to do the gap training now too
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The regs book is the same but at polytechnic west you need the cable selection book and at cet you don't. You can get them both printed and binded at the library for $56
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Don't think any of them did. Mostly sponsored after coming on a WHV. Seems to be a lot of that here as well which again makes life more difficult for us main applicants as its easier to sponsor someone who can get a license easily than deal with gap training and 1 year of restricted license.
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No idea yet still to find that out but seeing as the logbook is kinda filled out like a time sheet i am guessing its from when you register
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Well I started the course today at Polytechnic West. Half the class of 12 have ARTC and will receive the license after the course (yep its the same 2 week course!!!!!!!!!). The other half who have Vetassess have to do another module distance learning and register to fill out a log book at http://www.eprofiling.com.au . You need to fill out exactly what you do every day at work on a weekly basis. We don't yet know exactly when or how they will deem our logbook as complete and sufficient in terms of experience gained but we will find out in due course......................... When this is decided we then do the same trade test as ozzie apprentices. So we are basically doing the final year of the Australian apprenticeship. I was told that the ARTC applicants will soon be forced to do the same.
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I am on the first 2 week course starting next Monday since the July Changes for WA
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I arrived 7 weeks ago and went round in circles trying to find work. Was a lot harder than i thought it would be,I pretty much thought i would just walk in to a job( how wrong was I)I have managed to get a job now but there are loads of guys here with restricted licenses trying to find work as well as guys on WHV too. It really comes down to being in the right place at the right time. Companies receive CV's and phone calls constantly and the restricted license really puts off employers.Agencies are a nightmare as well because they have people phoning constantly too and lot of them dismiss you as soon as you tell them you cant get your license until you complete gap training. You just have to keep applying for everything really and eventually you will get something. Why they are still bringing in Sparks here i don't know because its certainly not easy for us. There seems to be a lot of jobs advertised but they all want the A license. Which of course you cant get till you are employed and do gap training. I am not trying to put a downer on anyone but i am realistic and if anyone is heading here in the near future make sure you can afford to not work for a long period or be prepared to do unskilled work to tide you over
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So basically they are saying there is no way round it if your the main visa applicant but if you came on your partners visa or a whv you can do a 2 week course. Dumb!!!!!!!!! and dont forget someone on a whv is likely to be young and inexperienced compared to a main applicant who basically has to have 10 years plus experience
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The course now costs $2000 you go to college for 2 weeks at the start and fill out a log book for a year then go back for 2 weeks
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I have been here for over month now and am getting nowhere on the job front. Nobody seems interested in someone who has to do a years gap training. As for the course as far as i am aware i am on the first class in october but they don't even have the paperwork to send out to us yet!
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[TABLE=class: tborder, align: center] [TR] [/TR] [TR] [TD=class: alt1, align: right][/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] Well i have now been in Perth for 3 weeks and i came on the vetassess route too. I have applied for around 30 jobs and nobody is interested as i don't have a full license. One company did offer me a job but then emailed me a few days later saying there was a hold up with their work schedule and that they would be in touch if and when. Bottom line is that companies don't want sparks who have a years gap training to do no matter how good your CV is. I tried phoning energy safe today to ask if they knew who might hire an electrician with restricted license but i was told that they cant give any advice on the job situation and that there have been loads of people phoning and asking the same thing. I am booked on the 2 week course at Polytechnic West as part of the gap training on the 8th October but they don't even have the paperwork to send out yet as i must be on the first class so i have no idea what the log book is like yet either. I may go the ARTC route now but i need to wait for my container to arrive with all my documents which is another 4 weeks then maybe 3-4 months to get ARTC on top of that. Basically its a complete nightmare!! Think i am going to have to look at doing something else in the meantime to keep the money coming in. To be honest i feel totally pissed that i have spent 30k to relocate here and get set up to find that i cant work.
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Yeah its not getting any easier is it! savings are taking a hit with an exchange rate in freefall as well and now our earning potential as electricians is gonna take a big hit! Hey at least it will be sunny lol! Only good thing is if companies are desperate for electricians they are gonna have to employ restricted electricians. But it seems to me that energy safe should be talking to the companies in Perth to explain the situation and make it easier for us to secure work for the gap training. I mean surely its worthwhile for companies to employ us as they are getting well qualified and experienced electricians for less money. I have run my own business for 15 years with up to 15 staff and have a lot of experience so i would see getting employees like that cheap as a win win for the electrical contractors.
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I just received my restricted license in the post and it listed rto's to contact but it only showed 1, Polytechnic West. As i said previously they changed the system 3 weeks ago and this is the way energy safe have decided. Unless they change it again this is what we have to do. The gap training is that 2 week course to begin with which i am booked on in October then log book then 1 week at college again and trade test after a year for $1700. Up until 3 weeks ago you could just do the 2 week course. Its all a mess tbh and no one really seems to know.
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What i listed on previous posts is how it is as of today. They changed it 3 weeks ago :arghh:. I will post some updates on this thread when i get there to let you all know what you have in store when you arrive as it really is a step into the unknown.
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I did Vetassess as i am the main visa applicant. I heard about ARTC on forums etc but heard mixed opinions on it and that you needed an oz address to post it too so i never done it.Also i dont see why ARTC should be any easier than Vetassess as the amount of info i provided for vetassess because i am self employed was the same as ARTC. I am heading out 2 weeks today
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Just off the phone to Polytechnic West and i have been told that 3 weeks ago the system changed. What we now do in WA is a 2 week course, log book and then at the end of the gap training we go to college for a week again to do our final test the same as what an australian apprentice does. So basically we have to do the final year of an australian apprenticeship when we arrive and pay $1700 for this and i that is the subsidised cost!!!!!!!! Sounds like a nightmare to me. I guess it will come down to wether i can get a company to employ me or not otherwise ill be driving buses or working 2 jobs in macdonalds to keep a roof over my familys heads.
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The letter i received with my permit to work says to contact the following RTO's to organise gap training and only lists polytechnic west nowhere else. According to the guy on the thread i linked below it means 1 yr and a log book http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=764110
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I have received my restricted license now but it states that i have to i have to contact Polytechnic West (balga campus) to arrange my gap training.I seen a post on another forum from somebody who has just arrived in Perth saying the same and that the course costs $1700. So it now looks like i will have to do the log book etc. There is no mention of CET balcata and the 2 week course. I will call them on Monday and find out for sure but it looks like the goalposts have been moved again.
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If you dont understand what i mean then you are reading the wrong thread.
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Yeah thats the worst with these forums you hear a lot of different things . I guess we will only really know for sure when we arrive. If i have to do 12 months gap training then fair enough. I can accept that i have to retrain as it is a different country etc , I dont expect to walk off the plane and be top of the tree. If the Uk had been a bit more like Australia our construction industry wouldn't be such a mess
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I was reading the electricians forum just now on british expats site and seen some posts that the ostr route now needs 12 months gap training. I am arriving in Perth at the begining of August. I have applied for my Provisional license and am waiting on energy safe to send it, they emailed me today saying i did not send all my vetassess paperwork which i have now sent so hopefully i will receive it soon so i can book the course. But the thought of having to work on low pay for 12 months fills me with dread as i have a family to support. Has anyone arrived in Perth lately that can confirm this?