Getting Electrician License in WA

[risraera]

Hi, my husband is in his forties and we have 4 kids. He has a diploma (3 year course) in electrical and electronics diploma in Singapore from Singapore Polytechnic (accredited by Ministry of Education in Singapore). Upon graduation, he was an electrician on the naval ship for 9 years. He has been certified as a Naval Weapon Electrical Senior Technician III (Electrical). This year, he did a refresher course on wiring for residential properties. He is interested to be electrician for residential properties.

 

We have some questions and hope someone can help.

 

1) Must my husband go to TAFE to study 4 years again to be an electrician?

2) If yes, can some modules be exempted? Who should we approach?

3) I heard that the apprenticeship is 4 years, so we calculated that to be an electrician, we need 8 years. :chatterbox: My husband will be in his fifties...

4) Is there any shorter route? For obvious reasons to support 4 kids

 

5) Should he stick to industrial sales and is the opportunities in Perth good?

 

Any electrician can recommend any good electrician school or career advice?

 

Thanks a lot.

 

risraera

[calNgary]

Hi

See if this link will help for now - http://www.commerce.wa.gov.au/energysafety/Content/Licensing/Electrical_contractors_and_workers/Licensing.html

 

Hopefully someone who has done the process in WA will be along soon.

 

Cal x

[colinmaclec]

You don't mention what visa you are on? I presume your husband is not the main applicant? I don't understand where you get 8 years from? even if he had to do a full apprenticeship that would be 4 years??? he needs to apply to trades recognition Australia first of all for an ARTC which if granted will allow him to do the 1 years gap training and i think it costs around $1000. Takes around 3 months and cant be done offshore. He coud do vetassess if offshore for $3000 and get an offshore technical skills record(OSTR) which would also allow him to do the gap training but would only really be done for migration purposes.

 

Next he has to apply for temporary electrical workers permit $100 and a month wait.

Then book gap training $2500 and 2 weeks at tafe.

Next a comms course $700 and 1 week at tafe

complete homework and fill a logbook whilst working for an employer. Wages could be as low as $20 ph depending on the company especially if working in residential.

Once all is complete sit the same trade test as Australian apprentices, 1 week at tafe.

Once complete you can then apply for a license and pay around $400 for this.

 

As for careers advice well you can make decent money if you can get in to the right job which is not easy or you can make a basic living working for smaller residential companies

[risraera]

Thanks colinmaclec! This is so informative. We are already PR in Oz. We are on 190 Visa using my husband job as an industrial sales engineer, my husband is the main applicant. My hubby was an electrician in his twenties when he signed bond with the navy from age 17 to 26 when he obtained the diploma and worked as an electrician for the navy ship. Then, he changed occupation and was doing industrial sales ever since. We heard from our friends that it might be tough to do industrial sales in Australia so he thot of going back to his former job. What I meant by 8 years is 4 years TAFE and 4 years apprenticeship.

 

May I ask:-

1) What is the criteria so that he can do only 1 years gap training?

2) Do you think he has a chance to do what you have suggested?

3) Any other important details or ideas to help us in this journey?

 

Thanks again.

 

Risraera

 

 

You don't mention what visa you are on? I presume your husband is not the main applicant? I don't understand where you get 8 years from? even if he had to do a full apprenticeship that would be 4 years??? he needs to apply to trades recognition Australia first of all for an ARTC which if granted will allow him to do the 1 years gap training and i think it costs around $1000. Takes around 3 months and cant be done offshore. He coud do vetassess if offshore for $3000 and get an offshore technical skills record(OSTR) which would also allow him to do the gap training but would only really be done for migration purposes.

 

Next he has to apply for temporary electrical workers permit $100 and a month wait.

Then book gap training $2500 and 2 weeks at tafe.

Next a comms course $700 and 1 week at tafe

complete homework and fill a logbook whilst working for an employer. Wages could be as low as $20 ph depending on the company especially if working in residential.

Once all is complete sit the same trade test as Australian apprentices, 1 week at tafe.

Once complete you can then apply for a license and pay around $400 for this.

 

As for careers advice well you can make decent money if you can get in to the right job which is not easy or you can make a basic living working for smaller residential companies

[colinmaclec]

It would be 4 years including Tafe and apprenticeship. You go to Tafe 1 day a week during the apprenticeship. I am pretty certain he would not get an ARTC due to not working in the industry for a long time. So he would need to do a full adult apprenticeship. Best to speak to a Tafe and they should be able to advise better than me.