Eligible for two professions - which to choose?

[AdamStafford]

Hi all,

I am applying for a 189 for myself and the other half. I have been absorbing much of the advice on here and elsewhere and am at the stage where I want to get skills assessed and submit the EOI.

I am eligible for two occupations, so am unsure which is going to be more favourable for the application. I have pasted the info below. The networking role is subject to "pro rata", whereas electricians are in the "general pool". Assessment wise the network one I could get started next week (sending off certs etc.), whereas for the electrical I would need to book in a practical assessment somewhere.

We are wanting to move next summer so have roughly 15 months or so before we would like to enter. This may be enough time for either option to come through, but numbers seem to be dropping so of course I want to maximise our chances. I will be taking the IELTS language test, and will have 70-80 points once this is done.

Any advice one way or the other much appreciated folks! Many thanks

 

Occupation ID	Description	Occupation Ceiling Value 2017-18	Invitations to 21/03/2018

2631

Computer Network Professionals*

1318

687

3411

Electricians

9354

29

[VERYSTORMY]

Which job do you actually do and what are your qualifications? How long have you been working in either role. 

[AdamStafford]

Hi Stormy. I currently do both jobs really hence the question, as I won't be sure what to go into until we get there. Brief history is:

In 2000 I qualified at college with a BTEC in Electrical / Mechanical Engineering

In 2003 got my BSc(Hons) in an IT related field

2003 - 2008 Worked for an IT Company as a network engineer

2008 I setup in business, took my 17th edition and building regs courses as an electrical refresher (8 years since college!), and registered with the NICEIC to be able to offer a complete service including electrical to customers.

For the last 10 years I have run a business designing and installing IT environments for schools. This includes wired and wireless networking, audio visual technologies and associated electrical requirements (think ICT Suite fit-outs, stage lighting installations etc.)

I could happily drop into either role and am skilled at both, but the entry numbers for each seem wildly different. It looks to me as if they are receiving too many applicants for the IT side of things, but have a shortage of electricians? The ceiling value is much higher for electricians, but there have been far more invitations for the network role. This could simply be down to very few electricians applying for a visa - I am not sure really how to interpret the figures

Is there anything stopping me from filing an EOI for each occupation, seeing which comes in first and cancelling the other once I have an invitation to apply?

Cheers

[VERYSTORMY]

Before you lodge an eoi, you need a skills assessment for an occupation. You need to go through them both to see which one you fit. Electricians are assessed by vestass. To be honest, I am not sure you would pass it as they require your experience to be recent and it doesn't sound like you do a lot of normal electricians work. But do research. 

Because your situation is a bit different I would run it past a good registered migration agent. 

Do be aware though that electrical work is licensed in Australia and UK qualifications do not equate to a license so, you would need to work as a trade assistant - a bit like an apprentice for a period and do college courses. 

[AdamStafford]

Hi again, and thank you for the advice. I will get the assessment sorted first.

I have 10 years of regular electrical work as well as the ICT side of things so I don't see the assessment being a problem. This week just gone for example we have installed some additional sockets and replaced some emergency lighting at two different sites. At the same time I have also been configuring some wireless networks and installing communications cabling, so I am really 50:50 on which route is best to go down.

Do you have any feedback on the skillselect invitation numbers I posted? ie the Electrician figure of 29 invitations with a ceiling of 9354? Should I read this as they are not handing out many invitations for electricians, or that there are plenty needed but not many applying? 29 out of 9354 ceiling for the year is a tiny percentage.

Many Thanks

[woody2709]

Hey Adam, do you have your NVQ level 3? Vetassess and future skills are the assessing authority for electricians. I used future skills for my assessment and I can tell you they don't make it easy and require lots of in-depth information with evidence to qualify for an assessment. It's worth looking into the assessing body requirements. When I started my process as an electrician first thing I did was call the downundercentre. They got me from stage 1 to completing my skills assessment and very reputable. I would give them a call and they will point you in the right direction straight away

Edited April 7, 2018 by woody2709

[woody2709]

As for skillselect, it's not a case of the country requiring certain occupations or being in demand. Skill select is kind of a competition of who has the most points wins an invitation. There are probably thousands of electricians applying but don't have high enough points to compete. Look up how many accountants have been invited so far compared to many other occupations. Accountants generally have higher points due to qualifications and accountant is on the pro rata lists also. Don't forget to research other visa options as there is more sensible/quicker option compared to the 189...