Electricians In Australia

[sofaking]

Ok, it's becoming a little clearer.

 

Assuming I don't find a sponsor and decide to apply for PR (the most likely scenario), can I then seek employment in Oz once i've passed that exam in London and received my OTSR?

 

At what stage do I apply for the PR? You said I can't look for an employer without having a PR or a sponsor. I presume you mean without having applied for a PR?

No, you can't go to Australia and look for an employer without already having residency or a sponsor. You said earlier:

I then fly to Oz and scour the country to get employment

I think you apply for PR after being issued with your OTSR.

[colinmaclec]

Ok, it's becoming a little clearer.

 

Assuming I don't find a sponsor and decide to apply for PR (the most likely scenario), can I then seek employment in Oz once i've passed that exam in London and received my OTSR?

 

At what stage do I apply for the PR? You said I can't look for an employer without having a PR or a sponsor. I presume you mean without having applied for a PR?

 

To get PR you must pass the vetassess exam( i dont think 1 year post trade experience is enough but someone may correct me on this). pass an english exam IELTS then you apply for an expression of interest, Then they will invite you to apply if you are suitable ie: have enough points. then youy have to do police checks and medicals and thats pretty much it but it is a fairly long drawn out process.

[colinmaclec]

Hey Colin,

How you finding the homework? Just had a first look at it after finishing the course 2 weeks ago. Can't believe you have to do all this just for the license, and you can't do it quickly. And just as summers about to start....

 

I only really looked at it and started it on Sunday and i was shocked at how much work there is!! I thought i would complete it all in a day. How wrong was I!!!!!!! Its really something you should be doing on a weekly basis i guess. Its very time consuming finding the correct clauses in the regs book even when you already know the answer. It forces us to spend a lot of time reading the book and seems more about the regulations etc than what the 2 week course was, it mostly was basic power calcs and how to wire 1 way and 2 way lights ffs! Im pretty pissed about it tbh as i think we already have enough on our plates trying to settle in to a new country and deal with our kids and now homework too!

[biggaf]

I know where your coming from, I havn't registered for the log book yet (another $40) but the lecturer said that you can backdate it from when you started work.

Just need to get me arse into gear, but when you've been at work all day its hard work to start doing it.

[Loulouhew]

I only really looked at it and started it on Sunday and i was shocked at how much work there is!! I thought i would complete it all in a day. How wrong was I!!!!!!! Its really something you should be doing on a weekly basis i guess. Its very time consuming finding the correct clauses in the regs book even when you already know the answer. It forces us to spend a lot of time reading the book and seems more about the regulations etc than what the 2 week course was, it mostly was basic power calcs and how to wire 1 way and 2 way lights ffs! Im pretty pissed about it tbh as i think we already have enough on our plates trying to settle in to a new country and deal with our kids and now homework too!

 

 

 

Sounds like a total nightmare !! Will probably be picking your brains when we get out there? Are you working aswell??

 

lou

[lledlledlled]

Just how difficult is it to get work on a Restricted License?

 

Are some states easier to get this type of work in than others? I'm at the beginning of this process and am wondering what states I should consider.

 

I'm prepared to do this nightmare of a year in or near any town resembling modern society. Long-term I'd like to settle in a big city but that seems a long way off.

 

What states should I target?

 

What are my chances of finding work for this year?

 

Thanks

[colinmaclec]

Just how difficult is it to get work on a Restricted License?

 

Are some states easier to get this type of work in than others? I'm at the beginning of this process and am wondering what states I should consider.

 

I'm prepared to do this nightmare of a year in or near any town resembling modern society. Long-term I'd like to settle in a big city but that seems a long way off.

 

What states should I target?

 

What are my chances of finding work for this year?

 

Thanks

 

You have no chance of getting work this year as you need to first obtain a visa. You will never get a sponsored visa from the UK for a sparky job unless you have a friend or family who works in a company that will sponsor you. Companies here do not recruit sparks from the UK as they have too many hoops to jump through with licensing etc. you may get sponsored if you were here working for a company on a holiday visa and if the company wants to keep you long term. Talk to a migration company and ask them if you will score enough points for PR as i don't think you will as you only have 1 years post trade experience. You first need to obtain a visa which could take you up to a year, by then the licensing system may have changed again. It changes all the time and i missed the old system by less than 2 weeks and so i have been stuck with gap training now.

[colinmaclec]

Sounds like a total nightmare !! Will probably be picking your brains when we get out there? Are you working aswell??

 

lou

 

Yes i have been working for a company for the last 3 months. The money is so so but there's overtime pretty much when i want it and they have gave me a vehicle now as i am supervising for them and they recognize that they have a good very experienced spark even if i don't have a A license. But its not easy to get work here. I think it is a who you know place and your past CV counts for nothing, you have to start from the bottom again. I don't regret the move here at all but i have found it very hard to go so far backwards in my career.

[colinmaclec]

Has anyone on this forum or someone that you know come over to Australia and actually made some progress in their electrical career? I haven't been here that long but i am finding it extremely difficult to get anywhere on the job front. I am still doing gap training which is obviously part of the problem. I don't mean mining jobs either as that does not appeal to me . I have a very impressive CV and i have very broad experience yet i barely even get a response for jobs i apply for. I am finding it increasingly frustrating especially when i see the quality of workmanship and workrate that is present here. I am working at the moment but i feel i have went completely backwards in my career and am beginning to wonder if i am ever going to find a job that i am happy in here. If i was still in the UK i would have no problem in finding a good job despite the recession and i am interested to hear other peoples experiences.

[paul1977]

Has anyone on this forum or someone that you know come over to Australia and actually made some progress in their electrical career? I haven't been here that long but i am finding it extremely difficult to get anywhere on the job front. I am still doing gap training which is obviously part of the problem. I don't mean mining jobs either as that does not appeal to me . I have a very impressive CV and i have very broad experience yet i barely even get a response for jobs i apply for. I am finding it increasingly frustrating especially when i see the quality of workmanship and workrate that is present here. I am working at the moment but i feel i have went completely backwards in my career and am beginning to wonder if i am ever going to find a job that i am happy in here. If i was still in the UK i would have no problem in finding a good job despite the recession and i am interested to hear other peoples experiences.

I was lucky to fall on my feet there, but feel if I wasn't working for who I do I would be in the same boat, Australia is overated..!

[lledlledlled]

Has anyone on this forum or someone that you know come over to Australia and actually made some progress in their electrical career? I haven't been here that long but i am finding it extremely difficult to get anywhere on the job front. I am still doing gap training which is obviously part of the problem. I don't mean mining jobs either as that does not appeal to me . I have a very impressive CV and i have very broad experience yet i barely even get a response for jobs i apply for. I am finding it increasingly frustrating especially when i see the quality of workmanship and workrate that is present here. I am working at the moment but i feel i have went completely backwards in my career and am beginning to wonder if i am ever going to find a job that i am happy in here. If i was still in the UK i would have no problem in finding a good job despite the recession and i am interested to hear other peoples experiences.

 

Good question. I'm sure there's loads of us that would love to hear answers to this! I'm beginning to wonder if it's worth the time, bother, and huge expense involved.

I presume that there are some positive stories on life as an electrician in Australia, once the dreaded gap year is over.

Maybe forums like these tend to give a negative slant on things, as people are more inclined to post here if they are having a problem or difficulty. Once things begin to work out for them, many people might see little need for posting. Just a suggestion.

 

I hope things work out for you, and presume they will once you are rid of the shackles of your restricted license. Sure you can go for jobs you prefer after that. Good luck.

[paul1977]

Good question. I'm sure there's loads of us that would love to hear answers to this! I'm beginning to wonder if it's worth the time, bother, and huge expense involved.

I presume that there are some positive stories on life as an electrician in Australia, once the dreaded gap year is over.

Maybe forums like these tend to give a negative slant on things, as people are more inclined to post here if they are having a problem or difficulty. Once things begin to work out for them, many people might see little need for posting. Just a suggestion.

 

I hope things work out for you, and presume they will once you are rid of the shackles of your restricted license. Sure you can go for jobs you prefer after that. Good luck.

The trouble is with Australia is you need to be earning top dollar to survive , with only a small amount of firms paying top dollar.

[cordanuk]

The trouble is with Australia is you need to be earning top dollar to survive , with only a small amount of firms paying top dollar.

 

I'm sorry Paul I have to disagree with you there. You dont need top dollar to survive here!

You just need to adjust and budget appropriatley.

I'm struggling to find work as an L Grade and am trying allsorts of devious ways round getting my 12 months gap training in.

But at the end of the day everyone is in the same boat now.

ARTC holder are going to be told now or very shortly that they need to complete the 12 month gap and log, especialy when the national licence comes online.

Unfortunatly Australia has suffered with very poor migrants calling themselves electricians, I have seen them when we got agency sparks in the UK they turn up with a carrier bag with a couple of screwdrivers and a rusted up pair of pliers "that used to be his Dads" and thinks that he could do the job.

As it stands I dont know if I'll be going back into being a spark again. Trying to find jobs in project managment or sales instead.

Good Luck

[paul1977]

Good luck too, would like to add I have never felt adjusting your belt / cutting back on things as a positive thing to do, I see it if your going to be skint you might as well be skint in the uk rather than oz. I came to oz to earn as much as I can as quickly as I can, why move so far to be in the same or if not a worse financial position...?

Edited December 9, 2012 by paul1977

[colinmaclec]

I didn't come to Oz to make money. I made good money back home, i cam here for a better lifestyle but i still expected to earn more than what i currently do. Although i have just been offered a better job with more money so hopefully i am finally making some progress. And once i get the license it should allow me to move back into a supervisors or PM role!

[paul1977]

I didn't come to Oz to make money. I made good money back home, i cam here for a better lifestyle but i still expected to earn more than what i currently do. Although i have just been offered a better job with more money so hopefully i am finally making some progress. And once i get the license it should allow me to move back into a supervisors or PM role!

I have found myself over the last 18 months that I work just as many hours (generally) here in oz than I did in the uk. We start earlier which is nice but my total hours are the same, I still do a half day on a Saturday , so the only real difference is we work in the sunshine. Not 100% sure you have a better quality of life...? That's just my experience

[colinmaclec]

I have found myself over the last 18 months that I work just as many hours (generally) here in oz than I did in the uk. We start earlier which is nice but my total hours are the same, I still do a half day on a Saturday , so the only real difference is we work in the sunshine. Not 100% sure you have a better quality of life...? That's just my experience

 

 

Did you expect to work a half day everyday? I was referring to life outside work. Such as taking the kids to the beach or park when i come home from work which was something i could rarely do back home apart from a couple of months of the year at best. I plan on buying a boat as well which again is something i would have been unlikely to do back home. There is more to life than money. I spent years trying to make as much money as possible only to see most of it wiped out because the banks got greedy.

[colinmaclec]

Thanks dear for sharing information.

 

eh

[jimcz]

Hi guys. Could I have a couple of questions pls? I was assessed in 2009 as an electrician special class because most of my work duties were plant maintenance related. And it's only now when I'm going to move to AUS with my granted visa.

 

I'm trying to understand the system of obtaining Aussie qualification but to be honest I still can't get my head around it.

 

1) My understanding is that I should aim to get electrician mechanic license and not electrician fitter because the latter is somewhat "inferior". Am I right? Will it be problem with my "special class"?

 

2) Could somebody please explain to me what steps I should take? So first I need to prove again that I have experience in my field? The same thing like I had to do for TRA at the beginning of the process? Is it what you call OSTR (off shore trade record)? Where will I need to present this paperwork? Is it for the organisation that you call ATRC?

 

Sorry so much, I tried to go through last pages of this thread but you use so many for me mysterious terms that I'd would really appreciate a bit of help. Cheers.

[derren7]

Hi guys. Could I have a couple of questions pls? I was assessed in 2009 as an electrician special class because most of my work duties were plant maintenance related. And it's only now when I'm going to move to AUS with my granted visa.

 

I'm trying to understand the system of obtaining Aussie qualification but to be honest I still can't get my head around it.

 

1) My understanding is that I should aim to get electrician mechanic license and not electrician fitter because the latter is somewhat "inferior". Am I right? Will it be problem with my "special class"?

 

2) Could somebody please explain to me what steps I should take? So first I need to prove again that I have experience in my field? The same thing like I had to do for TRA at the beginning of the process? Is it what you call OSTR (off shore trade record)? Where will I need to present this paperwork? Is it for the organisation that you call ATRC?

 

Sorry so much, I tried to go through last pages of this thread but you use so many for me mysterious terms that I'd would really appreciate a bit of help. Cheers.

Hi there,

Once you arrive in Australia then you'll have to apply to the TRA again for an ARTC. Why they don't just grant you this when you had your migration assessment is beyond me. Basically, you have to re-submit all the paperwork you submitted for your migration assessment. Once you have been granted an ARTC, which can take anywhere from 1- 4 months to process, you will need to contact the licencing authority of the state you intend to live in to get a restricted licence/permit to train so that you can find work to complete on the job gap training and approach your local TAFE (college) or a Registered Training Organisation in order to do your wiring regs or any other courses you need to complete.

As for electrical mechanic vs electrical fitter, yes some people consider the mechanic to be superior but you will be graded as a fitter given your background and judging by the jobs I've seen advertised here in Brisbane you'll have no trouble finding work. There are loads of maintenance a jobs, especially if you have plc, vsd, scada experience.

Regards Derren

[jimcz]

Hi there,

Once you arrive in Australia then you'll have to apply to the TRA again for an ARTC........

 

Thanks Darren for your response, now it's much clearer.

 

It's ridiculous that I'll have to present the same documents for TRA again. They must have my previous correspondence on my files. I had hard time to chase my employers and schools even before and now I really don't know if can make it again.

 

There was a note about something called "PEER" some pages back in this thread and possible faster alternative to get A grade. Do you know what it stands for?

 

I guess there in no way I could start the process already now when I'm still offshore? Those 4 months waiting for TRA assessment result seems really long when you realise that you need to support dependants.

 

By the way, in the TRA form isn't electrician special class anymore, only mechanic or fitter. Do you think I can try ticking off mechanic although I was assessed as special class (maintenance)? I couldn't find any official info explaining what is what and some kind of comparative table.

[cordanuk]

Hi Jim

Unfortunatly because you have already completed a OTSR you wont be allowed to apply for an ARTC.

And because of that you will have to do 12 months gap training. You will have to apply for an L grade Licence.

Depending on where you want to live that is.

 

Justin

[derren7]

Hi Jim

Unfortunatly because you have already completed a OTSR you wont be allowed to apply for an ARTC.

And because of that you will have to do 12 months gap training. You will have to apply for an L grade Licence.

Depending on where you want to live that is.

 

Justin

 

Hi Justin,

Back in 2009 electricians special class weren't assessed by vetassess, they were assessed by the TRA so he won't have an OTSR.

Regards Derren

[derren7]

Thanks Darren for your response, now it's much clearer.

 

It's ridiculous that I'll have to present the same documents for TRA again. They must have my previous correspondence on my files. I had hard time to chase my employers and schools even before and now I really don't know if can make it again.

 

There was a note about something called "PEER" some pages back in this thread and possible faster alternative to get A grade. Do you know what it stands for?

 

I guess there in no way I could start the process already now when I'm still offshore? Those 4 months waiting for TRA assessment result seems really long when you realise that you need to support dependants.

 

By the way, in the TRA form isn't electrician special class anymore, only mechanic or fitter. Do you think I can try ticking off mechanic although I was assessed as special class (maintenance)? I couldn't find any official info explaining what is what and some kind of comparative table.

 

Hi Jim,

Until last year you used to be able to apply for an ARTC offshore but they put a stop to it, presumably, because at the time there was a large backlog of applications.

In order to attend PEER (which is a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) based in Adelaide) you will need an ARTC and this will get you a South Australian licence after course lasting several days.

However, with an SA licence you may find it difficult to get it transferred to other States with the exception of NSW and possibly WA and QLD. Victoria are flat refusing to recognise the SA licence.

The only other option is to get an assessment done by a TAFE (college) or an RTO.

The only advice I can give you is to contact the TRA (who in my experience are difficult to contact) or PEER. Try contacting PEER in Adelaide as they are seemingly, very helpful and will give you up to date info for overseas trained electricians. The goal posts change all the time so I would definitely try to contact the TRA to see if they can use your previous application.

As for mechanic/fitter, you can apply for both on the application but if you want a mechanic licence then you'll need to place more emphasis on install work.

Regards Derren

[woodymcfc]

Thanks Darren for your response, now it's much clearer.

 

It's ridiculous that I'll have to present the same documents for TRA again. They must have my previous correspondence on my files. I had hard time to chase my employers and schools even before and now I really don't know if can make it again.

 

There was a note about something called "PEER" some pages back in this thread and possible faster alternative to get A grade. Do you know what it stands for?

 

I guess there in no way I could start the process already now when I'm still offshore? Those 4 months waiting for TRA assessment result seems really long when you realise that you need to support dependants.

 

By the way, in the TRA form isn't electrician special class anymore, only mechanic or fitter. Do you think I can try ticking off mechanic although I was assessed as special class (maintenance)? I couldn't find any official info explaining what is what and some kind of comparative table.

 

When you apply for your ARTC it isnt the same form as for your skills assessment from TRA, thats why you see Electrical Mechanic and Electrical fitter. I am too from the same background, maintenance PLC's, SCADA, VSD's etc but although I didnt do too much install work I was capable, like most sparks with our background (17th edition regs certified).

 

If you look at my previous posts on here you will realise what trouble I went through to obtain my mechanics ARTC and last month I was awarded that so now my ARTC says both electrcial fitter & electrical mechanic. sorry to say but You WILL NOT be awarded with your mechanics ARTC if you were assessed as an electrician special class. If you manage to convince TRA that the majority of your work was installation then you may get the opportunity to sit a trade test. This is not easy, questions that you get no preparation for and although the college tutor assessed me as a competent electrician, TRA thought otherwise. I did not get the required mark on sections of my trade test...you needed to get 75% on each section and for example there were 2 questions on lighting, I got one wrong therefore I failed that section !!!!!! The college couldn't believe it and were on my side but even they said TRA are impossible to deal with !!!! I had to do several courses in lighting, checking & testing etc....and with this I then applied again to TRA which is when I was awarded the Mechanics title.

I stuck with the process as I knew what I was capable of, in total, from first applying it took just under 18 months to gain my Mechanics ARTC so now I am able to sit the ETL course in WA (JAN 2013) this will get me the unrestricted license. If you read other posts of mine you will realise that I wanted the 2 weeks course that the mechanics ARTC allows you to sit. Unless you know the answer to questions like : what is the minimum working pressure of ox-acytelene gas? then you may struggle to get your electrical fitters license in WA !!!!!

Edited December 13, 2012 by woodymcfc