Electricians In Australia

[GunnersGirl]

Hi

 

Im working as a TA at present on a gold mine. Im earning around $40 an hour. General take home for a 4 week swing is $9-10,000

You have to look at it over a five week swing though, because on your weeks leave you dont earn anything so divide it over 5 weeks ($2000 a week). You need a minimum of $4000 a month to survive out here the rest we bank. I wont lie to you. Its a crap exsistance, no life whatsoever except for the week your off. but if you can stick it for 4-6 years you will bank some serious money. and have the lifestyle we all want.

 

Good luck! it is worth doing![/quote

 

yes exactly, few years hard graft.

 

It's supposed to be hard to get in to the mines though isn't it?

[markstott1980]

I went to Sydney with the intention of staying on the drillship I was employed on in Malaysia, working 4 weeks on, 4 weeks off. I was offered a job before I got there as an Electrician with my provisional NSW license. My contract basically paid $33 per hour but there was overtime/travel/nighshift on top of that. It stated I was an unlicensed electrician but could work under the GENERAL SUPERVISION of a contacting company. I was contracting all over Sydney for a company called Stowe, big contracts, industrial/military/commercial. It wasn't great but it was worth it.

 

I did eventually miss the offshore life but found I couldn't get back into that without a license. I am back offshore again now, back in the UK but moving back to Sydney this year. Will be keeping my drilling job this time and trying to get the license during my time off. Hopefully things will work out from there. If they don't, I'm not too bothered, I'll still be getting my 4 weeks off in Australia and earning enough for my family and I.

 

I do have a question though - does my logbook need to be completed in Australia? Can I complete it on the ship I am on and have a college verify it? I am going to check this out with a couple of lecturers I knew when I was over there.

[Guest burness86]

Hi guys i just did the LEA Theory exam and studied my ass off for it thinking that i wouldnt bother with the tutorial and failed getting 45 percent :-( Been here a year now and still working as a postie! have to wait another month before i can re-sit it. If i dont get my a license soon im going to explode!

[Guest sparky1966]

Hi Burness,

 

yes ive heard it aint easy.got a few mates who passed,they took the tutioral 1st.

Might be better being a postie that an a grade in Melbourne at the moment.I was laid off last week.Very few jobs out there.

Richard

[paul1977]

How comes there's no work in Melbourne, was on the understanding work was ok there..?

[Guest sparky1966]

Hi,

just not many jobs being advertised,I know it who you know etc,just finding it hard to get a start with not many contacts here.relying on seek ,like everyone else.Ive applied to many jobs ,prob over 20 during the last year,very rarely hear back from any.and ive got 20yrs + of experience.

[paul1977]

Maybe contact the ETU, they may be able to help

[markstott1980]

Heard back from North Sydney TAFE. They are still the only institute I know of in NSW to offer the gap training - running it on Monday and Tuesday nights 1800-2100.

 

Approx. $2200 for the course and it takes 18 weeks.

 

Then there is the log book. Roughly 12 months of paid employment. It just has to cover the elements required so could probably be done faster. I am going to ask my previous company for for information about the 6 months work I have already done and see if I can credit that to the logbook when I get back. I can't do the work on my drillship as it is not run by an Australian company.

[Guest burness86]

Hi,

just not many jobs being advertised,I know it who you know etc,just finding it hard to get a start with not many contacts here.relying on seek ,like everyone else.Ive applied to many jobs ,prob over 20 during the last year,very rarely hear back from any.and ive got 20yrs + of experience.

 

That sucks mate. i know what you mean about having contacts... i must of applied for about 20 different jobs when i landed and aus post were the only ones that replied.

just bored of the same routine.

[CROWDED HOUSE]

It's supposed to be hard to get in to the mines though isn't it?

 

Yes its hard to get into. There is a saying for the type of people that work on these mines and you need to be part of it or them to stay in the game. There called ................"Purple Circle"

 

You have to like sucking c*ck alot and generally be the worst electrician to walk the outback.

Its pathetic. Moneys good but you really have to bite your tongue. The working away is crap and the heat in the pilbura is evil

[colinmaclec]

Sounds like your loving it out there! Trust me working in the city is kinda the same lol. Supervisors tend to be the bosses buddy and some of the standard of work is piss poor. I don't think i could do the working away for 4 weeks at a time. Living to work springs to mind.

[AJ]

It's supposed to be hard to get in to the mines though isn't it?

 

Yes its hard to get into. There is a saying for the type of people that work on these mines and you need to be part of it or them to stay in the game. There called ................"Purple Circle"

 

You have to like sucking c*ck alot and generally be the worst electrician to walk the outback.

Its pathetic. Moneys good but you really have to bite your tongue. The working away is crap and the heat in the pilbura is evil

 

So is that how you got your job then?

[paul1977]

Sounds like your loving it out there! Trust me working in the city is kinda the same lol. Supervisors tend to be the bosses buddy and some of the standard of work is piss poor. I don't think i could do the working away for 4 weeks at a time. Living to work springs to mind.

The standard of work is power than piss poor mate

[Skyba]

If the work is so piss poor why do they make out they're trained to a higher level than UK apprentices? Lol

[paul1977]

If the work is so piss poor why do they make out they're trained to a higher level than UK apprentices? Lol

You wait to you get here, if your a time served spark from the UK you will not believe how low the standard is. What makes me smile is they think their a higher standard than us. An Ozzie spark would be pumped after the first day on a UK site. Don't bring tools because you won't need any, I class it as de-skilling process.all you need is a Phillips screwdriver , terminal , cutters, pliers, tape measure, tool belt which I have renamed bullshit belt. All Ozzie sparks have one so the name suits ..!

[colinmaclec]

I would love to see your average ozzie spark do the homework that i have to do. I know how to work out the answers, formulas etc, for me its just a pain in the arse and finding time exercise seeing as i have 2 kids and am settling in to a new country and dealing with everything that goes with it. What percentage of ozzie sparks do you reckon in their 30s could work out volt drop or maximum demand. I questioned the supervisor at my last work on why he wanted to put 4mm cables to the first socket on a long run then the rest in 2.5mm and he shrugged his shoulders and said volt drop. I pointed out that volt drop is biggest to the last point not the first and that mixing cables is a no no and more shoulder shrugging ensued!! And yet i have to do gap training!!!!!!!!

[blackstar]

Hi there.. I'm looking at moving back to uk (im from scotland) with my Australian fiance, Matt, this year. can you give us any useful info on how he would best go about transfering his electrical ticket so he can work in scotland?

[colinmaclec]

He does not need a ticket to work in the UK. A lot of companies will ask for JIB card (every electrician who done an apprenticeship has one). But some companies will employ overseas sparky's although i don't think he will find it easy getting work due to the current state of the UK construction industry. Best people to contact are the Scottish Joint Industry Board and they will advise whats needed. I think you would have to do a 17th edition regs course and they will issue a JIB card but i may be wrong. The poles managed it lol so it can't be difficult!

[biggaf]

Just thought i'd sign in for the first time in about 6 months, just to drop in a report. House bashing for a mate for the past few month and it pays the bills. Still keep trying with construction companies and such, Gorgon wont touch you cos you aint as good as a t.a. in their eyes. Like everyone says, you need that license but doing the work when you have a family to look after it takes alot of time.

[colinmaclec]

Yeah it ain't easy that's for sure. I am sure you will get somewhere eventually. I have a better job now and the company has gave me a project to run. Finally found a company that looked at my past experience and realised that i will get the license soon enough! And am almost finished the logbook. Trying to get the capstone booked now and i also need to do a comms test for my elective that i had to pick before i get the A Grade license. More time but at least i get my comms ticket too. I will be so glad when all this is behind me.

[Loulouhew]

Yeah it ain't easy that's for sure. I am sure you will get somewhere eventually. I have a better job now and the company has gave me a project to run. Finally found a company that looked at my past experience and realised that i will get the license soon enough! And am almost finished the logbook. Trying to get the capstone booked now and i also need to do a comms test for my elective that i had to pick before i get the A Grade license. More time but at least i get my comms ticket too. I will be so glad when all this is behind me.

 

 

Hi

 

We are arriving end of May have been in touch with college they wont put my hubby on course waiting list until i email a copy of his Restricted licence hoping that comes through anyday as credit card has been debited . they said a few weeks ago waiting list was May/June which would be good . Do you have any contacts you could put us in touch with regarding TA positions?

 

Thanks

Lou

[Skyba]

He does not need a ticket to work in the UK. A lot of companies will ask for JIB card (every electrician who done an apprenticeship has one). But some companies will employ overseas sparky's although i don't think he will find it easy getting work due to the current state of the UK construction industry. Best people to contact are the Scottish Joint Industry Board and they will advise whats needed. I think you would have to do a 17th edition regs course and they will issue a JIB card but i may be wrong. The poles managed it lol so it can't be difficult!

 

 

I dunno how it works with Ozzie quals but when I was at college a Hungarian spark was made to do the 2330 and the NVQ 3 to be qualified, but you could work as an improver I'd imagine and pretty much anyone with £500 and a 17th edition cert can register as a domestic installer

[Nigsystar]

Hi there..

Edited October 2, 2013 by Nigsystar

[colinmaclec]

Not really, i have got both of my jobs through the West Australian paper. I joined the union too but they just send you a list of what companies have the big jobs. Think the union companies are hard to get in to as they probably get CV's constantly and they don't really advertise jobs. Paul1977 works for one of them so would know better than me. Don't really see TA jobs advertised i have just applied for electricians jobs

[markstott1980]

If I already have an OTSR from VETASSESS is there any benefit or any real reason to get an ARTC when I am in Australia?