davegreen

My application is still with the TRA but basically had to get references from previous employers detailing tools used (hand, electrical power and testing equipment). Cable types and accessories installed , even down to describing manufacture of tray/trunking sets and bend. Details of apprenticeship i.e on site/off site training.

GCH

I was told by an auzzie that Queensland was probably the most difficult to get a licence !!! Do you know which is the best or easiest one to get ??

Darren&Leanne

my friend has gone to perth and he has had to do written exams and practical exams.
im going to brisbane and have been told that i will only have to do written exams at the worst. its all about the wiring regs and you can take it in with you.

GCH

Don't you have to do a CPR course also ??

benna

OK Listen up evryone !!!!! There seems to be alot of confusion over what you can and cant do to get your licence..... first up anything that you do with the TRA to do with getting your visa means NOTHING when you get here and start your licence application. also you cannot get the ball rolling in the uk to get your licence, here is what you have to do WHEN YOU ARRIVE!

go straight to the TRA on adelaide street in brisbane, they will give you the forms to apply with them for a ARTC certificate. you basically have to show all your english papers again, ie city and guilds, work ref etc and they put this in front of a panel which only meets once every 5-6 weeks. thats why you need to see them asap as you want to make sure that you dont miss a meeting otherwise it all adds to the time frame.
When they have had the panel meeting they will issue you with a ARTC certificate which will class you as an electrical fitter or electrical mechanic. you want to go for the mechanic as the fitters clasification is limiting to what you can do work wise.

When you have your artc certificate you then go to licencsing in Lutwyche, in brisbane and again give them all your paperwork from the uk and the artc certificate also you then need to do the CRP course which will cost you aroung $80.00, they will need a certificate from this too.( it has to be an Aussie course)

They then process your application and providing you meet their criteria they will issue a temp licence and will tell you the course that you need to do. It can be done at Taffe or as a correspondance course through a guy called Chris Williamson in brisbane, he runs a electrical training programme and is really helpfull in helping you get through the sysytem.

It takes about 3 months to do the course and then you sit a theory exam and a practical exam.
then when you have all this done you go back to licensing with the papares to show that you have passed the exams and they will issue a licence.

I know that someone has said that they have been working without papers out here, but my husband could not get a job as an electrician untill he could show his licence, they are quite hot on it here, but he was allowed to work as a trades assistant.

hope that this clarifies a few things, but to cut it short nothing to do with the TRA for the visa application is relevant here and you cannot do anything to start the ball rolling untill you arrive.

If you want the contact details for chris williamson, let me know. he was really helpfull and get my husband through the process as quickly as possible. but bear in mind that it still took 5 months from start to finish.

Also if you want to set up on your own you then need to work for a year with your normal licence and then go back and do another course to get a contractors licence !!!!

They like to do courses here !!!!

hope that helps.

Claire

Darren&Leanne

Hiya Claire please give us all the info you have on this guy Chris,
we could so will all the help we can get as you say,when we get there we are starting from scratch!!!!

May I just ask,once the licence has been granted what is the hourly rate for an Electrician as we have had many conflicting stories!!!!!(hope you dont think i'm being cheeky)

Leanne

John Howard

Hourly rates for electricians depends on what you do. I am maintenance supervisor at a large food plant in west Sydney we pay a flat rate of $25.20 to our maintenance sparkys and fitters. We pay an annualised weekly payment based on 192 hrs O/T per year at 1.8x rate it works out at about $160 /week. They also get 1 rostered day off per month. if you work shifts you get 15% for afternoons and 30% for night shift. My night shift guys are earning between 75/80k. Try and stay away from jobs that just pay the AWARD RATE as the award rate is normally crap. Hope this helps a bit

Darren&Leanne

Cheers john
My chap is a industrial,commercial,domestic sparky,rewires(rarely),testing,new shops,new builds,air con,houses ,that kind of thing and we are hoping to settle in Brisbane!!!!!!!

jinxnkay

Im in Brisbane ive been through all the procedures above. this is how it goes for electricians arriving in brisbane.ive just started the course at TAFFE last saturday. although its only for 8 saturdays it runs till december. eg college one sat miss a couple etc. it starts at 8am till 4pm. cost $800. im electrical mechanic. i rang a guy out of the paper and got lucky with a job as soon as i got here. i cant work on my own until i get my licence by law but now ive got the hang of the things they do differently, they leave me to it really. the moneys not brill $22 an hour but $33 (time and half) for overtime and ive been given a van so at mo im pretty happy!

bussie

Took me 6 mths to get my licence in Peth 2 Pratical exams as i failed the first one (as they dont tell you any thing about what will be in it and as i had to do the electrical fitters exam it was quite hard)

eg test 3 armatures with a growler
wire up a three phase transformer star/delta and test for correct operation
wire up a dol starter
wire up a cap start motor with no wires marked and test for correct operation
wire up a flu fitting but they dont tell you its a series one
test two portable appliances and write a report on them

you need 60% to pass and i got 55% on me first go

they give you two attempts to pass other wise its 6mths at college

and it takes about 5 weeks from booking the test to taking it
as for the office of energy it took them 4 weeks to let me know the results
once you have passed this test you have to take a theory test
multi choice and very easy you can book and take it when you like just again it takes the office of energy time to let you know your results

if you want to get dual traded ie mechanic/fitter which i suggest you do
you have to get a letter from your old employer saying you have completed works as a mechanic or fitter which ever your going for details are on there web site on what should be put in the letter from your employer
then all you have to do is fill out a form pay ya money and take a multichoice test easy peasy

i have been in perth for 9 months and have yet to work as a sparkie heheh
i have just got a job with western power on all there HV stuff and start next wed

so it just shows there is plenty of work out there if you want it
i have only been out of work for 1 month since arriving and have been a
non distructive test engineer for BOC ( never had any experience in this at all )but it was easy and they put me on a course to learn all about it
i have worked as a building manager for the justice department building in perth and now im moving on again to work for western power (and have never done HV work before)

just one thing back up everything you do for the TRA and i mean everything
i copied every thing and got 2 copies of every important doc certified
and it came in handy when i had to go for my ARTC
and dont bother with an agent do it your self !!!!

John Howard

I am looking for a Maintenance Electrician to work afternoon shift on a tempory 3 month contract. This could become perm, but not guarranteed. Must have a licence and apprenticeship papers. Experience in food packing and manufacturing. auger filling, bag makers, cereals, AB plc, SCADA- Citect etc. You would have to work through Forstaff. Rates: $25.20hr +15% afternoon shift + 20% causal rate + O/T. Location: Green's General foods- West Sydney- Rooty Hill/Glendenning. Please PM me for further details.

www.greensfoods.com.au

benna

Hi Leanne,

No you are not being cheeky at all, my husband (david) used to work in london innbig sites refits that type of thing, he is working for a guy here, who is always looking for electricians and has been really good to David, he supervised all his work place training, as thats part of the course and has been as helpful as he could be, also chris williamson from qld electrical training has been brilliant, you can do the course at taffe as the other guy said, but david had missed a start date and would have had to have waited for 3 months to start and by that time Chris williamson had got him throught the course !!!! David gets $20.00 per hour between 7.30 and 3.30pm and then after that its time and ahalf, and then the same for saturday mornings , up untill 1pm and then its double time. he also does emergency call out sometimes and gets double time for that. the wages are quite alot lower here, which takes abit of getting used to, but generally he takes home about $850.00 per fortnight, but remember thats like having £850.00 !!!!! Well thats what we tell ourselves anyway !!!!!! he gets a van and phone as well.

Its abit different to what he was doing in the uk but its ok!!!

You can contact chris williamson on [email protected] OR 07 3344 1274


When do you think that you will be over here? have you got your visa yet? I dont know if we can swap email address or something as maybe you can keep me posted and when you get here, David might be able to help with work as I said his boss is always looking for people???

ANYWAY LET ME KNOW.....

cLAIREX

benna

Hi Leanne,

I have just read the reply that I sent to you and seen that I said $850.00 per fornight I actually meant per week !!!!!! Sorry, bet that freaked you out !!!!

Claire x

daisy678

:lecture: Contact John (AMSAS) [email protected] he is highly recommended and gets results. He wont stuff you about and will get the job done. Got us through and I'm an electrician (not easiest of trades to get thru). If you want a positive result, get him on side.

GCH

Got me worried !!!