john_w

Thank everyone.
Getting it all together now.. I will email them again and attach some of the replies from here ( excluding names ) Hopefully then the person in the TRA office will realise they can do something prior to me living there.

john_w

Ok.. last update, recieved email back from TRA (ARTC)..They say there is no way they will process an application for an ARTC until I have my visa and an Australian residential address
( yes they under-lined the points too ... ) The pre-visa way of doing it was stopped this year and all requirements must be met before they will accept an aplication for the ARTC.
So Im back to waiting for my visa first ...then moving in with my cousin when we move over to Perth before applying for the ARTC.
They certainly dont make it easy!!

simpy

Really sorry to hear that they have changed the way of applying pre-visa. The main problem with the whole process of getting trades recognised is that none of it is easy. You would think that the main visa application would be the difficult part, but no. I can't believe how many hoops we have to jump through just to be able to work over there. From my point of view for example; they are crying out for Electricians (all types) but they make the whole process of being recognised very difficult by not having a process of revealing information properly and having the same information available for all migrants so that we can all follow the same process. There are many and numerous types of Electrician, from lift installers right through to Electrical design engineers and the way that the information is set out for us is crap, there should be a way of being able to email them (made blatently obvious on the first page of their website, for example 'Click Here For All New Overseas Applicants' , the person receiving that email should himself be trained to distinguish different types of each trade so that you can tell them what you do for a career and be properly categorised, not put into GENERAL ELECTRICIAN - 4311-11 COS WE DON'T EXACTLY KNOW WHAT YOUR CAREER IS category. I only found out about the ARTC by pure accident as I was browsing the TRA website. Since applying and, after a hell of a lot of grief, being awarded an ARTC, I have NOT been given any other advice by TRA regarding licensing. I only found out that I will need to be licensed via this website, and even now, I still don't know whether i will need the 'A' class or not. Not one job I have applied for as a Maintenance Electrical Fitter or PLC programmer has mentioned the 'A' class in its lists of requirements, the only time a license has been mentioned is that I should possess a 'C' class??? and guess what.... I cant find anything out about the so called 'C' class and how to go about obtaining it. I have however found out that I fall under the 'S' class in Victoria, but no matter how many times of asking ESV, no reply is ever heard.
Now for my little rant i want to get of my chest...
DEAR AUSTRALIAN IMMIGRATION, I WANT TO EMIGRATE TO AUSTRALIA WITH MY FAMILY TO GIVE THEM A BETTER LIFE THAN WHAT THEY COULD EVER GET IN THE UK, IM A FULLY QUALIFIED MAINTENANCE ELECTRICAL ENGINEER WITH EXCELLENT PLC SKILLS AND 18 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE.... HOW DO I GO ABOUT BEING LEGALLY ABLE TO FIND WORK UPON GETTING MY VISA AND ARRIVING IN AUSTRALIA SO THAT I CAN PROVIDE FOR MY FAMILY AND GIVE THEM A BETTER LIFE WITH WHICH I THINK THEY RICHLY DESERVE. I DONT WANT TO BUM AROUND, I DONT WANT TO BE A BURDEN ON YOUR SOCIETY, I JUST WANT TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE FOR MY FAMILY DOING THE JOB THAT I KNOW I CAN DO AND TO BOOST YOUR ECONOMY AND PROVIDE OTHERS WITH THE SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE I HAVE... WHY IS IT SO DIFFICULT TO POINT ME IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION TO DO THIS.
ok rant over... sorry everyone, needed to get this off my chest.

s-jmelbournewannabe

Go Simpy,

Really enjoyed reading that, however being in the early days of TRA application, dosnt fill me with confidence, then got visa to do and then ARTC and then A class.............................. Arghhhh


Calm down and

S-j and Si

The_Pom_From_Aus

May i be of some assistance to you in this post.
you say your an Electrician main with PLC experience, well mate you will have to sit the A class electricians license its as simple as that. all other classes of license are shite not worth a toss, the A class allows you to work alone unsupervised all others DONT.
So you get the TRA assesment done you shall be classes as a electrical machanic. (Dont panic) most sparks have this classification.
In victoria the A class exam goes for 4 & 1/2 hours a mixture of written calcs, then testing of installation, then visual fault finding looking at a switchboard
(consumer unit) you find the visual faults then find the wiring rules for the faults
(wiring regs).
Then there is another fault board like an installation with faults, then there is a disconnect & reconnect of an appliance.

When you are doing the written part of the exam its a nightmare they make it very hard for all people sitting the exams, they tend to pull & push you right through the entire exams.
You must obtain an overall pass of 75% to be granted the A class license.

There are Tafe's (colleges) where you can do a short 12 week course that outlines the AS/NZ wiring rules, cable calcs and so on so you may be ready for the exam. Its not easy to say the least, but well worth the time to gain this knowlidge.
The earthing system in australia is completley different from the UK over here they use the MEN (Multiple Earthed Neutral) meaning the earth & neutral bar are connected at the main switchboard, each property also has its own earth bar where you connect a earth cable from the switchboard direct to the earth bar driven into the ground to a min of 1.2 meters. (load of bollocks you may say) but thats how its done here matey.

Please may i say now NEVER Ever touch a neutral bar, regardless of it being single phase or three phase you will get a shock. There is always current running through the neutral bar.

But the courses run by the Tafe's are very good they go through all of it with you, especially the installation & connections of RCD safety switches (ELCB's)

If you need any help or assistance just ask my friend, its as simple as that. there is no company that will employ you with out the A class ticket, even though you may be doing PLC's you will still have to do the A class, to me that seems unfair, i think the exam is actually suited to people who have experiance in contract work, not maint work but as i say you have to get that A class license.

Each state has its own style of exams, vic is the hardest unfortuantley, as i say if you need help i can be of some assistance especially in the written part & the installation testing and the faults.

regards

arthur

ps
i hope i have not horrified you at all

Wendy

Arthur, you've horrified me :scared:

So glad we had none of that here in South Australia. It was so easy here it's untrue (compared to what you guys have to do) and the best bit is that we can now move anywhere in Australia and apply for a full unrestricted licence straight away

The_Pom_From_Aus

Wendy, how long is it since your hubby applied for his license, i think you will not find all states have the policy of an Exam for the A class license.

To be very honest all i said is very true here in Vic the people running it all have the manopoly and i can assure all people sitting there exams its a bastard, the people running it all say the more they fail the more secure there Jobs are.
"*****".???

The people at this training place its called EPIC they do it all for the Vic government, ive asked to get into the exam room again to look at the new setup so i can then post on here to assist people, & i dont mean giving answers but explaine the setup and how yo actually tackle the exams on the day, but the bastards want now even talk to me, they consider me a threat to there little empire.

Regards

arthur

Wendy

Hi Arthur, he's had his licence since the end of November (so 2 months).

The guys at PEER here in South Aus certainly look after you better that that! The guy who does the training there has the same views as you regarding some of the other training and the TRA stuff (he used to be on the comittee for the TRA), he said it's all way over the top and it should change. Whether it will or not is another matter though

I can't speak for the system at TAFE here in SA though, as they had a waiting list for this course. He'd have had to wait until February for that one. I have no idea how they expected us to survive for that long without work though!!

The_Pom_From_Aus

Wendy, im happy your hubby did not have to go through all that shite, thank goodness. as you say its all crap, and these people have no ides of how a person would survive & they dont give a shit.

But will hubby be working for a firm or will he self employed, if for a company then he is fine if self employed he will have to do the bloody contractors course
(more bollocks) & more money for the course then license, then more money for insurance if he is self employed, they have it all ties up here regarding finance for the small person.

I hope all is well for you both.

regards

arthur

ps

if you ever in victoria give us a call and we can all have lunch together

Wendy

He's working for a company who make parts for Holden. So he doesn't need anything else as he works in a factory, mainly on PLC's

From what I've read and been told by the authorities, to be a contractor in this state he just needs to have not had a business that has gone bankrupt in the past, and a card (is it blue or green, I forget) to be able to work on sites. Also, I could actually be the contractor so long as he is also named on the application as being the registered sparky. Mind that's what we've been told, doesn't always mean it works that way though does it, some of these people who work in this field have as much idea as we do

It's all a minefield anyway and he's quite happy to work for someone else to make sure the bills are paid for now. If he ever does want to set up on his own, he's sorting it out

The_Pom_From_Aus

wendy, you make me smile with your comments as you say its bloody hard work, especially here in Vic, where you are it seems a lot easier if i had this info i would have gone to your neck of the wood to get the frigging license.,

regards

arthur

Wendy

Lots of Aussies do come here for it

I'm not sure how long ago the other states started recognising the licence from here, but it seems to work for a few. PEER even send all the course work for them to do in their home state and then they only need to come down for the exam! (which is just putting in the relevant wiring regulations to the questions)

Maybe one day, they'll have a standard application for the whole country and hopefully it won't be the one you have there in Vic

The_Pom_From_Aus

Simpy, to work unsupervised in the electrical industry in australia you will require the A class license.
regardless of UK qualifications any other license in australia wont allow you to work on your own, even if you are doing PLC's or industrial maint work.

You will find it almost impossible to abtain work with out the full license of A class in the electrical game here mate in all states.

the trades recognition council may give you the cert of electrical fitter or mechanic but regardless of qualifications basic or higher quals you must obtain the A class so you can work unsupervised. i know its shite but thats what they do & they wont change it for bugger all. you may say what do i do for work & supporting my family, until you get that classification you will have to do something else.

regards

arthur

The_Pom_From_Aus

wendy do you have the address of PEER is S/A also do you have the name or email address of the bloke your hubby contacted for hiw exams, ive been unendated with request from UK sparkies asking for help, they all seem to think as soon as they are off the boat (plane) they are able to walk right into an electrical job. Not so as you & I both know.

so wend if you have any contacts from PEER or email please can you send them to my home email address, there is one bloke who emaild me who is gutted at the thought of it all again.

regards

arthur

Wendy

You can contact them through here Arthur http://www.peer.com.au/index1024m.htm

I don't know the blokes name (I've forgot it ) but as far as I know he's the only guy who tutors that particular course.