bridie

Just wondered what your experiences are as we've so far found the actual apprentice company completely bloody useless.

My DH has been doing this since October 2005 and they STILL havent found out from TAFE or anyone a) how he goes about having his qualifications assessed so he can do a reduced apprenticeship or b) when he's supposed to start attending TAFE, what days etc etc etc.

So was wondering if anyone else in same/similar boat, maybe we could start a support group as it drives me nuts

bridie

Ok i will re-word the title, any other mature apprentices in any trade anywhere in Oz?

Nomore

Join the club dear. My hubby still waiting to hear from TAFE as to which courses he needs to do 9 months on.
They want you to get the licences, but give you no bloody advice on how to get them!!

bridie

Yay, I found someone!

Is he electrical? Has he worked in the trade a long while?

My DH just qualified before we left, hence the need to do this apprenticeship. We are just keeping our fingers crossed that he only has to do 12 or 18 months max as an apprentice....

Nomore

He needs 3 licences...Refrigeration, Electrical and Gas.
He has done this trade for20 years soild. Yet they want him to go to college again
He passed the TRA with flying colours..yet he has to prove he can do his job.
He has paid loads more money to the colleges to get hold of the licences he needs and filled in loads of forms.
They said..."fair enough, we know you are skilled, you don't have to do a course for a year, just fill in forms and send us the money and we will send the licence in due course"
Still waiting.
He can't do certain jobs without them, losing money everyday
But there is nothing we can do!!

paulf

The company I work for are running a pilot scheme for Mature Electrical apprentices, I am in fact a apprentice at 43 yrs old

thing is though the wages are alot more here than any other apprentice scheme in OZ, I get more than most full qualified tradesmen.
The SNAG is it is ALL heavy construction, which means fly-in fly-out, but the company pay everything including $620 a week living away from home allowance (lafha) and full wages while doing the TAFE block, but the main thing is it is excellerated which means the four year apprenticeship is completed in well under 18 months

EDIT: I should add this scheme was set up with gov funding to get people ALREADY working in the trades who are working without formal qualifactions licenced up.
it is to meet the skills shortage.

bridie

Sounds good Paul

Have you ever done electrical before or was this a totally new thing?

kez81

Yeh it so stupid, even though my hubby has a licence there is still certain things he cant to do!!! So therefore certain jobs you need to turn down nuts!!!! another tradie with years of experience its quite stupid really they need to sort it out !!!

Rachel i will call you nxt week have a good weekemd

kez81

Not being cheeky but someone with over 18 years experience in a trade can come here and be told they have to do collage courses to get a a licence!! And there is people getting trained and qualifed in 18 mths earning more than a tradie who got over here on a Skilled visa that's wrong, i have no problem with people learning new things but if ther going to do that why cant they make it easier for tradie who has gone through Tra if there's such a skills shortage!

bridie

If you read his "edit" bit Paul does say this is for trades who have been doing the job for years but dont have any FORMAL qualifications. I know quite a few people who work in trades that have learnt on the job and dont have an official bit of paper to say they can actually do the job, doesnt mean they're arent experienced.

I agree though that the system is mad, I've no idea why they cant just accept your TRA from visa application rather than having to do it all again, then do this course, that course, etc etc. IMHO it's all a money making exercise rather than adding anything of real value to the trades.

kez81

im not being personal about paul at all good on him, but i think you know where im coming from, its frustrating

paulf

fair comment, but i will expand on the mature apprenticeships which i,m involved with.

To qualify you have to get a RPL for your experience and prove you already have at least 25% of the trade already.

The whole scheme is running because there are so many people out there without formal qualifactions who only need the tickets.
When I said 18 months I was being on the generous side, some of these guys are very good at their job and get their tickets alot quicker than that.
But again it is far from easy working on Heavy construction or mine sites in the 45 degree heat for 4 weeks at a time away from your family, and there is nothing stopping your husband applying to do the same if he could handle the lifestyle, if you want the company details just pm me and I,ll be happy to supply them.
The main thing with this scheme is the fact you can still be earning while waiting for that all important ticket.

ANOTHER EDIT: I am not doing the electrical apprenticeship, there are other trades involved,
just picking up on the TRA thing though, I had the same problem with the plumbing board when I applied for my licence. I was issued a Gasfitters licence straight away but told even though I was a plumber with 20+ years experience I would have to do a Aussie apprenticeship for the water side of things.
Then this scheme came along and I decided rather than get pissed off about having a TRA saying I was a General Plumber and spend hours chasing the various TAFE's trying to make sense of things, I should start earning dollars and get something ANYTHING that the Australian system recognised and then take things from there.
As it happens this is not a bad way of doing things, I get a couple of grand a week wages and I have first hand knowledge of the Australian way sites work (which is different from the UK) and by the time I,m finished I will be a dual tradie too, also it has given me a lot of other options.

bridie