robert_masters

Hi All

Could someone give us up-to-date information on working as an Electrician from the UK please?

From what we've read you need an initial assessment from VETASSESS and can take an exam in the UK. From that point you are given a Offshore Technical Skills Record (OTSR).Which you use to apply for a provisional Electrician's Cert. Under this I think you are only entitled to work under supervision and need to complete an attainment certificate to give you eligibility to a full Electrician's certificate. From what I understand this could lead a person requiring at least 12 months supervision before becoming fully qualified in Aus??

Has anyone else gone through this process recently through the UK??

Can anyone confirm any of this please?

Regards

Rob & Angela M

newjersey

apprenticeship sounds about right. Have you tried posting in the Electricians forum here, it is worldwide, but a fair bit of Australian advice there as well.

http://britishexpats.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=97

robert_masters

Hi

No I haven't but thank you for the link!

robert_masters

Hi for those who just need to know the simple in's/out's of becoming a Electrician.

Step 1 Have your skills assessed by VETASSESS in UK, this will give you a OSTR. You can then use this for your visas and apply for a license in Aus.

To get a License a in Aus you will prob need to go back to Apprentice level and prove your skills for around 12 months??????? Or there abouts. And a drop in wages.

From what I've read the License is only for one area of Australia, so you will need to apply for another one should you move, it's not a Interprovincial License. That's a shame!

Step 2 To apply for a License you apply through ARTC (in Aus), show your OSTR certificate, after the successful proving your skills.


The salary seems varied, this is what I have found through the internet.

Apprentice level: Around $20-$25 per hour
Skilled Level: Around $35 - $40, but I have also seen $50
Contractor: Anything from around $55 - $80
Highly Skilled: anything from around $50+ per hour

This is what I have found from a basic search.

I guess there'll be variations , depending on your circumstances. This is based on our circumstances as a TFW with High Electrical Skills.

If you consider another country such as Canada. It will be skills assessed, papers sent to Canada. Once approved you then can take a 4 hour exam in Canada. On passing a License is then sent out. If you take it in Alberta the License is an Interprovincial one. I would say the wages are slightly less in Canada but the contractor rates are far more in Aus!!!
Plus weather is warmer in Aus and winters in Canada can be on average -20+ more or less.

Immigration is far harder in Canada but you can apply for Permanent Resident Visa as a skilled worker, but would take over 2 years for the whole process. You cannot get a Temporary Work Visa without a job offer unlike Aust.


Hope this helps, sorry if it's not all accurate but there seems to be a lot on confusion on all my findings in Aus.

Angela

mark wool

Hi Rob have been here for two years and i am a spark. I did my ATRC from the uk then went on a restricted workers licence for six months whilst at TAFE doing my oz wiring regs, which are based on uk regs. I was very lucky and it is a complete racket. It depends on who you are lucky to talk to and what mood they are in at the time.

Wendy

and which state you go to

robert_masters

Hi

Thats good news you could do this from the UK but maybe this has changed, it would be nice for someone else to confirm this.

Yeah it's all about chances!

If Electricians are thinking about the mining jobs, it's never that simple in both Aus and Can. Again it depends who and what you know. On simple terms you often end up with locals jobs and pay, not the Big Bucks! Not saying it's not possible either.

Cheers

Angela

steve`o

Step 2 To apply for a License you apply through ARTC (in Aus), show your OSTR certificate, after the successful proving your skills.

no sorry more or less completely wrong, what you’ve read was a short cut ie arrive on an ostr apply for an artc do the course at Adelaide via peer and then having obtained an electrical workers licence via South Australia apply using mutual recognition for a licence in your preferred state

the above has been stopped by some states as an abuse of the system designed to give workers more freedom as to which state they work in

you would probably be better off using your ostr to gain a place on an Au wiring course in the state of your choice, getting your work logged by a supervisor and then doing the Au wiring exam as a route to a full licence

another thing not to get confused over is the name each state has for a fully qualified spark

for example A class in Victoria, electrical worker in SA, electrical mechanic or fitter in Qld ( qld has two classes of sparky )

as someone else has said have a good look at the sparkies section in BE
and if in doubt Ask


regards Steve

The_Pom_From_Aus

steve`o;

well said mate i full agree with you, from mid 2012 there shall be the one unrestricted license across Australia, then people can do the PEER course & transfer to the state the shall be living in. But as you say people have in the past abused the mutual transfer from state to state.

Arthur

robert_masters

Steve and Arthur

OK so that bit cleared-up!

You mention the after obtaining the OSTR you can then progress onto the AU wiring course, how long is this roughly for (I'm guessing it's module based)?

Rob & Angela

steve`o

it really depends on which state you intend to come to
and to be honest if you treated each as a different country you wouldnt go far wrong

steve`o

an accurate assessment

old.sparkles

I have always worked in industrial enviroments, so wages have nearly always, and do currently, include shift premiums. I also get fairly regular overtime. I know that when I first arrive, I will have issues until i can get an A license, but after that does anyone have ideas on wages in Adelaide if I was to get a similar role to current one - I'm a shift technician mainly electrical and controls so ac/dc 24v upto 415v, Alien Badly plcs mostly, some scada etc

Thanks

steve`o

pm wendy she lives in that area and her ex is a maintenance sparky

steve

hasselhoff86

Help people !!

I arrived in Perth last week on a 1 year working holiday visa, my plan is to get job as a TA (trade assistant) until I gain a grade A licence.
I am from the Uk and done a apprenticeship in city and guilds electrical engineering level 2 and 3. I received all my certificates and my modern apprenticeship, also have 17th edition
Anyway I have been taking in a lot of information on this and decided my best route is ARTC way and hopefully gain sponsor from employer.
I have all my certified copy's of certs and references(8 years experience) from employers stamped and ready to post to TRA. Today I phoned a guy in skill shortages and he refused to take my application because I didn't have my AM2. Skill shortages have told me there uk applicants have been declined by TRA because they didnt do there AM2.(1 day practical course).
Skill shortages basically made out that I would best go back to Uk and sit the AM2.
There has to be another alternative eg.. Do practical exam in Australia ??
Is there that can help me with this??
Am afraid now too go ahead and post without AM2