robbost

Hi Swigski , hope all is going well , my families on countdown now we go on 3rd june ...4 weeks!! Notice the pay rate you`ve mailed , pick your brain again time! The training take home pay at $1600 pf is that just for the 6 weeks in school or is that for the 28 weeks ?
I work at present on the 2 days 2 nights 5 days off rota and have been doing so last 20 years in cheshire , good rota lots of spare time .
Ask a daft `q` but what about overtime availability in the job , i`ve been told after my 28 weeks i have a permanent rota position which i`m a bit suspect about , can you give advice here please as wouldn`t we all when commencing ICP duties be displacing already rotaed road staff or can you explain this one too.
One last `q` , you mention the financial side is a little tough at present what would you say your monthly outgoings are compared with the £3200 monthly wage packet , much appreciated for the info
ps when do you start road duties ?

swigski

The $1600 per fortnight is for the 8 weeks in college. You remain on that basic for the following 20 weeks but get your shift penalties and O/T on top. Get your ICP uplift once 28 weeks completed.
There is a lot of O/T apparently which you can apply for once on road. 1st 10 weeks as a max of P1 but you can only work to the level of the person you're working with. 2nd 10 as an ICP if your working with one otherwise same rule applies.
There are some gaps in Rotas which is why they are training 50 staff every 4 weeks so we will just be plugging the holes.
Financial side is tough as we're renting a furnished house until our stuff arrives next week. For a nice house in Sydney (3 bedroom) and depending on area you would be looking at an average of $600 a week unfurnished.
Start my on road duties Saturday morning at 0700. Can't wait!
All the best with your move, hope it all goes smoothly

theotherphil

Well, been here a week and just finished my first day at the education centre. All admin but it all seems pretty good so far. Even managed to secure the first rental I viewed (brand new, 3 bedroom apartment) and I move in Friday. Life is good

teepee

well done mate. when is the house warming and are we all invited?

theotherphil

Cheers! Dunno when the housewarming is gonna be, probably when the other half arrives but of course you'll be invited

nikedge

Congratulations!

Glad it's all going so well for you. Is your partner (if you have one) working too? $1200 rent (per fortnight) is a massive percentage of your income- and I would have thought it would not leave much/any to live on after bills. Just trying to work out how much of our savings we will have to put by to spend getting sorted.

Good luck for Saturday

grubman

Hi I'm all new to this and getting very nervous. Been invited to sydney for testing and hoping someone can put my nerves at ease with some info on what to expect. Thanks

I wan tee go oz

Hi, also been recently invited. Going 22nd July. ASNSW e-mailed with confirmed dates and times once I told them when I was able to travel. Also attached to e-mail was a copy of health assessment sheet and what to expect at medical. Also a breakdown of the 'step test' was given.
Hope this helps, give me a shout if you have any q's

grubman

Thanks for that. I'm just waiting for my work to confirm my holidays so I can book flights. Unfortunately I'm looking at September/October due to other commitments. Good to know they give you more details once you've confirmed your flights. Hopefully hear this week regarding hols then it will be all systems go. July won't be long in coming round

robbost

Morning all,just recieved an e-mail from Callista Bryan from ASNSW and just to let anyone know that they have changed a policy regarding L/R licence requirements .
They have decided that you will have to aquire your new light rigid before you start the induction course .
She has informed me that due to the RTA having busy schedules they will expect you to have sat and passed the L/R knowledge test before booking your drivers test , she has advised me to allow at least 2 weeks for this .
Swigski as you know i am due to fly out on 3rd june can i ask did you book your knowledge test and drivers l/r test when you arrived and do they recommend any particular testing station , cheers and hope this helps anyone who doesnt have the info.......

swigski

Myself and 2 other UK Paras on the same induction were told initially that we had 8 wks to get our LR. This was then changed with a wks notice to 6 wks otherwise we were being threatened with suspension without pay.
We therefore took our Knowledge tests by booking appointment at RTA. Takes about 20 mins. You then get the option of booking an appointment to have a test with a RTA Driving assessor for which you must provide your own bus or by using the Competency based method which means having to spend a day in a mini bus getting instructed and assessed. This costs about $750 and availability is normally good if booked in advance. The RTA method which I initially tried was a 2 month wait.
There are RTA's all over Sydney so just use the one nearest to where you are living.
You will have to get a NSW class 'C' licence initially which costs $145 and then when you have passed your LR assessment you can upgrade it for $20 to an LR licence. C Licence is just a normal car one.
Interestingly, if on a Temp visa you can drive NSW Ambs for 6 months on UK licence because you cannot get a NSW licence for 1st 6 months on a Temp. You do not need a LR licence to drive the NSW Ambs, it is in case you are needed to drive the larger transport buses for staff to incidents etc.

On the plus side, 2nd week on road. They have just started the new rota of 2 days, 2nights and 5 off, 12 hr shifts.2 Paid Meal breaks of 30 mins. Nights, apart from Fri and Sat have so far been quiet and managed a good few hours in the beds provided. Job is the same, just a case of bedding in and getting used to different work practices, equipment and the geography. Glad I made the move.

robbost

Good to hear you are enjoying it , as i said i arrive on the 5th june and start on 6th july so do you think i should book a knowlrdge test on arrival and book an all day session in a mini bus for the $750 fee or should i book it before i leave as i only have the 4 weeks before i start when i arrive...talk about shifting goalposts at late stages !!!!cheers

swigski

I would say your first step in my experience is to get a NSW address. This allows you to get a NSW licence and all the other things you will need.You can then apply for your Driver Knowledge test and I would then contact a LR school to see how soon they can fit you in. If you only have 4 weeks, this should be enough time. I struggled because I only had weekends available when demand is high. There are loads around Sydney.
One other thing, you do not need the books they suggest you buy. This is for trainees only. You get the Protocol book and any other info you need on arriving. Good luck

I wan tee go oz

Hi, hope all of you in Oz are doing well and enjoying life there.

Have interview soon, just wondering what it's like? Hopefully not as in depth as interview I've just had here for Ops supervisor post!! Have studied ASNSW's history etc, any pointers? Or is it quite relaxed (impression I've got from earlier posts)

Cheers

teepee

hiya, first you will do selection tests as tho you have just walked in from the street. brush up on simple arithmetic and english comprehension. the guide they gave you is accurate as regards the level to aim at. next day, assuming you pass the selection tests, you will go for a medical. bring lots of cab money if you dont feel confident with the public transport. if they use the same people as when i came it will be $100 return at least. then if you pass that you will do the interview on day 3. the interview is relaxed, but only if you know what you are doing. they will give you scenarios to talk your way through. they expect you to use your JRCALC guidelines. they dont expect you to know NSW pharmacology or protocols because NSW and uk are pretty much similar. you are expected to be familiar with JRCALC and A & P. they want keen flexible people. for example when they say we do 14 hour shifts a reply of 'i aint doin that' wont get you far. (we have gone away from 14 hour shifts now, that was an example) let me know what dates you will be here and if im free i will get in touch for when you get here. its a long way to come and a freindly face may be welcome. good luck and hope to see you in cas one day!