question for sparks in WA
 

just a quickkie re working beforeyou have your a grade licence, read the threads about getting the licence but was wondering if any sparkies had got work before they got there card, and how also was it easy enough to find work in the domestic field.
will be out in perth from the end of march so will be lookin round for some work ideas.

any help would be great

ATB

andy

Re: question for sparks in WA
 

bump

Re: question for sparks in WA
 

In regards to getting work, hubby works for electrical wholesaler and they usually know all the sparkies desperate for staff. So one way of finding out about jobs would be to go to all the wholesalers asking for the names of sparkies looking for staff.

Re: question for sparks in WA
 

thanks teza good idea will have to give it a go when we touch down in march

ATB

andy

Re: question for sparks in WA
 

From our experience it's really, really, really easy getting a job here as a sparky, BUT they will not take you on unsupervised without a license as they will not be insured, if you are supervised then you are either a trainee or labourer therefore - crap wages. Good luck

Lindsey

Re: question for sparks in WA
 

Not quite true, but close. Maybe there aren't so many companies to choose from in Mandurah, but in Perth itself, it is a bit easier.

There are loads of adverts in the paper for sparkies. I phoned them all when I got here and while it is true that most won't touch you until you get your licence, there are one or two that will take you on. I found a company in Osbourne Park that took me on. On the books they had me down as a 'T/A' (Trades Assistant), but the pay was almost identical to what they paid the tradies. It was just house-bashing, but you need to do this to find out how they work over here as it is very different to the UK. Plus, you pick up bits that are helpful for you to pass your licence.

Then as soonn as you get your licence, you are free to phone around and almost pick the job you want, which is what I did.

Then it's back to college again and digging deep in you wallet for your Western Power 'H' Accreditation course, Dome Ticket, Contractors course, Open Cabling Course, Cat 5 Course......

Steve.

Re: question for sparks in WA
 

steve thanks for the advice mate, think i will ave to got that way myself as you said its all different over there so will ave to be an assistant til i can get my a grade, there was a good thread on here not so long ago going through the licencing process which has made me get old college work out to check up on.
as regards to the other courses, are these so you can start up on your own if its not too cheeky to ask as this sounds where i want to get to eventually

Thanks again

andy

Re: question for sparks in WA
 

Yep, that was a good thread. When was the last time you used pyro? Or had to calculate, well, ANYTHING??? :D
Good luck

Andy

Re: question for sparks in WA
 

with ya there, all to easy over here lol but prob be the same principles over in Aus. regs books look like they are set out the same or very close anyway

last thing i was calculating was exchange rate lol

when you over or are you there already ?

Re: question for sparks in WA
 

Hi Andy,

Yep, you need your contractors licence so you can work on your own. The fee is just under $1700 and takes 2 1/2 weeks. But, if you are working in the industry, you apply for the subsidised fee which means that you only pay $642. Quite a difference, eh?

The dome ticket is so that you can actually connect peoples houses to the incoming mains (which is done at a green dome for underground mains), the Open Cabling course is so that you can work on phones and the cat5 course explains itself, lol.

Don't brush up on your college stuff, just get in touch with me when you get here!

Steve.

Re: question for sparks in WA
 

cheers steve, will prob pick ur brains if its ok with you some more in the near future. but there is a bit of a difference in 1700 dollars to 642 dollars for the contractors licence.

ATB

andy

Re: question for sparks in WA
 

Just waiting for employers refs so I can send off my TRA stuff. Keep us posted as to how you get on mate cos I see from your timeline that you're almost there. Jammy so n so ;)

Re: question for sparks in WA
 

Good info Steve, cheers. Was actually (half) joking when I said about not calculating anything. But haven't used pyro in donkeys years. remember most of the college stuff...just swotted up on phasor diagrams and it all came flooding back...sort of ;)

Nice website BTW

Andy