Goulden101

Hello
Has anyone had any experience with the electrical skills assessment who isn’t directly a domestic installer.From what I can gather the assessments are based around domestic electrics however I’m a railway signalling technician and have never touched domestics. I’m a looking for advice on

1.what is in the assessment

2.If anyone has successfully passed through the assessment as a rail signalling technician and if so how they did it?

3.Any Info the jobs climate for rail over there?

thanks I’m advance for any help

Chris

abner

I can only address this last point, and only in general terms.

The climate for continued investment in rail infrastructure is overwhelmingly positive in Australia right now, and particularly so in relation to the greater Melbourne area, where there are ongoing suburban and regional commuter rail upgrades underway worth roughly $30B in aggregate (maybe 60% complete), another $6 - 8B planned for a new airport link, and a longer-term suburban loop project worth ?$30 - 50B.

Of course, there is always the potential for these gigantic budgets to be pared back, but the projects undertaken to date have been vote-winners for the current state government, so the gravy train should continue for at least a decade or two yet.

And, while the bulk of these projects' budgets have been devoted to "construction", they've all involved revisions and upgrades to signalling infrastructure as well (including in some instances first steps to support in-cab signalling and train automation). I'm not sure whether your experience as a rail signalling technician is more construction-side (build / test / certify) or operations / maintenance-side (troubleshoot / fix / test / certify), or perhaps some of each, but there's a huge opportunity here regardless.

scrubbedexpat098

I'm just suscribing to this thread, I'm a bit pissed at thde moment so should wait until I can be more help and not talk bollocks

scrubbedexpat098

Hi Chris, I'm not going to lie it can be a nightmare. You're going to need to map qualifications over to the Cert 4 domestic electrician, this will also mean getting signed off experience in domestics over here. That's before you start on the Cert 4 Railway Signalling that you'll need to be licenced on most Australian railways. (I say most, the PTA in Perth doesn't require ant nationally recognised signalling qualifications, just the domestic) I find this most disturbing.

I was very lucky, I'm a points fitter, and because of my experience with certain makes, mainly the Vosslohs, I was able to help ARTC out on the east coast, and the construction companies, in exchange for an easy pathway to the national accreditations. That doesn't happen very often take it from me.

I know a few guys that work in the mines as sig elecs, they do all the brain work and complex fault finding because of their UK experience and qualifications, and it needs to be signed off by a domestic sparky with little railway experience, very frustrating.

Depending on where in Oz you're thinking there will be varying degrees of difficulty, so let me know where you're thinking and I might be able to help. You're going to need the help of an RTO (Registered Training Organisation) too, I know afew, but hopefully any prospective employers will sort that out for you.

It's not easy or even that straight forward, but it's worth it.

Goulden101

[QUOTE=stevenglish1;12963573]Hi Chris, I'm not going to lie it can be a nightmare. You're going to need to map qualifications over to the Cert 4 domestic electrician, this will also mean getting signed off experience in domestics over here. That's before you start on the Cert 4 Railway Signalling that you'll need to be licenced on most Australian railways. (I say most, the PTA in Perth doesn't require ant nationally recognised signalling qualifications, just the domestic) I find this most disturbing.

I was very lucky, I'm a points fitter, and because of my experience with certain makes, mainly the Vosslohs, I was able to help ARTC out on the east coast, and the construction companies, in exchange for an easy pathway to the national accreditations. That doesn't happen very often take it from me.

I know a few guys that work in the mines as sig elecs, they do all the brain work and complex fault finding because of their UK experience and qualifications, and it needs to be signed off by a domestic sparky with little railway experience, very frustrating.

Depending on where in Oz you're thinking there will be varying degrees of difficulty, so let me know where you're thinking and I might be able to help. You're going to need the help of an RTO (Registered Training Organisation) too, I know afew, but hopefully any prospective employers will sort that out for you.

It's not easy or even that straight forward, but it's worth it

Hi Steve,
Loved the first message mate sounds like my kind of life.
Thank you for taking the time mate I can’t tell you how nice it is to hear stuff from the horses mouth so to speak.I’m going to say sorry now as I will probably bombard you with a lot of questions if that’s ok?
At present we were thinking of Brisbane as my sister is there but we’re pretty free alougth east coast would probably suit us better.
By mapping qualifications into Australian what exactly does the entail mate is that gathering evidence and such?
Also gaining domestic experience over there is that a possibility?Ive been debating doing a city and guilds here and trying to get some weekend work?
it is pretty strange to have domestics signing off our stuff rules clearly weren’t made by a railman.
My experience currently is I’ve done an apprenticeship, two years as faulting and Maintainence tech and just got a job as a team leader faulting an maintenance.We don’t have those points up in Manchester but I’ve done a few full sets clamplocks and hws plus lots of faulting on rri and loads of other stuff to be honest.investment in the rail in manc has gone down a lot even in my five years so everything breaks a lot more now. Also done a fair wack of smth too especially cables
So is it actually possible to find an employer that will sponsor you through the process or is my best bet to gain domestics and get licensed?
what evidence should I be collecting now for the skills assessment?
What’s the job of a registered trade organisation mate is that in Australia or the uk?At present I’ve had a preliminary call with the down under centre and I’ve been told to update my cv and quals and go from there.

thanks a lot for any help Steve I really appreciate it let us know if a private message would be better. I’m currently sat in my car in torrential rain after a week of being frozen to death very ready to get out of here for some sun now.

thanks
Chris