alneve2oz

I work in computers and have done for many years, however, I have limited formal qualifications - an MCP (Microsoft Certified Professional) and one year of an HND - oh and an A Level. Now my worry is this, I understand that...

"...If you have worked in an occupation where substantial work experience may be acceptable instead of post-secondary qualifications, you must provide certified copies of references provided by your employers that outline the position you held, and the duties you have performed in that role..."

this was taken from DIMIA's website. Now I'm assuming that my experience will be sufficient, my only problem is that the company for whom I was the IT manager for over four years has ceased trading (at the end of 2004). I am still able to contact my former boss who is more than willing to write references, on (old) headded notepaper if neccessary, but will this be good enough for ACS and/or DIMIA, because, for all they know I could be lying and my "boss" could just be a friend..... Do they just accept my word, can they check in some other way, or am I, in fact, screwed?

Any help, thoughs or insights would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

AJ.

wmoore

You need to get your old boss to write the reference, then drag him into a solicitor's office to sign a statutory declaration (explaining that the company has gone, etc) and solicitor will sign it too. This *should* be acceptable.

Sir Les Patterson

just spoke to the tra queen and she says it should be ok if you get all the references .certified copies and headed note paper plus put your own stat dec in there and you must also prove that you have been working in that role ora similar role since leaving for the last 12 months out of 18 months....
if you can still contact your old boss ask him to supply contacy details for DIMIA and also contact companies house and get a report to say when the company went out of business to back it up....the more info the better ..there is no such thing as over kill eg old contract,wage slips,p45,p60 anything to back it up

Brisben

you can actually check companys out onlinf in the companies house website, this tells you when it was disolved, not sure if this is good enough for Dimma but it's a starting point,

rossifumi

Which HND IT are you studying for? I finished an HND IT (Networking) in 2003, just wondered.

68MEVY

Hi Al,
Thought you were coming round to ours tonight, we've not cooked mushrooms especially!!

Get the reference from your ex-boss and if you can get him to sign a stat dec at a solicitors do that. If not, go and do one yourself anyway. You must mention that the business has dissolved.
I had NO references at all for the skills assessment part and NO employers were contactable, it was all done as stat decs, and I passed first time.
Marie

teejay66

Good quetion to post, and even better to find out that someone has the prior knowledge of how to solve the problem.

My hubby is in the same boat but different industry, previous companies no longer in business but more than one. He now works for himself and has done for quite a while anyone kno what to do if you are self employed?

Any help greatly appreciated.

Centurion

As a business owner I was in the same boat and could not really get my "boss" to verify the last few years. So I hired an independant Human Resources Consultant to analyse my job and role and verify the company and experience etc. He put together a portfolio and signed it off. Maybe the way to go if you get completely stuck

I also had the interesting problem of my previous company before we set up on our own had long gone. A statutory declaration from one of the managers who worked for me that I still knew and printed company information showing the liquidation from companies house did the trick.

Now I think about my skills assessment was harsh

JAJ

Have you checked the ACS website to see if you meet their requirements for a skill assessment?


Jeremy