ozoz

Help please, where to start - i have been an electrician for 14 + years, i applied for nsw craft cert and was succesfull, i emmigrated as an electrician and got the tra bit of paper electrical mechanic. I have worked as an unliciened electrician probably about 2 and half years on plcs instrumentation etc. And i recently found out about the peer tec course so i did it and then i get to the liciensing office and they say the nsw craft cert is no good you need the tra cert.
So i applied for the tra electrical mechanic and i eventually get a response after no letter recieved and no phone call. The response being after i wait about an hour on the phone eventually get the one operator who answers the phone. I get the response saying my artc has been unsuccessfull yet i have provided over 14 years of evidence all my certs, the craft cert, tra electrical mechanic emmigration application. Im pretty pissed off at the moment any help would be appriciated,

Wendy

Have they said why you didn't pass? Can you appeal?

I know the guys down at peer are really helpful and have assisted others in getting an ARTC, maybe ring them and see if they can offer you some advice or help with it.?

ozoz

thxs for your response wendy, it such a hypocritical system - on the letter i had to ring up for it states the reasons as i did no formal apprenticeship or qualifications. Yet i included all the documentation including the city and guilds and everything, i can get a review for '300; dollars, but i will get to speak to my 'case officer' tommorow i will kindly explain my situation to the the case officer. But if he/she starts asking for a 300 dollar review i intend to report this scam to the ombusman, its time the immigrant stops getting ripped off, sorry im just pissed off

stu:0

Id take a step back mate before you blow your top with them. Piss them off and you blow the chance of ever working in oz as a spark legally. It is a shit system but id take Wendys advice and maybe see if peer can help you out. You say it states no formal qualifications but you have city and guilds???

ozoz

yes i have city and guilds parts one two and the c cert and am1,2

Wendy

You've got every right to be pissed off, I'd be the same. It's looking like they have made a mistake, maybe the person on the phone got it wrong, or maybe the person assessing your application missed your certs.

Let us know what the assessor say's won't you.

ozoz

Thx wendy my personal opinion is that the tra are being awkard because i didnt stop in sa when i was morally obliged too.Yet this is hypocritical as how can i work as a electrician that i emigrated as and tra passed me as without the artc cert. Hence my move to the premier state as i had very little funds when i arrived really what am i going to choose a sparkys job in the premier state or some crappy auto electrician job in some crappy suburb in sa no choice really.
The fact is i included all my certs, letters of employment commencement stating the job titles the work done etc. I'd understand if i was just a house basher sparky but im not i have vast electrical experience form hv to instrumentation.
The main reason i applied for the artc is i wanted to get the sa licience through peer tec and not spend and waste alot of money going through for 6months to a year.
I have a question for any sparkys who have done the nsw route once you get the certIII pass is the cert III and the nsw vocational electrical mechanice cert sufficent to get the electrical licience, As always help will be appriciated.

Wendy

The only time you are morally obliged to stay in a state is if you have a state visa. The TRA don't give a crap where you live so I doubt that is the problem. It's more likely you have got a jobsworth who thinks he's better than you.

As for the comment about SA, why do you think you'd only be able to get a 'crappy Auto Electrician' job and live in a 'crappy' suburb? We certainly don't live in a place like that, and my OH has a very well paid job as a maintenance electrician (which they are crying out for here). Cost of living is cheaper in SA too.

Have you rung them again? what did they say?.

ozoz

Im still waiting for the case officer to call back, regarding sa the only jobs even with a restricted licience you can get is electrical automotive but at least in nsw you can get sparky work as a unlicienced electrician and earn aleast a liveable wage . I think i will have to go the nsw route as i already have the nsw craft cert, and nsw fair trading accept that as appoused to artc, along with the cert III, It would just make life a lot easier if i was to get the artc.

ozoz

Hmmm got a reply back from the case officer, the case officer said there where errors with the apprenceship dates commencement and finishing, also there was not enough detail description about the type of work undertook. In respect he was helpfull enough to a point but i put a good amount of detail description into case. So now i have to fill in a statutory declaration with the dates and details again, and take my original certs to an address in nsw for proofing. I'd say let my example serve as a warning to other immigrants, be sure you dont get a jobsworth looking at your case

Darren_Karen

I can completely sympathise. I'll tell you my OH sad tale, might make you feel better??

Got his TRA/permanent independent visa on being an electrician. Migration agent then told us to photocopy everything we did for TRA and send for ARTC with copy of visa in passport.

Got a letter back saying insufficient evidence.
Got a phone call 1.30am to do a technical trade interview - failed (on motors which he'd never done)

Went to SA, passed the wiring course at PEER

ARTC decide he needs to do the theory/practical course for $300 - PEER managed to fit him in at a few days notice to do. They told him he'd passed - that was early Nov.

End Dec, we ring to chase up as still no response.

PEER had 'forgotten' to send his report off. No one bothered to chase.
Even though PEER said he's passed, and his case officer said he should get his licence it goes to a panel of 5 people to decide. Because they didn't send in time, he missed end Nov meeting. Because of xmas there was no Dec meeting. So his case has only just been reviewed this week!

We left UK end Oct, and luckily we had savings but it was like someone stealing it from our account it was being spent so fast.

Luckily he found a guy willing to take him on (labourer rates) as a sparky til his licence comes through.

Even if he does pass, it will be mid feb before we know, then a trip back to SA (we're in WA) to take his docs in, get his licence, then transfer to WA.

Moral of the story - yes, Australian government agencies are out to screw the migrant. We ended up spending an extra £4k doing the wiring course in SA to speed up getting his licence, but ARTC buggered it all up.
I reckon they have targets and they need to knock back a certain amount to make it look like they're checking people. Some guys on the course at PEER couldn't even read english/speak it very well, how safe is that - and they've got their ARTC??

So we're yet again still in the waiting game. Not sure what will happen if it comes back fail again (which the case officer said it might).

Really hope you get sorted, wouldn't like anyone to be in our position,
Keep us posted,

(sorry, rant over)
Karen

ozoz

All ill say it such a hypocritical system, luckily my actual experience has got me sparky jobs, and not some card that with licience on it that in reality means nothing. A 4th apperentice can have one a old guy who's only ever done house bashing can have one does it mean your a quailty sparky i think not.

Darren_Karen

.....but without that worthless licence you can't get a decent job as a sparky, regardless of what experience you have.

then the next step will be to get a contractors licence, and start earning decent money without having to housebash.....

Wendy

A contractors licence will seem like a doddle now wont it!? Still keeping fingers crossed for you. x

Ozoz,
The licence is there so that you liable for your work, apparantly sometime in the 70's or 80's there were a lot of bogus tradesmen about and the government introduced licencing as a way to sift them out.

youngy73

but does that mean that you are a bad spark.what is wrong with being a house basher? i think people get into strife when they start to think that they are above something or better than someone. how can a licence be " worthless" if it then allows you to easily find work. i know many pom sparks here and all have managed the licensing process. it is a pain in the arse as we all know but only those who are not thorough will fail. if you cross the t's and dot the i's you will gain a licence.