I arrived in Perth last week on a 1 year working holiday visa, my plan is to get job as a TA (trade assistant) until I gain a grade A licence.
I am from the Uk and done a apprenticeship in city and guilds electrical engineering level 2 and 3. I received all my certificates and my modern apprenticeship, also have 17th edition
Anyway I have been taking in a lot of information on this and decided my best route is ARTC way and hopefully gain sponsor from employer.
I have all my certified copy's of certs and references(8 years experience) from employers stamped and ready to post to TRA. Today I phoned a guy in skill shortages and he refused to take my application because I didn't have my AM2. Skill shortages have told me there uk applicants have been declined by TRA because they didnt do there AM2.(1 day practical course).
Skill shortages basically made out that I would best go back to Uk and sit the AM2.
There has to be another alternative eg.. Do practical exam in Australia ??
Is there anybody or knows anyone out there in same situation that can help me with this??
Am afraid now too go ahead and post without my AM2

The reason I didn't do AM2 after becoming qualified incase your wondering was because I worked for a Irish company. So I didn't need to be JIB registered.

Hi there,
I completed my apprenticeship in 1993 after doing the AM2 assessment. My understanding WAS that a few years after, the AM2 was made redundant and that apprentices, in order to complete their apprenticeship, were required to fill in a log book without the need to do the AM2 or any other final practical exam. Indeed, speaking to many other younger sparks, when mentioning the AM2 they had no idea what I was talking about. It seems that that the AM2 has been reintroduced and it must be the case that there are many qualified sparks that have not taken the AM2.
Have you got a completion certificate for your apprenticeship or any other documentation that shows that you have completed an apprenticeship. If so, then I would take issue with Skills Shortages, or seek a 2nd opinion.
Don't know how the TRA would evaluate but if you have a completion certificate then I don't see how they could decline your application.
Regards Derren

Yes Derren I have completed my level 2 and 3 in city and guilds (In knowledge of electrical installation engineering). During these 4 years I completed 2 log books. I also have a modern apprenticeship awarded to me for completing apprenticeship and a certificate saying I completed a a trainee ship in Performing Engineering Operations. I then have employer references which show 8 years experience of carrying out industrial, commercial and domestic.
So it would be a majour blow if they shut me down over a 1 day AM2 exam
AM2 was reintroduced in 2010 I think. I completed mine on 2006 so didn't need it to complete apprenticeship. The lecturer told us we could go and do AM2 if we wanted to gain a JIB installation electrician card if we didn't have AM2 we only qualified for JIB maintenance electrician I think.

I think you may find your unable to do any courses for electrical in Australia until your living here & have a valid permanent visa.
I dont think you require the AM2 but all applications for migration shall have to be done from the UK unless you already have a permanent visa.