rinkerdink

Employer statement:

Re – xxxxxxxxxxxx – Work Reference

To whom it may concern

Dear Sir / Madam

xxxxxxxxx has had two terms of employment with xxxxxxxxxx, the first of which spans from February 2003 to August 2008 at which point he left us to explore other opportunities before returning to us in March 2009 when he resumed his former role as a Shift Leader. xxxxxx role and responsibilities, namely the completion and supervision of the maintenance, repair and installation of electrical systems on a large mixed site contract remain largely the same as detailed in my previous work reference. It is my understanding that you will have a copy of my previous work reference on file so I will concentrate on his subsequent work experience.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx experience and depth of technological knowledge of electrical installations has led to his appointment as the site Qualifying Supervisor, this means that he is responsible for overseeing the installation and electrical testing work of other electricians as well as his own workload. As such he has to catalogue and file the testing certificates for all work carried out on site and ensure all work is carried out and documented in line with the NICEIC (National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting) and BS7671.

xxxxxxxxxxxx is routinely tasked with surveying proposed installations working from Client specifications and drawings. During the survey he plans the proposed installation detailing the labour required, selects appropriate cables types, accessories and protective devices. He then calculates cable sizes and obtains prices for the materials required before preparing a quotation to be submitted to the Client. Following an order from the Client xxxxxxxxx will complete the work, setting out and monitoring the work of those assisting and ensuring that our stringent health and safety requirements are followed at all times. Following completion and testing he hands the installation over to the Client.

As well as being competent in the installation and testing of single and three phase electrical systems, xxxxxxxxxx is a skilled trouble shooter who is regularly called to breakdowns of a more complex and technical nature, these can vary from faults with intelligent lighting systems, building management control systems to single and three phase control panel and distribution faults.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx mechanical aptitude also means he can carry out mechanical maintenance service visits and minor repairs of a mechanical nature without the need for a specialist mechanical fitter.

xxxxxxxxxx is a fully multifunctional and multi skilled electrician and as such uses all the tools and equipment of a specialist electrician in addition he interrogates software and monitors plant and alters setting’s using PC’s.

I believe that xxxxxxxxxxx would be an asset to any electrical installation or engineering company and wish him well with his migration plans.

Work duties section of ARTC form:

My work as a Team/ Shift leader electrician involves the planning, wiring and repair of a broad range of electrical installation and maintenance of technical electrical equipment and plant in a wide variety of Client premises ranging from large scale commercial buildings to multiple domestic dwellings.

It’s my responsibility to organise all tasks of electrical installations from initial survey and design through to quotation & presenting to the Client. Once awarded the project I order all materials, any additional tools and equipment required and if necessary arrange extra labour to complete the work.

At all times I ensure that all installation and design is compliant with the current British standard wiring regulations BS7671. I am also at times requested to manage electrical installation tasks that have been designed by others, in these situations I check the design calculations, assess the working area checking all schematic drawings and method statements also carry out a health and safety risk assessment before work may commence.

I have vast experience at installing a wide range of electrical cables I’m also experienced in cable management/ containment and accessories including: SWA, SY Flex, FP200, MICC, PVC Multicore and PVC single, LSF and Tri-rated cables.

I have installed many different selections of cables clipped direct to surfaces also cables in both PVC & Steel conduits in varying sizes. I have also carried out a variety of installations using steel trunking and steel ladders racks, cable tray and their associated fixtures.

The applications I have been responsible for & installed include lighting, power, sub-distribution, DC power systems, industrial motor and control circuits, control panels & building management control systems.

I have installed industrial motor controls using DOL (Direct on Line) and Star-Delta. Demand throughout industry now requires the use of Variable Speed Drives (inverters) which involves setting the control parameters of the VSD during commissioning.

I have vast experienced at selecting and mounting switch disconnectors, isolators, main electrical switchboard 415V distribution boards and domestic switchboards 240V. I also have experience installing field devices and accessories.

I am currently working on a contract for xxxxxxxxxxxx where I am the site Qualifying Supervisor in charge of checking the electrical installation work of others and ensuring the installation certificates are completed correctly to current regulations and comply with BS7671. In the past I have worked in the Business Critical Division installing and maintaining electrical equipment in data centres and telecoms installations. I have also carried out various management roles where I was responsible for supervising the work of others and assumed overall responsibility for all work under my control.

All electrical installation work is tested using a multi-function tester prior to handing over to the Client, standard tests include, polarity, continuity, insulation resistance, earth fault loop impedance and RCD function if installed. All work is then documented on the appropriate certificate depending on the scale and nature of the work carried out, whether it is a Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate, Electrical Installation Certificate or a Periodic Inspection Report for an Electrical Installation. A copy of the appropriate certificate is issued to the Client and a copy is held by the Company to be presented during regular audits by the inspection and testing council. Once all the above is satisfied the installation is handed over to the Client.

Another aspect of my role is the maintenance, fault finding and repair to plant and equipment both single and 3 phase 230v/415V. The faults and repairs I attend are varied and range from tripped MCB’s, scheduled repairs following periodic inspection and testing work to plant failures. The plant that I fault find on ranges from motor driven pumps and fans and their associated control gear and protective devices to large industrial machinery such as chillers and air handling units. I fault find and carry out planned preventative maintenance on all plant on site with the exception of the natural gas and oil fuelled boilers. During the course of my work the test equipment I use includes electrical multi-meter, clip on electrical ammeter, megger (insulation resistance tester), voltage tester, digital thermometer and thermo hygrometers as well as the multifunction tester mentioned earlier.

Hand tools used include, battery drills, SDS drills, screwdrivers, pliers, side cutters, water pump pliers, spanners, adjustable wrenches, hack saws, rivet guns, hammers/mallets, socket sets, Allen keys, conduit benders, conduit threading dies, reamers, mole grips, reciprocating saw, angle grinders/ disc cutters, chop saws, hole saws, masonry chisels, spirit levels and tape measures, files and scrapers.


On top of all this I had pretty much the wishlist of qualifications all certified and sent as required and I still got the shaft lol, having had time to reflect I think it was because my apprenticeship was a dual trade and they think it takes all of 4 years to get there as a single trade - never mind that it was a world class structured apprenticeship. Hey ho I'm over it now, this is just for a bit of balance and for those that don't get the result to see that it isn't necessarily your fault.


Or alternatively somebody my be able to tell me where I f@cked up lol

Good luck!!!!

Jockstar

No idea if it matters.. But my letter to them was over 3 pages long detailing nearly every job i have worked on. But then again i never really done much maintenance.

mashup

It's weird man.

I had a 1200 word reference from my employer, (which I may or may not have written and got the lazy tit to sign,) and I also wrote a couple of short pieces on the type of work I do. But I definitely didn't go into that much detail and jockstar I definitely didnt write three pages.

I think what got me through was the references I got from the guys I work with here, my references from college at home and apprentice of the year stuff. I certainly don't have the work experience that most people have on here.

Who knows man.

derren7

Hi Guys,
I really think it depends on who actually assesses your application.
From my understanding on how the TRA operate, it seems that initially, your application is dealt with by on office bod who ticks the relevant boxes and once satisfied that you have a worthy application then passes on the application for a final assessment by a Local Trades Committee (LTC).
Each State has it's own LTC. So on the ARTC application form it asks which State you intend to reside in. So, in my case I put in Queensland, so my application would have been forwarded to the QLD LTC.
Now judging by the way the QLD licencing board operates it would seem that they would be very, very picky in their assessments.
Not to say that SA are a soft touch, but seeing as they don't make a distinction between a fitter and a mechanic I would suggest that the SA LTC would be more amenable to persons applying with dual trade or maintenance sparks with install experience.
It is only a suggestion but I reckon that if you fall into these types of roles, then, when you fill in the ARTC application form then you should enter SA as the State you intend to reside in.
On a side note, being graded as a fitter is not a hindrance by any means judging from the jobs I've seen posted. Sure, Ive seen some jobs posted for fitters awarding about $30+ for switchboard building, which is a reasonable wage but if you have PLC, VSD , SCADA experience then I've seen plenty of jobs posted offering the same wage and considerably above that also.
I'm an electrical mechanic and it does seem strange to me that as an install spark I am considered to be superior to someone who has both install experience and PLC etc experience. Put me in front of a PLC and I wouldn't know where to start although I'd like to break into this field.
If you intend to work in the mines, then being graded as a fitter and having PLC etc experience shouldn't be a hindrance at all.
Regards Derren

rinkerdink

In hindsight it would've made sense to submit it to the SA LTC, this actually crossed my mind but the application was already in

But as you say there should be plenty of fitter work and I have a full SA licence just in case/ anyway

australia_bound

I've just been granted my artc electrical mechanic, 12 hours after landing in perth. My address for the application was in queensland. I did put a big effort into my application and only mentioned installation work which seems to be key, reading through threads on this forum for hours really payed off, not everything is correct but if you read enough you figure out whats right. This is just me guessing but you have to remember the people in the local council are ordinary people, cant remember what all they are but some of them are local contractors. I know i wouldnt want to be reading a long winded essay of your experience, i scanned what you wrote and got a maintanance feel off it. Hard luck.

rinkerdink

I hear you, problem I had was I'd already been assessed by tra for migration purposes as a special class electrician, to get that you have to demonstrate work of a more technical nature (effectively control panel fault finding). I had to be consistent and I think you could right this may be where it went wrong. They must not know what an niceic qs is, if they do it's hard to see how they can grade one as a fitter but hey ho, as I said I'm over it.

Just want show what didn't work for me, believe me I studied this forum in depth and have been in contact with many successful applicants and followed their advice, just shows it doesn't always work out.

I'll probably be advising electrical mechanics from arrival and giving technical and practical guidance lol

Congratulations on your artc glad it worked out ok for you