Miss M x

Hi Guys
I'm new to this forum, shall tell you our plan first
i need a higher bachelors to qualify as accountant which is 3 years full time study so not a viable option for us so we decided o/h would retrain and looked through the modl to see what best option was and decided on refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic we have looked into courses and have found a 4 week one which gives him his C&G and CITB certificates so he can start work here in UK we then spoke to an agent who advised us that once o/h has 12 to 18 mths experience to apply for vetassess and then lodge application, now until our house has sold we're doing everything on a very tight budget so have decided to go it alone and not use an agent seeing as we have time to get all info together
so my question is has anyone else done the vetassess for this and is it really a case of o/h can pass on this qualification and experience

Sorry for the long post any info would be great x

571090

i am sure that taking the vetassess route you need at least 5 to 6 years experience in the trade including experience , make sure that the advice that you are being given is creditable , i honestly think that your partner will need more than 18 months experience in the trade if he wants to do service work once in Australia , please dont take this as negative advice . from my experience in the trade he will need to start from the bottom , ie become a assistant to an install engineer , then he will learn the basic fundimentals of refrigeration , eventually progressing on to service and ppm . the reason why i say this is that not many if any refrigeration companys would consider employing him with a 4 week crash course in refrigeration . my advice to your partner is to apply for a job as a mate to a install engineer [ foot in the door ] then learn , ask questions etc, once he is happy with the job then apply for the refrigerant handling [ c&g 2078] the company probably will pay for it , then once he feels confident with what he has learnt , then take the c&g 6127 technical certificate , then apply for vetassess , he will need good experience in installation and service under his belt to pass vetassess , this is made clear on the application form . i am sure with determination you will both get to your goal , if you need any advice please send me a pm , good luck . karl.

Alan Collett

In short, no, you do not require as much experience to progress an application via VETASSESS as a trade skills applicant.

The practical element of the assessment will though be a more challenging issue if you have fewer years of work experience.

Have a read here for more information:
http://vetassess.com.au/index.cfm?menu=1.3a

Best regards.

claretandblue

Are you sure about this course?
I haven't heard of getting qualifications in such a short time. Are these just for safe handling.
I would be interested to know about this course if you have any details?

571090

hi Alan this is exactly the point i am making , on the vetassess application it states experience and tasks that are undertaken by a refrigeration and air conditioning engineer , these tasks cant be learnt in 12 to 18 months training , the chap is going to have to start at the bottom as a trainee [ assistant to an installation engineer ] just learning the basic fundimentals would take some time , as said before i honestly dont think any respectable refrigeration company would take anybody on as a refrigeration engineer with only 4 weeks training , as a service engineer there are many techniques and practices with high pressure gasses that done wrong would definatly kill you , and some are not obvious , same with electrics [ 3 phase etc ] , i wouldnt advise anybody to attempt becoming a refrigeration service engineer with no hands on experience , anybody reading this please dont take it as negative advice , but i feel that i had to make this point , any experienced refrigeration engineer would agree with it , cheers .

The_Pom_From_Aus

Miss M x;

youf OH wont be allowed to do any service work at all in Australia unless he has served an apprentiship its as simple as that. he may be able to do a short course for installing Air-Con split system up to 18KW but thats it, tha Air Con license is limiting to install only, he may only get the license for that if he able to convince the Plumbing association he has been doing it for a few years, but as i say the service side he has no chance.

571090

hi , regarding the apprenticeship , i never came into the trade as an apprentice , i started as an engineers mate and progressed onto installations , i was informally trained on service by a senior service engineer , learning every aspect of the trade , in all i had nearly two and a half years training on installation and service , i took the c&g 2078 refrigerant handling , and also c&g 6127 in small commercial refrigeration and air conditioning , i passed vetassess and now i have received an off shore technical certificate , this enables me to work under a provisional licence in my trade until i have demonstrated that i meet all the requirements of the equivelent Australian qualifacation , then i will be issued with the full licence , i know what point you are making regarding service and apprenticeships , i think that anybody entering into this trade will have to undertake many months / years training and most importantly be able to prove this with stat decs from the qualified person who trained them etc , this is why i dont think anybody could ever apply for a job in any refrigeration company without years experience , hence going back to being an installation engineers mate and starting from the bottom is the only viable option . or is there something i have missed regarding having to be an apprentice and becoming a refrigeration engineer in Australia , cheers .
karl.

The_Pom_From_Aus

571090;6856982

with your experience over the years you should be fine mate they shall take all that into consideration for applying for your license

claretandblue

I too came in to the trade as an engineers mate.
I have been installing, servicing and repairing all aspects of AC for the last twenty years from splits to central plant.
In addition, I have trained many mate's myself.
I passed the TRA prior to Vetasses proving over 7 years of experience,but was worried the Ozzies would want qualifications rather than experience which is why I was interested in this post.
Nigel.

571090

just get your City and Guilds 6127 technical certificate in small commercial refrigeration and air conditioning , you can do it in one day online , it costs approx £300 , nobody cay argue with that , its based on underpinning knowledge that you have learnt in the trade , somebody without the knowledge wouldnt be able to pass it , it is a level 2 qualification .so if you are worried thats what i would do .

claretandblue

Cheers, will look into that.

martin102

Didn,t think a Villa fan would be able to fill out the forms.

claretandblue

Only a nose could make that statement

Miss M x

Hi Guys,

Thanks for the feed back it really has been helpful, my o/h fully expects to start at the bottom as a mate etc but obviously this won't qualify him for the vetassess the course he is taking gives him the following

CITB Safe handling of refrigerants
CITB Registration, certificate and green card
CITB Pipework and brazing
VRQ Domestic electrical installation
C&G 2078 Safe handling of refrigerants
TTC Installation, maintenance and repair

Just how difficult would it be for him to find an employer willing to take him on with this and let him continue with his training and possible further qualifications and has anyone done the vetassess already for this,

amany thanks x

martin102

LOL How did you guess

Martin