markandgill

Hi,

I am a maintenance electrician heading for sunshine coast qld.

I believe that once there I will have to attend a course, approx 10 - 12 weeks i believe, to bring me up to speed with Australian regs etc and was wondering if anyone had any info on the regs and requirements for working as a spark in qld.

Also, if it takes 10 -12 weeks for the course can I not actually get a job as a spark until I have completed this course?

I have read so many different views on this and now I am unsure

Any info greatly appreciated

steve`o

hi guys we have an electrical section on here
http://britishexpats.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=97

re info for qld you need to do the following

apply for artc
( look at section 2 on the following )

http://www.workplace.gov.au/workplace/Programmes/TRA/

this can be applied for from the uk allthough they will only post it to an aussie address ( use a mates etc )

cpr course go to one of the red cross courses when you arrive approx 80 dollars and they are run most saturdays

apply to electrical safty office for a licence and they will issue a certificate to train - you then need to get a job and book onto the wiring course

i used qet
http://www.qet.edu.au/

electrical safty office
http://www.deir.qld.gov.au/electrica...seas/index.htm

alternatly you can go the south australia and do a course at peer
http://peer.com.au/index1024m.htm

this can be done either by attending for three weeks and sitting the exam at the end or via correspondance and only attending for the exam
when you get your sa icence you can either work on that or swap it for qld one under the interstate agreement


for site work you`ll need a blue card
( health and safty course req for all sites in qld ) again approx 80 dollars run most weekends all over qld ( do a search ) i recently read that someone had done this via the web so agin try a search on here


hope this lot helps if you need any more info just ask or search in the electrical section

regards steve

regards steve

markandgill

Cheers Steve

Info greatly appreciated

brasso

Hi Mark and Gill... dont want to sound disheartening, but not so easy to get set up and get a decent job as a spark here straight away. I wish we knew when we came here what we know now!!! You go to Brisbane and get your TRA cert, then you have to work as a electrical trade assistant on crap money until you have done your college course... which is hard work and hard slog especially if you are working during the day too. in the meantime you have to do your First Aid course, with CPR component renewable every 12 months, also have to get blue card (and of course all these things cost money)(what with the electrical course a couple of thousand dollars) then if and when you get your mechanical licence that just means you can work direct for someone on better money. If you want to advertise and work for yourself you need a contractors licence, without this, if you trade and advertise and get caught it is a $30,000 fine. You have to hold the mechanics licence for 12 months and then when you have done a business management course and electrical testing and inspection(6391 equiv)course you can apply,(after doing your college course)for the contractors licence. You need to have $5,000 000 insurance and have the right equipment as there is a standard itinary such as disconnection and safety equipment such as rubber mats and rubber gloves (x3 layers) which have to be inspected every 3 months... and then after all this you will be able to work for yourself charging $60-$80 an hour......ummmm do you still want to do it???? they dont like to make it too easy!!!

Wendy

That's why it's easier to come to SA. Course costs $550ish and is done in 4 weeks max. All you need then is the ARTC (which if you apply before you come you should have by the time the course is finished )

Licence is a three year one, and costs $380ish. This can then be swapped for a full QLD electrical licence.

Takes about 3 months max if you are organised.

stu:0

Im in QLD (Cairns) and doing the licence now. Chose to do it via correspondence. Its $650 for the regs course and $220 for the guy to check my work, i also do a log book that he checks once iv finished the regs course. Its pretty simple. The exam is even sent to our work address and iv to sit there and do it under the watchfull eye of me boss whilst i do it.
This way of doing it is much better i feel as the regs course is down to yourself. Its meant to be 96 hours but the more time you put into it the faster its done. Im hitting it hard the next couple of weeks to get it out of the way!

youngy73

you dont need the mechanics licence for 12 months to get the contractors licence. that was introduced to stop apprentices fresh out of there time becoming contractors. the 12 months does not apply for an experienced spark. liability insuranse is only $650 a year and the cpr is renewable every 6 months not evey 12.the blue card cost me $60 and the whole licensing process in Qld took me 5 months and cost around $1300.

markandgill

Hi All,

Thanks everyone for the replys

You have given me a bit more of an insight to what I will be faced upon arrival in qld.

And NO.........It has'nt put me off

Mark