Emigrating to Australia

[lisaroguex]

Hi All.

I was wondering if any of you Sparky's are or have emigrated to Australia. It's my hubby who is the electrician but I'm trying to find out exactly what he needs to do in order to work over there and how much any exams etc are going to cost.

Could someone kindly explain without using abbreviations as I know that there are going to be loads.

Many Thanks

Lisa

 

[steptoe]

Go to the aussie embassy website and see if he qualifies for the OSL occupation shortage list, or POL priority occupation list,, I used POL to work in NZ,dunno if they still exist though.

 

[MalcyB]

Does he know what you are planning? :innocent

 

[WarrenG]

Hi All.I was wondering if any of you Sparky's are or have emigrated to Australia. It's my hubby who is the electrician but I'm trying to find out exactly what he needs to do in order to work over there and how much any exams etc are going to cost.

Could someone kindly explain without using abbreviations as I know that there are going to be loads.

Many Thanks

Lisa

Lisa,

I looked at emigrating a few years back to Australia (and I'm fully upto to speed here qualified, Electrician, Inspector, Design, solar, own company etc) but found that after jumping through several hoops here in the UK, it was expected that you would but required to re-train in Oz all over again.

Its a bit of a long story but the short version is that you would have to make contact via Vetassess to go through a process to be assessed against the Austrailian standards.

VETASSESS - Vocational Education Training and Assessment Services

This involves a paperwork assessment with 3 levels that covers all your UK qualifications, work history, competency, skills sets etc of which you are graded. Level 1 being a complete pass, level 2 requiring improvement, level 3 ......well kind of forget it.

Your OH will need to gain a Level 1 / 2 pass rate to be able to proceed to a practical assessment here in the UK which includes a written exam, a practical assessment and an interview.

Costs at the time were roughly $600AUD for the paperwork assessment and I think about $1600-$1700AUD for the practical assessment.

Having gained a Level 1 pass for all the paperwork assessment I was asked to book the Practical assessment (Blackburn college was the closest for me) of which I did.

before taking the practical assessment I discovered that even if I passed successfully through that I would still be required to retrain in Oz once arriving.

This changed the game completely based on the fact that:-

If you were lucky enough to get a job you were going to be paid as a 'Trainee'.

You were required to be over seen by an electrician, i.e. you basically couldn't connect anything up without supervision untill you had the required training.

You had to complete additional training in Oz to obtain an 'Electrician's License'.

I personally decided that the move was just far too risky for my family and decided to cancel the arranged practical assessment considering there wasn't going to be any guarantee that there would be work over there.

Things may have changed since but if you do want any of the information that I have regarding my experience then PM your email and I will glady dig it out for you.

A couple of helpful site that cover this kind of thing is Britishexpats.com and pomsinoz.com

Hope this helps!

Warren

 

[Sidewinder]

I know that a guy i was an apprentice with has gone through this and he had hell!

I wrote him a professional reference as this went toward helping him on the way, as we had worked together on sites after finishing our time, and I had progressed on to get letters so I am classed as a professional engineer and it still took months and months and he did have to do some re-training over there too.

Best way is to be sponsored.

The guy who was my best man, we were also apprentices together, went over to Aus many years ago, he was qualified in the UK but had a job to go straight to in Aus as his wife's family were out there arranged this for him, Copper mine in Northern Territory.

He had no problems.

I myself having lost a very large contract which was a huge part of my business have been looking myself, however, I will probably go as a professional engineer rather than a spark as my degree will probably be more transferable.

I sa a nice job similar to that which I have done before in the Perth area on a web site the other day, $145-$254Aus plus luxury house!

I was very tempted, as there is pretty much nothing to keep Mrs SW & me here bar our kids!

She said go for it!

I am currently investigating a sponsor company as one of my previous employers has a division out there and I am still in contact with the UK guys.

So, I may be off too, however it depends on the work I get in over the next few months.

Sorry I can't be much help, but it is difficult to go, the advice others have given seems correct to me.

Where is hubby working at the moment, is he an installer or maint spark, is he with a big company?

I know one supplier rep I had in a previous job was going to quit because his wife had a job over in Aus, his company when they found out went up the wall!

They made him a job in the sister co in Aus, so that is an option depending on your circumstances.

 

[revjames]

Go to the aussie embassy website and see if he qualifies for the OSL occupation shortage list, or POL priority occupation list,, I used POL to work in NZ,dunno if they still exist though.

I'm surprised you came back steps, all those earth rods!

Back to the OP if its anything like NZ (which I believe it is as they use the same regs/standards/codes of practice) then you will need to show evidence of your qualifications and then do a practical assessement and a regs exam before you can become registered and get a practicing licence.

 

[kmaccui]

i looked into it a few years ago and just like WarrenG i gave up due to all the hoops you have to jump through and the re training involved and also the costs involved, you become a trainee for a year if i remember rightly.

 

[revjames]

i looked into it a few years ago and just like WarrenG i gave up due to all the hoops you have to jump through and the re training involved and also the costs involved, you become a trainee for a year if i remember rightly.

To be a sparky in NZ/aus you have to be registered. The only way to be registered is to be already working in the trade as an assistant or mate. Thats what I did and it took a while before I could do the practical assesements and regs course after which I had to do a safety refresher and then and only then was I registered and licenced. Then a refresher course every 2 years and a licence fee every year.

 

[steptoe]

I'm surprised you came back steps, all those earth rods! Back to the OP if its anything like NZ (which I believe it is as they use the same regs/standards/codes of practice) then you will need to show evidence of your qualifications and then do a practical assessement and a regs exam before you can become registered and get a practicing licence.

Might be going back again if things round here work out. :|

 

[revjames]

I still have the stamps in my passport steps! but I was there 3 years ago and I don't think the grass is that green anymore! Cost of living getting worse there too - eg $5NZ for a loaf of bread!

 

[ProDave]

I have relatives in Australia.

When they last visited us, and saw our (almost) self built house, and I told them I had done all the internal fit, wiring, plumbing (including gas and oil) carpentry, plasterboarding, tiling etc they were amazed.

Down under you have to get a self build permit, and you have to go to college and pass exams before you are allowed to undertake any aspect of building your own house.

All far too much regulation and red tape for my liking.

 

[steptoe]

I still have the stamps in my passport steps! but I was there 3 years ago and I don't think the grass is that green anymore! Cost of living getting worse there too - eg $5NZ for a loaf of bread!

were you North Island James?

the missus has been looking at the Gold Coast, I think I woulda preferred Perth myself (or NZ), but the GC looks ok for work too,

she has spent the past ten days going through the pros and cons of what countries/areas she prefers,

down to Oceania, or the middle east, and Oz has English as a 1st language so thats where she is thinking.

 

[revjames]

I was in the North Islans. Spent a couple of years in Auckland and 3 years in the Waikato

 

[Sarmajor]

Consider emmigrating to New Zealand as an option. Requirements for registration are listed in "ESR 2010" "The Electricity Safety Regulations 2010". Due to the earthquake in Canterbury there will be many opportunities during the rebuild. Our government is already bemoaning the shortage of Trades People.

You will have to sit a Regulations examination but it is open book and there are many short courses available to get you up to speed. Most of the standards are derived at least in part from British and IEC standards so no that big an issue. Steel conduit is not used here that much either.

Also once NZ Registered the path into the Aussie working environment is much easier as we share a common Standard. AS/NZS 3000:2007.

Good Luck with your endeavours.

 

[MKS]

I know thread is months old so accept my apologies in advance! I was in SA for over a decade and like someone mentioned the grass is not greener far from it. Despite the luxury of dual citizenship, I have no desire to return! I must admit getting residency was the hardest time of my life, they want to know absolutely everything, and despite all the qualifications in the work, if your face does not fit, your foot will be firmly out the door!!! Once residency was granted the next step was work, this proved mind boggling as I felt like I had just started out again, and being watched over by someone just out of Tafe was a little too much! I worked on some decent jobs such as airport extension in Adelaide etc! Domestic work is frowned upon by the comm and Industrial guys, but there is work out there! I was ill for a number of years so my work was cut short. I moved back to England two years ago and a new journey as begun! Could not be happier, but anyone wishing to go I wish you all the luck in the world

---------- Post Auto-Merged at 22:34 ---------- Previous post was made at 22:32 ----------

I am married to an Australian so I did not have to go the skills route!

 

[revjames]

5 years in NZ - had to jump hoops to get there and work in the trade. But been back here nearly 11 years and havent looked back! Would go back - but only for a holiday!

 

[Evans Electric]

Just to say that Australia and NZ have launched an immigration campaign ,aimed at the construction trades . Radio4 this morning.