AUS - being qualified for electrical work - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: John B
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 24, 2020, 04:41:43 am
content: I'm gathering information on the paths available for becoming a "qualified" electrician in Australia. Let's say hypothetically this would be for personal electrical work on your own property, and not for the purposes of being a contractor or employee. Having a look at the NSW gov site, it is focused around being qualified to advertise yourself as a qualified electrician for the purposes of employment. As such, much of the pathways include >12 months employment in the field. Having a required TAFE course or equivalent is understandable, but I'm not currently seeking work in that field. Does anyone have experience on the matter? Thanks.

author: beanflying
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 24, 2020, 05:12:38 am
content: Importantly it varys State to State so generalist advice from those outside your State may or may not apply. So are you in NSW? In Victoria there is a difference between being an 'Electrician' and then being an 'Electrical Contractor' too and likely in other states.

author: Rerouter
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 24, 2020, 05:23:40 am
content: Generally it involves a 3rd certificate via tafe or university, and a minimum required number of hours work under another qualified electrician,The fastest way through it would be to complete as much of the tafe stuff via prior learning acknowledgement, to this end you might research the curriculum, as you can access that without being enrolledThe work under another electrician is the harder part depending on your free time, there is no easy legal way around thisAS an alternative fast-path, aim for the disconnect / reconnect license, this can be gained with limited site work, and can be done with prior learning / practical exams / a lot of studying the wiring standards you can get while enrolled for a tafe course through the library.This will let you run and fit out most of the wiring, but prior to any connection to mains you then have an electrician come and give it there mark of approval and perform the final connectionMost people who are in this position seem to prefer the second option, calling a sparky for a final verification is generally a much shorter and cheaper option than the sparky doing the fit out (so long as it meets all required standards)

author: Someone
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 24, 2020, 05:25:58 am
content: Quote from: John B on May 24, 2020, 04:41:43 amIn Australia there is no distinction drawn between electrical work done for yourself and work done for pay, both have to be done to the same standards and by people with the same qualifications. This makes sense when houses/properties are sold without electrical safety certificates.Different rules apply to:"restricted work" applying to a narrow field necessary for a plumbing trade."plug in" appliances (many commercial lighting/office installs have moved to this model).The only workaround is that electrical work requires supervision and signoff from an approved electrical worker (contractor etc), but someone else can do the actual labor. So it is possible to do the electrical work yourself if you have a working relationship with a qualified person who then takes the responsibility/liability for the job as a whole. If you don't do that you'll risk losing any insurance on the property, and being personally liable for any problems.

author: VK3DRB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 24, 2020, 07:47:20 am
content: I know a bloke with an electronics engineering degree with several years experience who wanted to become an electrician. He was told by the meatheads in the state government that there are no exemptions - he would have to start as a first year apprentice. He gave the idea away and instead went into earth moving where he is very happy and doing well.And yet there are electricians who have the qualifications but are grossly incompetent. But not as incompetent as many plumbers and not as greedy either.

author: Someone
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 24, 2020, 09:57:56 am
content: Quote from: VK3DRB on May 24, 2020, 07:47:20 amI was happy to do the apprenticeship and had an employer lined up with all the paperwork etc, so they moved the goalposts and said they wouldn't admit me to an apprenticeship until I had completed the entire TAFE course (no option for RPL). Offered to do the exams, still not acceptable to the board of job protection...and now the industry is flooded with foreign workers who haven't done any training or qualifications in Australia, so its completely broken.

author: Rerouter
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 24, 2020, 10:03:42 am
content: Technically there is also the western australia mining electrician role, its basically the whole 3 year experience wrapped up into 6 months, but most that I have heard from say they barely consider them an apprentice at that point if they try and use that in other states.

author: John B
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 24, 2020, 11:19:59 pm
content: Thanks all. Plenty to think about there. Ill have to double check but at least in NSW it looks like systems under 120V DC are exempt from requiring licensing. That's plenty of headroom for some lighting projects I have in mind at least.

author: John B
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 24, 2020, 11:23:56 pm
content: I don't suppose anyone has seen some of the literature that would be covered in TAFE floating around the net? I do have some of the electrical standards literature.