Fact sheet: Applying for an Electrician’s licence based on qualifications gained overseas

Applicants applying for an Electrician’s Licence based on qualifications gained overseas must provide evidence that their trade skills have been assessed.
Such evidence can be in the form of either:

• An Offshore Technical Skills Record (OTSR) issued by a Trades Recognition Australia approved Registered Training Organisation (RTO) in the trade of ‘Electrician General’. (Refer to the RTO Finder page of the Trades Recognition Australia Website for approved RTO’s).
• An Australian Recognised Trade Certificate (ARTC) issued by Trades Recognition Australia (TRA) in the trade of ‘Electrical Mechanic’. Note: From 1 October 2014 Trades Recognition Australia ceased issuing ARTC’s however ARTC’s issued before this date are still accepted.
   

Offshore Technical Skills Record

The process to obtain an OTSR requires an applicant to undertake a skills assessment. The assessment is conducted in plain English and is undertaken in three steps:

1. A self-assessment to assist the applicant to determine if they have the required skills.
2. A paper-based assessment to review the applicant’s trade qualifications and workplace evidence. If the evidence meets the requirements, the applicant will proceed to the practical skills assessment.
3. A practical skills assessment, including a technical interview.

The technical interview and practical assessment is conducted by an approved Australian electrician and assessor and involves a series of interview questions specifically developed for an electrician. Questions focus on the electrical work competencies and use a mix of open ended questions and questions requiring specific answers.

The practical assessment involves a series of ‘challenge tests’ or simulated activities that integrate a number of the competencies relevant to the Australian qualification.

Australian Minimum Context Gap Training

To confirm an applicant is a competent tradesperson, they are required to successfully complete the Australian Minimum Context Gap Training.

The Australian Minimum Context Gap Training is the minimum requirement for a non-Australian trained electrician’s to achieve a Western Australian Electrician’s Licence.

The Australian Minimum Context Gap Training consists of core and elective competency standard units to provide the required training for the UEE30811 Certificate III in Electrotechnology Electrician qualification from the UEE11 Version 1 Training Package or its equivalent successor.

The Australian Context Training includes the following:

• Off-the-job training at an approved RTO scoped to provide the required Units of Competence.
• Working under supervision of a licenced Western Australian Electrician (for up to 12 months) to gain on-the-job practical experience in electrical installing work.
• A Practical assessment after completing the off-the-job training and on-the-job experience at an RTO scoped to carry out the assessment.

Applicants are required to obtain a letter of approval to undergo the Australian Minimum Context Gap Training and an Electrician’s Provisional Licence from Building and Energy.

The Electrician’s Provisional Licence is not restricted to an employer or supervisor to enable the applicant to gain up to 12 months on-the-job experience in electrical installing work under Australian conditions.

A nominal time of up to 12 months is an estimate and may vary depending upon the applicant’s on-the-job experience in Australia.

After successfully completing the above, an applicant will be issued a Certificate of Attainment that is to be forwarded to the TRA approved RTO. The RTO will then issue the applicant a Certificate III in Electrotechnology Electrician.

Please note an applicant cannot be issued an Electrician’s Licence until the Certificate III in Electrotechnology Electrician has been received by Building and Energy along with the appropriate application form and fee.

Fact sheet: Trades Recognition Australia – Skills assessment services resulting in an Offshore Technical Skills Record