Comms traineeship / elec apprenticeship

[Tocchi]

Does anybody here know of any companies (prefer SOR) looking for a trainee or apprenticeship ?

I've been scouring seek/apprenticentre/etc for openings for almost 10 weeks now, but the usual intake opens around August.

I don't have my pre-app (cert2) due to working FIFO (4/3) making it difficult to attend anything that is not-online-based.
But I think I'd be able to get that as an RPL.

- Background of 5 years in underwater robotics
- Advanced diploma in mechanical engineering
- diploma in technical engineering
- one unit off diploma in mechatronic engineering (wasn't enough enrolled to do that unit, and I was working full time by the time they had the numbers a year later)
- strong in mathematic/physics/electronics

Looking for a change, electronics/electrical has always interested me, and I'm not new to it.

Prefer sooner than later, as I'm onto week 16 of a 4 week redundancy notice by Rio Tinto, but who knows when that will end.

[Tocchi]

* in before "if you wrap electrical tape on a fork it's safe to stick in a power outlet" *

[Phildo]

* in before "if you wrap electrical tape on a fork it's safe to stick in a power outlet" *

Who needs electrical tape when normal sticky tape is cheaper?

[R3N]

Stay out of comms

[-Luke-]

Be all you can be

http://www.defencejobs.gov.au/army/jobs/TelecommunicationsTechnician/

http://www.defencejobs.gov.au/army/jobs/TechnicianElectronicSystems/

[Tocchi]

Stay out of comms

Any particular reason Kuek?
PM if you wish

[Phildo]

Be all you can be

http://www.defencejobs.gov.au/army/jobs/TelecommunicationsTechnician/

http://www.defencejobs.gov.au/army/jobs/TechnicianElectronicSystems/

Navy.

Spend your life surrounded by seamen. (Well, it's kinda funny if you say it out aloud.)

[SSICK]

Nothing wrong with comms at all. You're better off doing an electrical apprenticeship as the last block of your Tafe is comms. It's simple shit and you'd pick it up pretty easy.

Depends what type of electrical work you want to do.

[Tocchi]

Excellent to know Tom ... I have a lot of fibre optics/Telemetry experience offshore but no certs so that's why I thought comms would be good - smash it out etc

To be honest, I'm open to most kinds of electrical work, just happy to get a chance in this current economic climate

[forde]

Have you tried EGT?

[Tocchi]

Yes, I didn't find them very helpful truth be told. I guess they cop questions all the time

[munt]

In my last year of tafe now for comm's, there's only about 10 of us in WA, so not many jobs out there for it, not sure about traineeship's. The 3 years at tafe for comm's is just basic electronics, radio wave propagation theory and a bit of other shit thrown in. Far more interesting than learning how to join 3 different colour wires though :p.

Off the top of my head the company's everyone works for:
Mine-tech
RCT
Radlink
Government (boring parking meter shit)
Tower maintenance mobs
Rio
Woodside
Taxi mob


You don't need a piece of paper saying you're a comm's tech to get a job, obviously you do for electrical, for that reason you'd be better off doing electrical IMO. If you wanted to do comm's for longer than just to get the ticket I'd look at going somewhere that does more designing/commissioning of systems than just maintenance and repairs.

[R3N]

Any particular reason Kuek?
PM if you wish

In comms industry at the moment. Is mind numbing, may be different for the techs, they seem to enjoy it and is pretty cruisy. Company isn't recruiting at the moment, but in a few months when our merger is complete there should be some going.

[Tocchi]

update:
i have still been plugging away at the applications, i have had a few rejections, always disheartening on a slow week, some places actually have advised they were dropping the apprentice intake in full. Even Rio isnt taking on external/internal apprentices until Sept 2016

luckily the last 5 days has been awesome, on Friday i sent an application into Honeywell, called up for correspondence, turns out the actual recruitment email was down, so the recruitment officer asked me to send it to her direct email, so she definitely would have gone over it.
tldr; applications close Oct 2, but i had an official phone interview yesterday, i did the aptitude test today (aced it), and this friday i have a skype interview. feels good.

and i had another place, contact me for a face-to-face interview this friday morning, along with a small practical test.

[ChrisGTR]

Keep at it man.
I was in the same boat a few years back trying to get an apprenticeship and it was a good 12 months and a hundred odd applications later before I finally got picked up. Im now close to finishing my apprenticeship and I can honestly say the pain and effort of trying to get one was well worth it.
Just keep sending your resume in to any wanted ads on seek and apprentice centre.
I believe Nilsen's and William's electrical start taking on applications at this time of year so it might be worth emailing their HR with your application.

[crabman]

Any word back from Quadrant on the instro front?

[Tocchi]

thanks Chris - thats my plan. my experience and skills in the field is a big advantage, IF my resume gets looked at - which in has in 2 cases, and thus, got calls :)

crabman - nothing yet

[Alt_F4]

I'm catching up with my boss from my last job tomorrow, if you send me your resume at work I'll drop it on him when I see him in the arvo.

[Tocchi]

Had an interview with another training group this morning, regarding an electronics apprenticeship, aced their electrical aptitude test, will "find out" by Friday if I've made it to the company's interview / aptitude test.

Pushed back the Honeywell skype interview to next Friday as conflict between availabilities - their main recruitment centre is Brisbane.
Works well for both parties.

Feeling pretty good.


update:
i have still been plugging away at the applications, i have had a few rejections, always disheartening on a slow week, some places actually have advised they were dropping the apprentice intake in full. Even Rio isnt taking on external/internal apprentices until Sept 2016

luckily the last 5 days has been awesome, on Friday i sent an application into Honeywell, called up for correspondence, turns out the actual recruitment email was down, so the recruitment officer asked me to send it to her direct email, so she definitely would have gone over it.
tldr; applications close Oct 2, but i had an official phone interview yesterday, i did the aptitude test today (aced it), and this friday i have a skype interview. feels good.

and i had another place, contact me for a face-to-face interview this friday morning, along with a small practical test.

[J.stone]

Hey man, I've heard that perhaps precision electrical may be hiring, not sure if they were looking for a trade or a new apprentice.

They're a commercial company, one of their clients is the enex 100 building in the city. If you can't get a hold of anyone there PM me and i'll try and pass your name along to one of their sparkies.

Edit: Definitely go for electrical apprenticeship over a comms one, no offence to comms techs, but getting an A grade license is a huge feather in the cap. Also with your background hopefully you can get into an industrial outfit.

[Daynesy]

Make sure you go instrument electrical.

Chevron will be advertising this month, keep an eye out on their site and CCIWA.

[SSICK]

When I did my instro course it was a requirement that you had your electrical cert before they would give you the cert 4. That was 5 years ago though, have heard stories of being able to get a different type of instro cert without the electrical cert.

[Daynesy]

Yeah sorry I meant dual trade... so electrical and instrumentation :). Makes oil & gas work possible, which is what you want!

[SSICK]

you can do the instro course online these days and just go in to do your practical exams. Works the same was as TAFE does with an apprenticeship, do the all the training then when you get signed off, you take that paperwork into the training provider and they will issue your certificate.

[Tocchi]

cheers guys :)
i'm actually in the final 10 for the Honeywell one, hopefully find out when final inteviews are (this week)...
it is electronics and communications, but will be basing on smart grids/ generation and such, supposedly.
yeah i know not electrical, as of such, but still something i'll enjoy, and it's an opportunity that is mine for the taking :)

[SSICK]

Bloke in my instro course did mech services for Honeywell and they paid for him to do his instro course. Sounded like a good company to work for. Good luck

[Tocchi]

yeah it certainly seems that way :) which is something that was a big plus for me (extra training, my previous workplace promised training and what not, but at the end of the day, they did not deliver)


In additional to Honeywell supporting you in gaining your trade qualification we also offer in house training to support ongoing career development. In addition to your trade qualification we encourage all our employees to complete a minimum of 40 hours training each year.

[Tocchi]

I got a call from MIGAS (repping Honeywell) on thursday, Unfortunately i did not make it in ... the reason: my experience, Honeywell felt i was over-qualified for this position, and thus would become bored and un-satisfied with the role over time... fair enough, hurt to hear, but maybe that was a good thing.

later that arvo, MEGT called me, i made the final 5 for the other role, government position with electronics and communications, that softened the blow of Honeywell's passing.
my final interview is next week thursday, i believe it may involve some practical or theory based electronics... so i have been revising (so i am not rusty) ... but upon revising, Im contemplating bringing some of my old electronics study notes to the interview, to ask where that level of study fits into the apprenticeship.
as if it's stuff ill be learning in the apprenticeship, sweet .... if its beyond what i'd be learning, i'd almost be better off passing on an offer - as being unsatisfied and bored for years isnt a good thing.

but, as always, eggs / basket saying

[Philbo]

Good luck with it all bro. Let's hope it comes out with riding the wave on top!

[-Luke-]

I got a call from MIGAS (repping Honeywell) on thursday, Unfortunately i did not make it in ... the reason: my experience, Honeywell felt i was over-qualified for this position, and thus would become bored and un-satisfied with the role over time... fair enough, hurt to hear, but maybe that was a good thing.

later that arvo, MEGT called me, i made the final 5 for the other role, government position with electronics and communications, that softened the blow of Honeywell's passing.
my final interview is next week thursday, i believe it may involve some practical or theory based electronics... so i have been revising (so i am not rusty) ... but upon revising, Im contemplating bringing some of my old electronics study notes to the interview, to ask where that level of study fits into the apprenticeship.
as if it's stuff ill be learning in the apprenticeship, sweet .... if its beyond what i'd be learning, i'd almost be better off passing on an offer - as being unsatisfied and bored for years isnt a good thing.

but, as always, eggs / basket saying

Dislike for the HW knockback, not the new plan of attack!

[Tocchi]

Interview went very well I felt.

2 spots available, 5 people. Good odds.

I have to work out my centre link benefits etc with being a full time adult apprentice ... The SAAA (adult app weekly payment) stopped July 2015 ... Thanks Abbott... I should be able to get austudy but they say liquid assets have to be under $5.5k (lol), so I need to work out if a mortgage amount greater than savings negates this etc.
Worst case there is a hardship payment you can apply for, if none of the others work out

Looks like I may have to do 10 hours of nightfill a week anyways, if I get the role