FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

OTSR and Minimum Australian Context Gap Course Training in Australia

1. I am interested. How do I check if I am eligible to do the course?

Whilst the knowledge and skills of many overseas workers can be very high, there are differences in the manner in which technical expertise needs to be applied in Australia.

 Australia has different standards, regulations and/or industry codes/guidelines and work practices that are not seen or applied in any other country (except New Zealand).  

 In regulated trade vocations (such as electrical) where the work context may differ markedly, if this gap is not addressed it could endanger lives and have a detrimental impact on electricity infrastructure and/or systems.

2. Does the Minimum Australian Context Gap Course have to be done in Australia?

Yes – Australian regulators and industry have insisted this be the case. 

 The 1080NAT Course in Electrician – Minimum Australian Context Gap is a nationally recognised accredited course that can only be offered by licensed registered training organisations (RTOs) such as Electrical Trades College. 

3. Do Electrical Regulators recognise the OTSR?

Yes – an OTSR is a nationally recognised document. All state and territory regulatory bodies have agreed that Electrical OTSR holders are eligible to apply for a provisional licence to allow the holder to perform work in the licenced occupation under supervision while completing the gap training. 

Licensing and registration is a state/territory responsibility in Australia and there are different titles for provisional licenses used in different states/territories. 

4. How long is the practical experience required in Australia?

Practical experience is a mixture of both time and workplace exposure, which is captured by ‘eProfiling’ to the satisfaction of both Electrical Trades College and the Regulator, which is nominally 12 months.

5. What is the industry preferred pathway for gaining my full qualification and occupational licence?

The industry endorsed skilled migration pathway and process for Skilled Migrants (excluding New Zealand qualified Electricians) under OSAP and TSS is Trades Recognition Australia (TRA) Pathway 1. 

 Specifically, this pathway involves candidates:

  1. Successfully undertake a OTSR skills assessment by a TRA approved RTO;
  2. The successful completion of the nationally accredited 1080NAT Course in Electrician – Minimum Australian Context Gap (including supervised workplace experience captured by eProfiling) in Australia by an E-Oz licenced GAP training RTO (such as Electrical Trades College);
  3. Then issuance of the full Certificate III qualification which allows an occupational licence to be issued by the relevant State or Territory regulator. 

Skilled Migrants should be extremely cautious about undertaking any pathway or process outside of the industry approved process. Unless you are a qualified New Zealand Electrical and/or licence holder migrating to Australia.

 Any migration pathway resulting in the issuance of an Australian Qualification or occupational licence that does not involve steps 1-3 above, is most likely against regulatory requirements and training package rules. Australian qualification in the Electrotechnology sector must be delivered in Australia, under appropriate electrical licensing and sufficient on the job exposure gathered in Australia.

6. What is eProfiling?

eProfiling records your on-the-job work experience. This system has been developed by industry and is an important component of the gap training course. 

 eProfiling gathers, on a weekly basis, the different tasks undertaken and tracks over time exposure to the various elements of the gap training course. This information is verified by your supervisor and used as work performance evidence by Electrical Trades College