National Occupational Licensing for Electrical Occupations

1. National Occupational Licensing for Electrical Occupations September/October 2012 Saj Khan A/ Director Policy & Electrical Engineering EnergySafety Division Department of Commerce

2. Today’s talk • Main elements of RIS for Electrical Occupations • What will happen to the current regulators under NOLS? • What would NOLS mean to licensees? • Proposed licence categories under NOLS • Scope of Work for each licence category • Proposed qualification requirements for each licence • Summary of NOLS model • National Licence Register • Where to from here? • Question time

3. Consultation Regulation Impact Statement (RIS) The (RIS) provides a comparison of 3 options: • Option 1: Status quo – No change from current arrangements. • Option 2: Automatic mutual recognition - ‘Driver’s licence’ approach. Each jurisdiction continue to issue licences under existing jurisdictional categories and associated scopes of regulated work. • Option 3: National licensing – Single policy approach to licence categories, regulated work and eligibility requirements to obtain a licence. National licensing register would be established

4. What will happen to the current regulators under NOLS? • Will be delegated functions of NOLA under National Law in their jurisdiction • These includes processing licence applications, renewing licences, commencing or taking disciplinary action against licensees, and monitoring / enforcing the National Law. • When undertaking licensing compliance activities and initiating disciplinary action, they will also be undertaking these activities on behalf of NOLA and will be bound by the National Law.

5. What would NOLS mean to licensees? • Majority will be transitioned to equiv. national licences • Conditions or restrictions on existing ones transitioned to the equivalent national licence • New licence when current one expires • No “disadvantage test” – whatever licensees can do now, they will be able to do under NOLS

6. Proposed NOLS licence categories • Electrician • Electrical fitter • Electrical line-worker (not in WA) • Electrical cable jointer (not in WA) • REL (with fault finding),with the following subcategories: • Refrigeration and air conditioning • Electronics and communications • Instrumentation

7. Proposed NOLS licence categories • REL (w/o fault-finding) with following subcategories: • Appliances (non-portable) • Industrial/commercial equipment • Electrical contractor • Electrical fitter contractor • Electrical line-worker contractor (Not in WA) • Electrical cable jointer contractor (Not in WA)

8. Proposed NOLS licence categories PROVISIONAL LICENCES • Provisional electrician • Provisional electrical fitter • Provisional electrical line-worker • Provisional electrical cable jointer Time limited, under supervision (used for overseas applicants, gap training, compulsory re-training and transition from fitter to electrician licence) • No provisional training licences for apprentices

9. Proposed NOLS licence categories • Line Worker and Cable-Jointer licences will be issued in other States not WA • Apprentices will no longer be licensed i.e. no provisional training licences. Summary of licence categories by jurisdiction (table on next page)

11. Scope of Work for Electrician’s Licences • Electrical work means selecting, assembling, constructing, installing, testing, commissioning, maintaining, repairing, altering or replacing an electrical installation from the point of supply of the electricity by the electricity entity to the customer’s installation; or verifying electrical installations under a prescribed standard. • Fairly similar to existing definitions in Electricity (Licensing) Regulations 1991 • Excludes electrical installations connected from private generating plant.

12. Scope of Work for Electrical Fitter Licences • Electrical fitting workmeans assembling, making, modifying, or repairing electrical equipment. • Electrical equipment means an apparatus, appliance, cable, conductor, fitting, insulator, material, meter or wire used for controlling, generating, supplying, transforming or transmitting electricity above extra low voltage. • Limited to work within the machinery / equipment not on fixed installations • Extra low voltage means voltage not exceeding 50V a.c. or 120V ripple free d.c • Consistent with definitions in current Electricity (Licensing) Regulations 1991

13. Exemptions from holding an electrical licence • A person under a contract of employment and training or a student, under the supervision of a person licensed. • A non-electrical trade contractor who contracts with a licensed electrical worker • A licensed electrician performing electrical fitting work • Electrical contractor contracting for electrical fitting work

14. Qualification requirements for Electrician’s Licence under NOLS • UEE11 Electro-technology Training Package (UEE30811 Certificate III in Electro-technology Electrician) • MEM30405 Certificate III in Engineering – Electrical/Electronic Trade qual NOT a pathway to an electrician’s licence under national licensing

15. Qualification requirements for Electrician’s Licence under NOLS • ARTC and similar trade assessment certificates would not be accepted for electricians. • No experience requirements i.e enables persons to be eligible for a licence irrespective of how they have obtained their qualification – via workplace (apprenticeship) or classroom training. • No emphasis on “on-the-job” training

16. Qualification requirements for Electrical Fitter’s Licences Electrical Fitter’s Licence: • UEE11 Electro-technology Training Package or • MEM05 Metal and Engineering Training Package

17. Qualification requirements for other RELs • UEENEEP010A - Disconnect/reconnect appliances connected to low-voltage installation wiring and UEENEEP016A - Locate and rectify faults in low-voltage appliances using set procedures Or • MEM18049C-Disconnect/reconnect fixed wired equipment up to 1000 volts a.c./1500 volts d.c. and MEM18046B-Fault find/repair electrical equipment/components up to 1000 volts a.c./1500 volts d.c.

18. Electrical Contractor’s Licences Under the Electricity (Licensing) Regulations 1991, a person who carries on a business as an electrical contractor must hold an Electrical Contractor’s Licence To qualify for an EC licence in WA, person / nominee must: • Hold an electrician’s licence; and • Hold adequate insurance cover and • Complete the Electrical Contractor’s Training Package

19. Electrical Contractor’s Training Package Modules of ECTP: • EA103A - Operation(Electrical) Legislative Requirements • WAE100 (EA106) - Electrical Requirements • EA102 - Establishing a Contracting Business • EA103B - General Legislative Requirements

20. Qualification requirements for Electrical Contractor’s Licences • There are no qualifications proposed for electrical contractor’s licences under NOLS.

21. Summary of NOLS model • Establishment of a National Licensing Authority(NOLA) • Possible increase in licence fees for some jurisdictions • Only paying for a licence category once • One set of eligibility requirements, SoW across Australia • Some changes to licence categories, scopes of work and qualifications • No Training Licence • Less focus on the “on the job” training requirements for apprentices • No training requirements for an EC licence • Trade contractor can contract with licensed electrical worker

22. National Licence Register • NSW GLS will be used • Department of Commerce - Developing its database (CALS) which will up-load / down-load data to/from the national register • EnergySafety is contributing to CALS to ensure it can handle the electrical and gas licences under NOLS

23. Questions?