Trades Recognition Australia (TRA): Job Ready Program

From 1 January 2010 TRA has a new skills assessment program, the Job Ready Program. The Job Ready Program is a four step process, and all four of the steps must be completed to satisfy the Job Ready Program.

Step 1 - Apply for a Provisional Skills Assessment

A successful outcome will enable you to apply to DIAC for a 485 skilled graduate temporary visa.

TRA says the requirements for this Provisional Skills Assessment are similar to the previous TRA skills assessment process.

To be eligible to apply for a Provisional Skills Assessment you must:

• hold a valid visa
• hold an Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) qualification in an occupation assessed by TRA
• have an IELTS score of at least 6 in each of the four bands of the IELTS test (or hold a valid passport from and are a citizen of the United Kingdom (UK), Canada, New Zealand, United States of America (USA), Republic of Ireland
• pay the AUD $300.00 Provisional Skills Assessment Fee
• have relevant work experience performed in Australia that demonstrates a range of tasks and duties of the occupation you are qualified in.

Supporting documentation required include a statement from your employer about your work experience in Australia over at least six months. The statement must detail the occupation in which you were employed; exact periods of employment; and a description of the nature and content of your work along with the machines, tools and equipment used.

Step 2 - Complete the Job Ready Employment

On a 485 visa you will have 18 months to complete the required 12 months of full time employment that will enable you to gain more skills and experience in an Australian workplace. You will also gain valuable training in Australian workplace culture and language.

Compliance with this step will include Employer Registration, an Employment Contract and a Workplace Log.

Step 3 - Complete a Job Ready Workplace Assessment

You will have an opportunity to demonstrate your trade skills in the workplace to a TRA approved assessor.

Step 4 - Apply for a Job Ready Final Assessment

You will have collected all the evidence required during Steps 1 to 3 to apply for a final assessment which can be used as the skills assessment required to apply for permanent migration.

To gain a successful skills assessment as an onshore applicant with a trade qualification to enable you to apply to DIAC for a residence visa, you must successfully complete all four steps of the Job Ready Program. See the overview

This would seem to mean that onshore GSM applicants for Subclass 885, 886 and 487 visas who nominate a trade occupation must first apply for a Subclass 485 visa.