The announcement that the Federal Government will establish a high quality national electrical license has been welcomed by the ETU.
In March this year Treasurer Jim Chalmers announced that he would set up a process to implement national licensing in the electrical trades.
The ETU have been campaigning for a National Electrical License since 1921, now after 104 years we can see a pathway to this becoming a reality.
The ETU knows that a National License should not exist just for the sake of it. It needs to be a license that reflects the highest standards for electrical workers. A license that reflects that sparkies in Australia work under some of the highest electrical standards and perform the some of the highest quality electrical work in the world – because we know they do.
A high-quality national license will allow greater movement between states for electrical workers eager to follow the work in high-demand sectors like construction and energy and provide greater community understanding nationally of the quality and importance of work performed by licensed electricians.
The importance of the national licence is only growing – with the rollout of renewable energy and storage projects, more and more electrical workers are employed on contracts that see them traveling across state borders for work.
Under the current system, workers may not understand the differences between regulations in force in different states – leaving them exposed to accidentally undertaking illegal work. We need to ensure that electrical workers can be protected from this.
The ETU is advocating for all states to be brought up to the highest standard, so that our members are secure in the knowledge that if they have to work in another state, they won’t be exposed to unsafe practices.
“Australia has some of the best electrical workers and highest electrical standards in the world. A national license must reflect that. We will work with government and industry on a licensing scheme that sets the global standard in this high-risk, fast-moving trade.
The Australian national electrical license must be a mark of quality and safety that workers, industry, consumers, and employers feel proud of and have confidence in. All Australians have the right to know that work performed by licensed Australian electricians has been performed safely and skilfully by a professional whose capability has been certified to the highest level.
“The national regime must put safety and quality at the centre of its design, reflecting existing best practice from across the country – not composed of existing lowest common denominators in sub-national jurisdictions. Electricians are ready for a national license that they can stand behind and say, ‘Australia’s electrical work is the best in the world’. – ETU National Secretary, Michael Wright.
The Government said they would work with unions, business, states, and territories to design a high quality national electrical license. And so far the ETU have been a major part of that work and the ongoing conversation around license design.
You can read the ETU’s submission on National Licensing here