Contractors Licence

[cormcvcr]

Hi all,

 

Andy is a self employed painter/decorator and with this comes the responsibility of obtaining a Contractors Licence.

 

This basically means he has to know how to run a business and know all the legal issues that go with it.

 

He was self employed for a number of years in Scotland and didn't have this. But as usual there are extra implications with being in a trade in Australia.

 

Therefore, has anybody on here done there contractors licence?

If so did you find it difficult to obtain and what exactly is involved in this. I know you can do it as home study, but do you send in paperwork for the course or can you do it online.

 

Any help on this matter would be greatly appreciated.

[Guest guest569]

I think you have to re show all your qualification papers again !!! Or even go to tafe to show you can do what you say you can do.

I am in the process of sorting mine as i have been a sole trader for over 12 months in oz a letter from my accountant ,and some references i can get it it easier.

[Rachiegarlo]

You have to do two courses through TAFE on business mangement and contracting I think., get some references from some painters and some people you have painted for. You get the forms at the licence place in Grenfell St. It's all on the forms what you have to do. Sorry the forms we have are stuffed in a box somewhere on our verandah at the mo so can't be more specific. You also have to have some money in the bank I think. Used to be easy, when Mark came over he didn't have formal trades and guilds just learnt on the job. Went for an interview and got the licences.

I will try and find them and get back to you.

[cormcvcr]

Hi there,

 

we applied for it and have the information here (got it today). We are in the process of looking through it at the moment, but just want to know if anybody has done this and did they find it difficult or easy and how much information did you have to provide.

 

Sorry, I should have been a bit more specific, but many thanks for the responses so far.

[Guest marty]

Hi all,

 

Andy is a self employed painter/decorator and with this comes the responsibility of obtaining a Contractors Licence.

 

This basically means he has to know how to run a business and know all the legal issues that go with it.

 

He was self employed for a number of years in Scotland and didn't have this. But as usual there are extra implications with being in a trade in Australia.

 

Therefore, has anybody on here done there contractors licence?

If so did you find it difficult to obtain and what exactly is involved in this. I know you can do it as home study, but do you send in paperwork for the course or can you do it online.

 

Any help on this matter would be greatly appreciated.

 

 

To get a contractors licence you need to apply for a builders licence restricted to your trade, you need to do a TAFFE course in business studies which will include everything you need, the only other hurdle is that you need to have funds, but owning a house will be ok if you have some equity in it, this is only if you go broke and you still have contracts outstanding that you cant forfill and someone wants to sue you.

 

You can apply for a builders licence without trying to be a contactor but I dont know the limitation put on you, I am in the building game and most painter I know dont have a licence nor trade qualifcations, the only trades that they are hot on is plumbers, electricians and gas fitters

[Rachiegarlo]

The master painters association is hot on painters who contract without having a licence. Supposedly huge fines if not licenced. However those whoget caught usually do crapola jobs and someone complains to the office of business and consumer affairs. Most painters advertising will have RL before their licence number and this is what restricts them to painting and minor repairs. Some advertisers will not accept your ad unless you have a licence number. Mark used to get all his work from a small box type ad in the Messenger or Guardian or whatever your free neighbourhood paper is called.

[Guest guest569]

Apparantly if you do some work for someone and they find out you have no liscence they can refuse to pay.

[cormcvcr]

Well we started doing the how to run a business section last night, which is more profit and loss and projected earnings. I dabbled in accounts throughout my working life so finding this part not too bad.

 

He has to get the licence to be regulated by the Master Painters, he has a lot of work lined up through insurance companies, so he has to have this.

 

Thanks again for all the information, you never know if I sail through this home study version for him (I know he's supposed to do it, but is working non stop at the moment) I could do it for others for a small fee!!!!

 

I need to be working!!! for my sanity at least, the kids are terrified to move in the house in case I start dusting them too!!

[Guest Devon]

I need to be working!!! for my sanity at least, the kids are terrified to move in the house in case I start dusting them too!!

 

Hi Cornelia

Know exactly how you feel! As you know I wasn't allowed to work for two years here. I remember thinking cool. After about two months I was pulling my hair out and started to suffer major OCD due to cleaning everything over and over again for something to do! The days were really long and it's not just the fiancial side until you realise that the only thing to do other than cleaning is shopping:arghh: (had seen all the sights I could see on my own over and over again in the first two months) I remember it getting me so down and thinking what am I doing here. At least in the UK or Spain I had loads of other things to do and family to visit in UK and loads of friends in Spain to pop out with. Hey ho glad I hung on in there though as now am allowed to work:v_SPIN: although finding my feet again first and recovering from my three month stint back to the UK as after doing nothing for two years it shattered me out!!!!!

Have been trying to pm you to give you the details but it won't let me! For some reason I can receive pm's but not answer them unless I do it publicly! Can you pm me your e-mail address and fill you in that way?!

Hang on in there - with your positive attitude you deserve for it all to work out

Speak soon

Cathy x

[Rachiegarlo]

I know you arte probably looking for work, but in the mean time why don't you do some volunteer work like meals on wheels, seving in the hospital shops kiosks. You could put this on your CV when you are allowed to work.

[Rachiegarlo]

Oh and where do you get the online sections Cornelia, haven't heard of them, last time I had to look at this stuff it was a trek out to TAFE at Holden Hill.

[cormcvcr]

They send you the forms to complete with the answers to their questions and then send them via post or they can send you them via email to complete and return. This is via home study and not by going into Tafe to do the course.

 

I also can work here, but just proving a little difficult to get a start anywhere. I am volunteering within the local schools and Kindy's, I am also on the relief register for a few childcare centres, one of which called yesterday only after a few hours of registering with them, but unfortunately I had to turn them down as the shifts were for next week and I have agreed to do a two week contract with an agency in the city, which I can't wait to start tomorrow. I'm so looking forward to getting back into the workforce even if it is only a couple of shifts at a time, but ideally I need to get something a bit more secure for the sake of getting a mortgage in the future.

 

But keep the ideas coming to me as there is always new information that we all need to know.

 

In the meantime, I'll just need to keep my head down and try and get this contractors licence finished for the OH.

 

A womans work is never done!!

 

Many thanks

[Angela]

Hi Cornelia

 

This might help you:

 

The two modules that are required to be completed to be able to apply for the Building Work Contractors Licence through Office of Consumer and Business Affairs (OCBA) are:

• Establish Business & Legal Requirements; and

  
  

• Undertake Financial Planning.
  

The Building Workers Contractors Fact Sheet from the OCBA website which has the information regarding these modules.

THE PERSON WHO WE HAVE SPOKEN TO IS:

Adam Guerin

Skills Recognition Services

Ph. 1800 658 887

 

[Guest donna T]

I had to turn them down as the shifts were for next week and I have agreed to do a two week contract with an agency in the city, which I can't wait to start tomorrow. A womans work is never done!!

 

Many thanks

 

Congratulations Cornelia and best of luck - you never know where this might lead - keep us posted!

Donna x

[Guest Devon]

I know you arte probably looking for work, but in the mean time why don't you do some volunteer work like meals on wheels, seving in the hospital shops kiosks. You could put this on your CV when you are allowed to work.

 

Hi there, it was me who wasn't allowed to work for two years. Cornelia can as she says. I can now too My visa had stamped on it at the time no work allowed so I looked into volunteer work to keep my sanity but when I went to do it they pointed out that my visa stated no work allowed and underneath also stated no volunteer work!!!!! Luckily I hadn't started yet so that was lucky. I knew that I couldn't work but thought I would be allowed to do volunteer work but not always the case it seems:arghh: Still all behind me now thank goodness