Trades

​​​​​​​​​​​If you have moved to Australia and want to work in your trade occupation, you may need to have your overseas qualifications recognised in Australia. If you are seeking employment in a trade occupation employers will often require you to hold the relevant Australia qualification and/or evidence of the relevant occupational licence. 

A skills assessment is a recognition pathway that will assist you to gain the relevant documents. This is where your skills and experience are assessed against the relevant Australian qualification to see if they are at the required skill level to work in your nominated trade occupation in Australia.

Trades Recognition Australia

Trades Recognition Australia (TRA) is a skills assessment service provider specialising in assessments for people with trade skills. Upon successfully completing a skills assessment through TRA you will generally be eligible to receive the relevant Australian qualification and academic transcript if you are in a non-licensed trade. If your nominated trade occupation is deemed a licensed trade you will receive an Offshore Technical Skills Record (OTSR). The OTSR lists all the technical units of competency for the relevant Australian qualification you successfully demonstrated through your skills assessment. The OTSR is also suitable evidence to apply for the relevant provisional licence for your nominated trade occupation, then you can commence working under the supervision of a qualified tradesperson.

You may have already had your skills assessed by TRA as part of an Australian visa application. If so, you may have already received a full Australian qualification or an OTSR.

If you already have an OTSR or Australian qualification

If you already have an OTSR and need more information on licensing, visit the licensed trades page. If you already have your Australian qualification, you are ready to enter the workforce.

If you do not already have an OTSR or Australian qualification

If your trade occupation is listed in the Occupations eligible for TRA skills assessments table below and you do not already have your OTSR or Australian qualification, you can go through one of the relevant TRA skills assessment programs to obtain them. If your occupation is not listed below, you may consider recognition of prior learning.

The skills assessment must be completed by a registered training organisation (RTO) approved by TRA and usually requires you to undertake a practical demonstration of your skills. If you are in a licensed trade, a practical demonstration is mandatory. You may be required to travel interstate to complete a practical assessment and you should confirm this with your chosen RTO before submitting an application.

Follow the link next to your occupation name below for information on the available TRA program/s.

To find an RTO to complete your assessment visit the Trades Recognition Service RTO finder page, or Offshore Skills Assessment Program RTO finder page on the Trades Recognition Australia website.

Occupations eligible for TRA skills assessments

*The Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations code.

TRA skills assessment programs for qualification and skills recognition

Trades recognition service

This program is suitable for people located in Australia (including Australian citizens or temporary or permanent residents) with trade occupations in specified automotive, electrical or metal trades. See the TRA web​​​​site for a full list of nominated occupations. If you successfully complete your assessment, you will receive an Australian qualification and academic transcript, unless your nominated occupation is electrician (general). electrician (special class) or airconditioning and refrigeration mechanic. In this instance you will receive an OTSR which can assist you to start the occupational licensing process and then commence working under supervision. Visit our licensed trades page for more information on occupational licensing.

This program is not available for plumbers. Plumbers need to apply for the Offshore skills assessment program.

Offshore skills assessment program

This program may be appropriate if you have one of the nominated occupations. You can complete the assessment in Australia or in one of the nominated countries. If you successfully complete your assessment, you will receive an Australian qualification and academic transcript unless you have a licensed trade, such as Plumber (General). In this instance you will receive an OTSR which can be used to start the occupational licensing process and then commence working under supervision. Visit our licensed trades page for more information.

If you are not sure which program is suitable for you, use the TRA Pathfinder.

Unsuccessful skills assessments

If you are deemed unsuccessful at the completion of a skills assessment, you will receive a statement of attainment issued by the RTO that assessed you. This will outline the units you were deemed 'competent' and 'not yet competent' in. You can

then use the statement of attainment to seek further training to increase your skills and knowledge in the units you were 'not yet competent' in. Once the training is successfully completed you can apply for a re-assessment where you are generally only assessed on the 'not yet competent' units identified through your original skills assessment. Re-assessments can only be completed within 12 months of receiving your original unsuccessful outcome and are generally at a reduced cost but you will need to confirm this with the RTO that completed your original assessment.