Job ready Program

What is it?

The Job Ready program is a four-stage employment-based skills assessment program that provides international student graduates who have completed a trade qualification in Australia, the opportunity to demonstrate their job readiness in an Australian workplace. It in place for international student graduates pursuing a positive skills assessment in their nominated occupation which they can use for General skilled migration purposes.

Requirements

• Have studied a trade qualification in Australia
• Have studied for an occupation that is listed on the Medium to Long Term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL)
• Ensure that TRA is the skills assessor for that occupation.
• Have completed at least 360 hours of work or vocational placement in an Australian workplace relevant to your occupation
• Be eligible to apply for the 485 Graduate Visa

The four stages to completing the Job Ready Program

Stage 1 – Get your Provision Skills Assessment (PSA)

You can apply for the 485 Graduate Work Stream Visa once you have completed the two-year trade qualification that trains you to work in a occupation featured on the MLTSSL, To apply, you will need to apply to obtain a Provisional Skills Assessment (PSA) from Trade Recognition Australia (TRA). This is similar to the skills assessment required for general skilled migration; however, the requirements are a lot lower.

Requirements

• A valid student visa to study in Australia, and
• Completed a CRICOS registered qualification, relevant to your occupation assessed by the TRA.
• Proof of relevant paid employment or vocational placement in and Australian workplace, with a minimum of 360 hours, relevant to your qualification and nominated occupation.
• The Australian Workplace experience and/or vocational placement must have been completed within three years before your submission of the PSA application.

Once you receive a PSA Outcome letter, you can use this to apply for the 485 Graduate Work Stream Visa and begin stage 2 of the Job Ready Program.

Stage – 2 – Begin the Job Ready Employment (JRE)

The next stage is to get a full skills assessment by enrolling in a Job Ready Program, once you are granted the 485 Graduate Work Stream Visa. This stage is in place so you can develop your skills by working in your chosen industry in an Australian workplace. For those applying as chefs, in a hospitality establishment, carpenters and painters in a construction company and motor mechanics in an automotive workshop etc. You must complete at least 1725 hours of paid employment over a minimum of 12 months from your JRE start date in an Australian workplace that has been approved by Trades Recognition Australia (TRA). Employment must be in the occupation, or one closely related to the one assessed in Stage 1 – Provisional Skills Assessment (PSA).

Requirements

• have a successful PSA outcome
• hold or have lodged an application with the Department of Home Affairs for a visa that has full (unrestricted) work rights and is valid for no less than 12 months
• have secured eligible employment in your nominated occupation
• have less than 4 months remaining on your student visa, if applicable.

Once the TRA has verified your employment as suitable, you can begin the 12 months (1725 hours) of required employment.

Stage – 3 – Complete Job Ready Workplace Assessment (JRWA)

The purpose of the Job Ready Workplace Assessment (JRWA) is to determine whether you are working in your nominated occupation at the required skill level. Throughout the program, you are required to keep track on the activities you have been performing by recoding them in your Quarterly Progress Reports (QPRs) and Employment Verification Reports (EVRs). Upon completing six months of verified employment, a TRA liaison officer will visit your Australian workplace to observe you and ask a series of questions.

Requirements

To be eligible for a JRWA, your workplace must have been approved by the TRA and you must have provided the TRA with:

• provide acceptable pay evidence to substantiate that you have been in paid employment for at least 863 hours, over a minimum of six months from your JRE start date
• provide acceptable QPRs, EVRs and journals covering a minimum of six months of employment.

Stage – 4 – Complete Job Ready Final Assessment (JRFA)

The final stage of the Job Ready Program occurs upon you successfully completing stage 1, stage 2 and Stage 3. This makes you eligible to apply for the JRFA.
A successful JRFA provides you with a positive skills assessment in your nominated occupation, which can be used for the purpose of a general skilled migration visa.

Requirements

• have a successful Provisional Skills Assessment outcome (Stage 1)
• have acceptable pay evidence to substantiate that you have been in paid employment for at least 1725 hours over a minimum of 12 months from your JRE start date
• submitted Quarterly Progress Reports and Employment Verification Reports covering a minimum of six months of employment
• have a successful Job Ready Workplace Assessment outcome (Stage 3)

Potential Pathway

If you want to continue working in your chosen trade occupation in Australia, and would like to apply for permanent residency, you can do so through the points-based system as part of the General Skilled Migration program. That is once you’ve achieved a Full Skills Assessment from the TRA. Provided your nominated occupation appears on the MLTSSL, the skilled migration visa categories you can pursue are the Skilled Independent (189) visa, Skilled – Nominated (190) visa and Skilled – Nominated or Sponsored (489) visa.

Are you studying a trade?

We help make the process of gaining your skills assessment through the Job Ready Program easy and simple.

TRANSITION TO A PERMANENT VISA

Immigration Points Test

To apply for general skilled migration visas, you must first pass a skills assessment and points test. The points test measures how desirable you are to the Australian Government by measuring such things as your age, education, work experience and English ability.