16
Electrical
news
Licensed Electrician’s Assessment — what
you can do to help your apprentice pass
By Sue Sizer, Compliance Officer,
Electrical Installation Safety
The Licensed Electrician’s Assessment
(LEA) is a set of three assessments which
apprentices intending to apply for an A Class
Electrician’s Licence in Victoria
must complete.
The LEA includes a theory, practical and
a safe working practice assessment. The current
pass rate for these assessments is quite poor.
In 2017, less than half the candidates passed
the theory and practical, with only 65% achieving
a pass in the safe working practice.
Apprentices spend only 14% of their
apprenticeship time at trade school, with 86%
spent on the job. You – their employer – will be
carrying out the bulk of their training.
So what can you do to assist your apprentice
to be successful in their final exams?
Test, test, test.
LEA candidates are required to carry out a
visual inspection as well as the six mandatory
tests required under AS/NZS 3000.
It is vital for candidates to see their employer
carry out these tests on the job, with an
opportunity to carry out the tests themselves,
under your supervision.
Guidance for carrying out the mandatory
tests may be found in AS/NZ S3017 Electrical
Installations – Verification Guidelines.
General tips to encompass in your
workplace
Use The Wiring Rules and help your
apprentice/s use it too. If you instruct your
apprentice to carry out a task in a particular
way, support your reasoning with the Rules.
Encourage your apprentice/s to use the Rules
to understand why you have chosen a particular
method, cable, or piece of equipment.
There are a significant number of Wiring
Rules questions and tasks in the LEA. By using
the Rules regularly, they become familiar and
comfortable with it.
Do you have to work out a voltage drop
and/or cable size for a job?
Have your apprentice do it for you. Applying
this knowledge in practice is a great way to learn.
Give them the most varied spread of work
you can. Apprentices who spend their time in
very limited areas of work often struggle to
apply concepts to a broader range of work.
Use safe practices.
If you do not isolate, lock out tag out, and test
for live correctly, not only are you putting yourself
and your apprentice at risk, you are teaching them
bad habits.
This will make it more difficult for them to
apply correct procedures in their assessments,
and it could ultimately cost them their lives.
If you have an apprentice, the future of our
trade is in your hands. Give them the on-the-job
training they need and deserve.