There are a lot of tickets you can chase as an electrician, and plenty of confusing advice about which ones matter. Some are essential. Some are nice to have. Some aren’t necessary until the right opportunity comes along. Here’s the straight answer.

The Basics for Commercial & Metro Projects

If you’re looking to work on commercial projects around Perth—whether that’s office fitouts, retail, hospitality, healthcare or education—these are the qualifications most employers will expect:

• Electrical Workers Licence – Your trade qualification and legal requirement to perform electrical work.
• White Card – Required for entry to construction sites across Australia.
• Driver’s Licence – Essential for travelling between sites and accessing many project locations.
• First Aid – Provides the skills to respond to workplace injuries and medical emergencies.
• LVR/CPR – Covers low-voltage rescue and cardiopulmonary resuscitation, a standard requirement for electrical workers.

Depending on the project, you may also need:

• Working at Heights – Required when performing tasks at elevation.
• EWP (Elevated Work Platform) – Often required where scissor lifts or boom lifts are used on site.

A good rule of thumb is to secure the core tickets first, then build on them as opportunities arise. Most employers understand that additional tickets can be obtained when a specific project requires them.

Moving into Industrial and Mining

If you’re looking to take the next step into industrial or mining work, you’ll typically need to add: 

• Working at Heights – Required for tasks performed at elevation, including construction projects, shutdowns, maintenance work and mine site operations.
• Confined Space & Gas Testing – Qualifies you to enter and work safely in confined spaces while monitoring atmospheric conditions and identifying potential hazards.
• EWP (11m+) – Allows you to operate elevated work platforms over 11 metres, commonly required on construction, industrial and maintenance projects.
• High Risk Work Licence – Covers specialised equipment such as forklifts, rigging, scaffolding and cranes, depending on the class of licence held.
• First Attack Firefighting – Provides the skills to identify fire risks and safely use firefighting equipment during the initial stages of an emergency.
• MSIC (Maritime Security Identification Card) – Required for unescorted access to secure maritime and port facilities throughout Australia.
• Mining Site Inductions – Site-specific inductions for major mining operators can significantly improve your access to shutdowns, maintenance work and long-term site-based roles. Speak with our team about the inductions most in demand.

Site inductions are where things get a little more complicated. Each major mining client runs its own induction program. While it can feel repetitive, having the major mining inductions completed can significantly increase your employment opportunities and make it easier to move between projects and operators. The validity period for each induction varies, so it’s important to keep track of expiry dates and client requirements.

For the Bigger Projects

These tickets are where the money gets serious. They’re not for everyone and they cost real money to get, but they open up the higher-paying work across mining, oil and gas, offshore and major industrial projects.

• EEHA (Electrical Equipment in Hazardous Areas) – Required for working on electrical equipment in explosive or hazardous environments commonly found in oil and gas, processing plants, refineries and some mining operations.
• Instrumentation – Expands your scope beyond electrical work to include the installation, calibration, testing and maintenance of process control systems, sensors and transmitters used throughout industry.
• HV Switching – Qualifies you to operate and isolate high-voltage electrical equipment. Highly sought after for power generation, utilities, mining and major industrial facilities.
• BOSIET & Escape Chute – Mandatory safety and emergency response training for most offshore oil and gas projects, covering helicopter travel, sea survival and emergency evacuation procedures.

Don’t Spend Money You Don’t Need To

A few things we’d generally avoid paying for upfront:

• Generic “mining ticket” packages that bundle together inductions you may never use.
• Check your expiry dates before booking refreshers – a lot of electricians renew tickets months before they expire, which can effectively cost them part of their certification period. Most tickets are valid for between one and five years, so a quick check can save you money.

One Last Tip

Your Electrical Workers Licence can become the biggest bottleneck in your job search.

We’re currently seeing initial applications take up to 6–8 weeks to process, with renewals taking 2–3 weeks. Don’t wait until you’ve landed a job offer to realise your licence isn’t current.

Keep an eye on expiry dates and allow plenty of time for processing. The best opportunity in the world won’t help if you can’t legally start work.

Need help working out what to chase?

Give us a call on 0456 183 159 or drop us a note. We’ll tell you what’s actually being asked for on current jobs and where to get the tickets without paying over the odds. Useful whether you’re on our books or not.