Job Ready Program (JRP) Australia: Earn Your Skill Assessment Today

A Job Ready Program (JRP) is a structured employment-based skill assessment program designed to help individuals, especially those with trade qualifications who need to demonstrate their skills for Australian employment or migration.

It is managed by Trades Recognition Australia (TRA), a government agency that runs a program called a TRA job-ready program which helps individuals gain necessary skills and experience to secure jobs in the Australian workforce in their chosen occupations.

This program consists of four logical steps which are essential for those individuals who are applying for a General Skilled Migration (GSM) visa, such as subclass 189, 190, or 491. 

Follow the below checklist to be eligible for Job Ready Program (JRP) 

• You must have been the primary visa holder for a student visa (subclass 500).
• You must have at least 1 year of full right rights to complete the program.
• Your occupation must be listed on the Skilled Occupation List (SOL).
• Your occupation assessment path must be listed on the official website of Trades Recognition Australia (TRA).
• You must complete at least 360 hours of work or vocational placement in Australia relevant to your occupation.
• You must be eligible for a Temporary Graduate Visa (subclass 485). 

Here is why this program is crucial for international graduates with trade qualifications: 

• It helps individuals gain practical experience and an opportunity to develop skills for employment in Australian workforce. 

• It helps you obtain a positive skills assessment, which is a key requirement for applying for skilled migration visas such as (subclass 189, 190, 491, or 186). 

• It develops trade-specific practical skills and equips individuals with the confidence required to successfully integrate into the Australian labour market. 

The Job Ready Program (JRP) consists of four key stages, all of which must be successfully completed to obtain a positive skills assessment through Trades Recognition Australia. 

Step 1: Provisional skills assessment (PSA) 

The first stage of the Job Ready Program is to pass the Provisional Skills Assessment (PSA). This step verifies genuineness of your Australian education qualifications and relevant work experience 

Eligibility criteria: 

• You must be primary holder of student visa (subclass 500) in Australia.
• You must study a course in your nominated occupation from an approved Australian institution that is CRICOS-registered.
• Must have completed at least 360 hours of work experience or vocational placement in the related occupation relevant to the applicant’s qualifications. 

After obtaining a positive skills assessment, applicants become eligible to apply for the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) and proceed to Step 2 of the Job Ready Program. 

Application process for PSA: 

• Get registered online by creating an account on the official website of the Job Ready Program.
• Pay the PSA Fee.
• Fill in the required details of PSA applications and submit them online.
• Once submitted, download and print the assessment summary.
• Send your printed assessment summary along with all required supporting documents to the designated TRA email address. 

Step 2: Job Ready Employment (JRE) 

In this stage, applicants need to secure employment in their nominated trade occupation with an eligible employer in Australia. The applicant needs to complete at least 1725 hours of paid employment within a year in a work environment approved by the TRA. 

Eligibility criteria: 

• You must have obtained a positive PSA result.
• You must hold or have applied for Temporary Graduate Visa (subclass 485) / have full work rights with the validity of at least 18 months. 

Application process for JRE: 

• Get registered on the official website of JRP.
• Submit your employer's details.
• Send your printed JRE summary plus all the required documents to the TRA email address. 

Step 3: Job Ready Workplace Assessment (JRWA) 

In this stage, an assessor authorised by Trades Recognition Australia (TRA) will visit your workplace to conduct the Job Ready Workplace Assessment (JRWA). The purpose of this assessment is to evaluate whether your practical skills and performance in the workplace align with the requirements of your nominated occupation. 

Eligibility Criteria: 

• The applicant must be employed in a TRA-approved workplace relevant to their nominated occupation.
• You must provide evidence that you have worked at least 863 hours in paid employment over a six-month period beginning with the start date of the Job Ready Employment (JRE) phase.
• You must provide acceptable Skills Progress Reports (SPR) and Employment Verification Report (EVR).   

During the Job Ready Workplace Assessment (JRWA), the assessor evaluates whether the applicant is performing their duties at the required skill level for their nominated occupation in Australia. 

If the applicant is unable to demonstrate competency at the required level, they may continue working with their current employer and can undertake a reassessment later once further experience has been gained. 

Application process for JRWA: 

• Received confirmation from Trades Recognition Australia (TRA) that you are eligible to undertake the JRWA.
• Log in to your Job Ready Program account and submit the required information online
• Pay JRWA fee
• Print the JRWA summary document and have it signed by your employer to verify the details.
• Send your signed JRWA summary along with all the required documents to the TRA email address. 

Step 4: Job Ready Final Assessment (JRFA) 

You are eligible to apply for JRFA job-ready final assessment once you have completed all three steps of JRP. This is the final assessment of JRP and once you got positive result, you will be eligible to apply for several skilled migration visas: 

Eligibility Criteria: 

• You must have obtained a positive JRWA result.
• Applicants must complete at least 1725 paid employment hours in a TRA approved workspace in a course of 12 months.
• You need to collect evidence of employment such as payslips, bank statements, work certificates, etc. 

Application process for JRFA: 

• Sign in to your JRP account and complete all the applications of JRFA.
• Pay JRFA fee
• Submit the details and print the JRFA summary document.
• Send your printed JRFA summary along with all the required documents to the TRA email address. 

Here is a complete Job Ready Program Occupation List that are compatible with the TRA: 

• Carpentry
• Boat Building
• Automotive Mechanic
• Commercial Cookery
• Heavy Diesel Mechanic
• Solid Plastering
• Bricklaying
• Wall & Floor Tiling
• Electrical Instrumentation
• Automotive Body Repair
• Automotive Electrician
• Engineering Fabrication
• Electrical Engineering
• Airconditioning & Refrigeration
• Cabinet Making
• Joinery
• Painting and Decorating