Sharpblade

I graduated as an Industrial Engineer in Electronics in Belgium (full
4 years study). My end of study work was purely an IT project: image
processing software. Since then, I have always worked in IT mainly as
a developer (embedded C, C, UNIX, Oracle SQL, Java): 5 years in
Belgium, 6 years in Ireland where I am now living with my family. I
am currently working as a Senior Software Developer. Do you think I
could take the ACS assessment and successfully either get ASCO code
2231-19 (Systems Programmer) or ASCO code 2231-79 (Information
Communication Technology Professionals) as Electronic Engineer is
specified in the list of specialisations for the latter? I would apply
in skill level Group A as I suppose my primary degree as an Industrial
Engineer is equivalent to an Australian Bachelor degree even though
Belgium is not a country listed under the Washington and Sydney
agreements. Also, I graduated as an Electronic Engineer and obtained
my certificate thanks to a fully IT focused project that spanned over
a full year in parallel to my last year of graduation.

Thanks beforehand for any feedback on this issue and for sharing your
views if you experienced the same kind of situation.

SharpBlade

Evila

Applying in Group A may be not possible if ACS considers your degree
beeing non IT (which I think it is).



In the other hand, 10 years experience may open you the door for
applying via RPL if you can document your experience enough...



Good luck...



Originally posted by Sharpblade

    > Do you think I

    > could take the ACS assessment and successfully either get ASCO code

    > 2231-19 (Systems Programmer) or ASCO code 2231-79 (Information

    > Communication Technology Professionals) as Electronic Engineer is

    > specified in the list of specialisations for the latter? I would apply

    > in skill level Group A as I suppose my primary degree as an Industrial

    > Engineer is equivalent to an Australian Bachelor degree

SharpBlade

Sharpblade

Thanks evila! I downloaded booklet 6 just a couple of days ago after
my wife and myself had come up with the idea of 'What not move to
Australia'. I did not imagine that there are so many administrative
hurdles to leap over before being authorized to live down under.

Jaj

Your eligibility for Group A or B with ACS depends on:
- how your qualification in general compares to Australian benchmarks
(Australian diploma, or bachelors degree etc); and
- the IT content of your degree.

It doesn't matter what your degree is *called*.
RPL is there if you don't fit into either Group A or B.

ACS don't care about Washington/Sydney Accord - that's only an issue if
you choose to be assessed as an Engineer via IEAUST.

For both ACS and IEAUST look at the relevant websites and choose the one
which suits you best.

Jeremy

SharpBlade wrote:
    > I graduated as an Industrial Engineer in Electronics in Belgium (full
    > 4 years study). My end of study work was purely an IT project: image
    > processing software. Since then, I have always worked in IT mainly as
    > a developer (embedded C, C, UNIX, Oracle SQL, Java): 5 years in
    > Belgium, 6 years in Ireland where I am now living with my family. I
    > am currently working as a Senior Software Developer. Do you think I
    > could take the ACS assessment and successfully either get ASCO code
    > 2231-19 (Systems Programmer) or ASCO code 2231-79 (Information
    > Communication Technology Professionals) as Electronic Engineer is
    > specified in the list of specialisations for the latter? I would apply
    > in skill level Group A as I suppose my primary degree as an Industrial
    > Engineer is equivalent to an Australian Bachelor degree even though
    > Belgium is not a country listed under the Washington and Sydney
    > agreements. Also, I graduated as an Electronic Engineer and obtained
    > my certificate thanks to a fully IT focused project that spanned over
    > a full year in parallel to my last year of graduation.
    >
    > Thanks beforehand for any feedback on this issue and for sharing your
    > views if you experienced the same kind of situation.
    >
    > SharpBlade

Sharpblade

Jeremy,

Thanks for pointing out that 'ACS don't care about Washington/Sydney
Accord - that's only an issue if you choose to be assessed as an
Engineer via IEAUST'.
It seems clearer and clearer that I have to jump on the ACS or the
ACS/RPL bandwagon. Also, I hope that the economy is going to pick up
all over the world and that some IT occupations will be back on the
MODL list in the next 3 years.

SharpBlade

Jaj

Two other differences between ACS and IEAUST that you should be aware of:

1. ACS assessments are normally only valid for 1 year, while IEAUST
assessments do not have an expiry date.

2. If your work experience is in IT, and you get assessed as an
engineer by ACS, you cannot guarantee getting 10 points for work
experience - you may be limited to 5. It's a grey area.

If any IT specialism does come back to the MODL (which no-one is
expecting anytime soon), you will need a special clause in your ACS
assessment referring to this before you can benefit. ACS almost
certainly won't be issuing these clauses any more while there are no IT
specialisms on the MODL. And even if an IT specialism did come back on
the MODL, you would have no guarantee it would stay there right up to
the assessment point of your application, which is necessary to get the
points. For example, SAP was restored to the MODL in early 2003, and
then removed again in December.

Jeremy


>SharpBlade wrote:
    > Jeremy,
    >
    > Thanks for pointing out that 'ACS don't care about Washington/Sydney
    > Accord - that's only an issue if you choose to be assessed as an
    > Engineer via IEAUST'.
    > It seems clearer and clearer that I have to jump on the ACS or the
    > ACS/RPL bandwagon. Also, I hope that the economy is going to pick up
    > all over the world and that some IT occupations will be back on the
    > MODL list in the next 3 years.
    >
    > SharpBlade