A complete guide about white card for international students in Australia
Construction industry is one of the most well-paid industries in Australia. Even working as a general labourer you can earn potentially up to $30 per hour or even more.
So in this article, we are going to give you a complete guide about the white card for international students in Australia.
What is a White card?
White card is a mandatory work card required to work in the construction site.
It is a short course that you need to complete if you are going to access or work in a construction site.
The main aim of this course is to actually teach you about safety at the workplace.
Obviously, the construction industry is quite a dangerous industry to work in and many accidents and injuries happen in the construction industry.
So to avoid and reduce the number of those injuries and accidents, it is important for everyone to learn about how to stay safe in those work environments and that is why you will need to have a white card.
So in this course, you will learn about:
- Workplace health and safety regulations and requirements
- Some of the hazards in the construction industry and how to control them
- Workplace health and safety communication and reporting processes
- Responding to some of the workplace health and safety emergencies and incidents
Also, there are substantial fines and penalties if you don’t have this card and you get caught working in a construction site.
Who needs it?
Basically anyone who is planning to work in the construction industry or want to have access to the construction site must have this white card.
It is a compulsory requirement to have this card so it is not an optional thing.
If you are going to work at a construction site as a
- Labourer
- Tradesperson (eg. painter, plumber, electrician, bricklayer, etc.)
- Site surveyor
- Site supervisor
- Site manager
- anyone who basically needs access to the construction site will need this card.
so regardless of your visa status, you will need to have this card
The minimum age to get the white card is 14 years old.
How to get a White Card?
In order to get a white card, you will need to undertake a short course which is known as White Card Course. The actual name of the unit you are completing is CPCCWHS1001 Prepare to work safely in the construction industry.
The course can be done face to face and online as well. This course is quite easy to complete.
While most of the states and territories in Australia require people to actually take this course face to face some states actually allow it to be taken online
You need to do a face to face course in:
- Victoria
- Australian Capital Territory
- South Australia
- Northern Territory
- New South Wales
- Most of Queensland
You can do an online course in:
- Western Australia
- Tasmania
- Some rural areas in Queensland
As per the new update from Australian government, providers of certain courses doesn’t require to have a CRICOS to deliver these courses to international students in Australia. It includes white card courses as well. It means international students can complete these short courses from non-CRICOS registered providers as well.
In the past, there was a ruling that international students can do some of the short courses from CRICOS registered providers only but those restrictions are no longer applicable.
What are the steps to do a White card course?
Here are the step for completing the course:
1.Find a registered provider in your state or territory.
2. Register with them to do this course.
3. On the day of the course, bring a Photo ID on the day of training.
Some documents you can use to provide this can include:
- Australian birth certificate
- Australian drivers licence
- Medicare card
- ATM card
- Utility bill like water, electricity bill
4. Usually, you are required to wear safety shoes on the training day.
5. You also might need to bring some PPE equipment.
6. During the course, you will learn about safety with:
- examples
- presentations
- videos
- class activities
- practical demonstrations
7. After learning, there will be a test at the end of the day and you must pass this test in order to get a white card.
8. The test for the white card is not overly difficult.
9. If you pass the test, usually you will be issued with a white card or a statement of attainment depending upon the state or territory you are doing this course.
Please note that if you are in New South Wales or in Victoria, you will be issued a statement of attainment on the day of completion of the course and then you receive a white card or the plastic card within 60 days.
You can start working right away after completing this course as you don’t need to wait for your plastic card to come in order to start working.
You just need to show your statement of attainment to your employer and you can start working.
While, if you are in some other states or territory, then you will be issued a white card on the same day of completing the course.
How long does it take to complete the White Card Course?
This course is usually one day course that lasts around a minimum of 6 hours. These 6 hours include time for registration and the breaks.
Some providers of providing White Card Course in Australia?
Here are some providers of the white card course for international students in Australia:
If you would like to undertake some of the courses we mentioned in the video, you can use one of the link below to register:
White card course from $175 here:
NSW: https://www.eot.edu.au/?pcid=1414
VIC: https://www.eot.edu.au/?pcid=1413
QLD: https://www.eot.edu.au/?pcid=1408
TAS: https://www.eot.edu.au/?pcid=1407
WA: https://www.eot.edu.au/?pcid=1406
Other providers
Victoria
New South Wales
Queensland:
Western Australia:
South Australia:
Tasmania:
How much it costs?
The cost of the white card course depends upon the institute you are going to do this course with.
The cost of the course varies from one state to another and the providers as well and it ranges anywhere from $100 to $250.
It’s always a good idea to check the reviews of the provider before signing up for any course.
How long does the white card last?
The good news is that there is no expiry date for this card. So once you have completed this course you don’t need to renew this card ever again.
However, under the new law, it is recommended that if you haven’t worked in the construction industry for two or more years then you should undertake a new course to refresh your knowledge.
The white card is also valid throughout Australia. So if you have completed a white card course in any state, you can use the same card for other states as well.
How to replace a White card?
If your card is damaged or you have lost it then you can contact your provider to get a new replacement card. It costs extra money to get a new replacement card.
Well, we hope you find some value in this article, where we give you a complete guide about the white card in Australia.
If you want to learn more about various types of short course you can do in Australia, then we suggest you check this article.
Don’t like reading long articles, check this video for a complete guide about White Card:
