L2P – Different Licences Available
So there’s car licences, but what else can I drive?
Motorcycle Licence
One alternative to getting your car licence is to get a motorcycle licence:
- 18 years or older
- Victorian Resident
- Not be disqualified from holding a Victorian learner permit
To get your Motorcycle Learner Permit, you first need to read the Victorian Rider Handbook, and then attend a 2 day training course. This course will include an eyesight test, a knowledge test, and then on and off-road assessments. They will teach you a lot about the bike, how to stay safe, what kind of riding gear you will need, and how to ride.
After that, you get practice on the road, following all the rules with L plates displayed, to work on your skills. During this period you’ll undertake a Check Ride, which is a half-day coaching course.
When you are ready, and after you’ve held your Learners for at least 3 months, you can take your Licence Assessment at a Rider Training Centre.
It will cost around $500 for your initial training, and $250 each for the Check Ride and Licence Assessment
For more information: CLICK HERE
Bus and Truck Licences (Heavy Vehicle Licence)
If you are interested in careers in the transport industry, you can look at upgrading a regular Car licence to a heavy vehicle licence. These licences will allow you to drive larger vehicles and may lead to career opportunities.
Before you undertake any of these training courses you need to read the Victorian Truck and Bus handbook. There will be a practical test as part of your training. Your training will take place at a Driver Training Centre.
Medium Rigid
A 2 axle vehicle, small truck or bus over 8 tonnes. 1 Day course.
- Have had a car licence for at least 1 year.
- Get a medical clearance if you are taking any regular medication
- Complete a Language, Literacy and Numeracy test.
The course will include safe preparation of vehicles, safe driving, laws and regulations, and driving skills. You will complete both and on-road and off-road driving test.
Heavy Rigid
Any rigid vehicle with 3 or more axles, over 8 tonnes. 1 Day course.
- Have had a car licence for at least 2 years.
- Get a medical clearance if you are taking any regular medication
- Complete a Language, Literacy and Numeracy test.
The course will include safe preparation of vehicles, safe driving, laws and regulations, and driving skills. You will complete both and on-road and off-road driving test.
Heavy Combination
Semi Trailer/Prime Mover 1 -2 day course.
- Have had a car licence for at least 2 years and a MR or HR licence for at least 1 year.
- Get a medical clearance if you are taking any regular medication
- Complete a Language, Literacy and Numeracy test.
The course will include safe preparation of vehicles, safe driving, laws and regulations, and driving skills. You will complete both and on-road and off-road driving test.
After you complete your training course you will be provided with a certificate to take to Vicroads to get your licence officially upgraded. Prices vary depending on training centre, but expect to pay around $1000- $1500 to attend a training course, and it is added to your existing licence (you may need to pay a card replacement fee to get your upgraded card)
For more information: CLICK HERE
Marine Licence
A marine Licence will allow you to ride a jet ski or drive a boat in Ausralian waters – rivers, lakes and off the shore. To prepare for your test you can read the Victorian Recreational Boating Safety Handbook which you can find HERE.
Once you have done that book in to take a marine licence at Vicroads. You need to be at least 12 to get a boat licence, and at least 16 to get a PWC (personal water craft, like jet-skis) endorsement on your licence.
The Boat licence test requires you to get at least 26 out of 30 questions on a knowledge test, and the additional PWC endorsement at least 13 out of 15. You will also need to pass an eyesight test. Once you pass the tests and pay the fees, you will be issued your licence. It’ll cost $28.90 to take the tests, and you’ll then pay a fee which is dependent on how long you want it to be valid for.
Workplace Machinery
There’s all kinds of other licences you can look for that can help you with work opportunities: Forklift licences, Elevated Working Platforms (such as scissor or boom lifts) licences, and Earthmoving (Excavator, Skid Steer, Front End Loader, Backhoe) licences. For any course there will be some reading to do beforehand from the course provider.
- Forklift – around $500 for a 2 day course
- EWP – $700 for a 2 day course
- Earthmoving – around $500 per piece of equipment trained on, 3-5 days
Once you have completed the relevant course, you will receive a certificate. You’ll take this certificate to an Australia Post office and pay a licence fee to Worksafe Victoria to receive your 5 year licence.
Some local training providers include:
- starttraining.com.au (Sunshine West & Derrimut)
- covetraining.com.au (Derrimut)
- australiawideforks.com.au (Tullamarine)
- PPTL.com.au (Keilor East)
Pilot’s Licence
The most basic pilot licence you can gain is the Recreational Pilot Licence. This will allow you to fly a small plane in a certain range around the airport you take off from.
To gain this, you need to undertake a course. You’ll have to be at least 16 years old and pass a class 2 medical test. You will need to study for and pass the Basic Aeronautical Knowledge exam, and do 25 hours of flight training with an instructor, 5 hours of solo flying, and a test. The fees for the training and test will add up to between $10 000 and $ 15 0000. You will also need to purchase some charts, books and equipment such as a pilot’s headset.
The next level beyond this is the Private Pilot’s licence. This will require an additional 30 hours of flight training, and will cost a similar amount again to the above. Both of these classes of licence allow you to fly for recreational purposes, and you cannot use them to be employed as a pilot.
To become a Commercial Pilot you would need to look towards a undertaking training as part of a tertiary study course, a pilot academy with an airline. These courses can take 6 months to 2 years depending on study load, and cost $70-90 thousand.
Get started HERE
