Painter & Decorator

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So, you want to be a painter and decorator? Can you:

• Perform quality work for customers, contractors and builders
• Work at heights
• Work on your own or in a team
• Work with colours to produce the specified result (full colour vision usually required)
• Measure and calculate jobs to work out quantities of paints and coatings.

What do Painter and Decorators do?

• Erect scaffolding, cradles and ladders, and place drop-sheets to protect areas from paint spattering
• Remove old paint or paper by sanding, scraping etc and using steam strippers to remove wall paper
• Prepare surfaces by fixing woodwork, filling and sealing holes, cracks and joins
• Select or prepare paints to match colours by the addition of tinters
• Brush, roll or spray the paints, stains, varnishes and other finishes
• Spray paint surfaces using a spray gun or a range of specialised equipment
• Apply decorative paint finishes such as stencils, colour glaze, graining, marbling and lettering

How do I become a Painter and Decorator?

Firstly, you will need to do some work experience so that you know what the job is about. I you think it’s for you, find an employer that is looking for an apprentice painter. You will then become an apprentice painter and will you will complete a certificate III in Painting and Decorating at a Registered Training Organisation (RTO).

Once you have completed the four year apprenticeship, you will be a qualified tradie!

What Next?

Once you are a tradie in the construction industry, you can continue working for small or large companies and move into leading hand, supervising or management positions. You might even want to start your own business and employ apprentices yourself. Some tradies even go on to further education to complete courses from Certificate IV to bachelor level. There are plenty of options for qualified painters.