Builder

Ashelee Pleffer

With his steel-capped boots, work gear and ute, business owner and tradesman Brad Lawrence (pictured) encompasses what the building profession is all about: hard work, a desire to learn and a passion for the industry.

From his days of building things in woodwork classes at school to completing the first house he owned, Lawrence has always enjoyed the challenges and rewards his career brings.
Lawrence, who lives on the Central Coast, has been a self-employed builder for the past 20 years. His work involves many roles, from concreting and tiling to general carpentry and painting.
“It’s a really satisfying job,” he says. “I really enjoy creating something and finishing a product that people are happy with.”

As the owner of his own business, BLC Constructions and Development, Lawrence says those interested in entering the building profession need to be proactive in their job hunting.
“A lot of young blokes are ringing up or sending out a million letters,” he says. “I jumped on my push bike and went and saw [a builder] and he put me on the first day. “You can work as hard as you want to make as much money as you can. There are quite a lot of avenues to branch into as well.”

Lawrence says while other trades rely on other people for work, in the building industry you can become your own boss. His talents were on display recently in the Channel 9 TV series KingGee Jack Of All Trades. He competed against other tradies in the search for Australia’s best tradesman and took out the title. “I was stoked. It was a hard few days’ work,” he says. But worth it: Lawrence took home $75,000 worth of prizes, including a new ute.

How to be a builder

Qualifications: To become a builder you need to complete a TAFE NSW Certificate IV in Building Studies, Residential. Graduates from this course who also have a carpentry or bricklaying trade will meet the academic requirements for licensing as a builder in NSW.

Course description: This course is for people who want to acquire building and management skills in the residential construction industry. You will learn about the social, environmental and legal aspects of residential construction projects. You will also learn about building construction, quantities and estimating, management, setting out, site safety and computing.

Costs: $408 for one semester, or $816 for the full year.

From the inside: Builder Brad Lawrence says there are great opportunities in the building industry. But he says getting a job involves a lot of hard work and persistence. “Work hard and knock on as many doors as you can to get in because it’s so hard to put apprentices on these days,” he says. “Go out and talk to people, introduce yourself.”

More information: Go to www.tafensw.edu.au or call the TAFE NSW Information Centre on 131 601.

By Ashelee Pleffer, The Daily Telegraph, January 20, 2007.