The Certificate III in Painting & Decorating is a nationally recognised trade qualification covering the full scope of professional painting — from surface preparation and texture application through to colour theory, heritage finishes, WHS compliance, and job-site management. It consists of 26 units of competency and is valid across every state and territory in Australia.

Not a chance. If you've got solid experience on the brush — residential, commercial, or industrial — you can get qualified through RPL (Recognition of Prior Learning). We assess what you already know and do every day on the job, so you're not sitting through training you completed years ago on the tools.

For experienced painters going through the RPL pathway, the assessment turnaround is approximately 4 weeks from the time we receive all your compliant evidence. The more thorough and well-documented your portfolio, the faster we can move.

You'll need to pull together 100 points of valid ID, a resume detailing your site experience, payslips or employment contracts, a Supervisor Declaration Form and Reference Letter from a licensed painter, high-resolution photos or videos of your work, job cards, quotes and invoices, WHS documentation, and your White Card if you hold one. Overseas qualifications and foreign trade certificates are also accepted where applicable.

Absolutely. The course is delivered in a blended format — self-paced online theory through our LMS combined with hands-on practical sessions. You set your own study schedule, keep your job, keep your income, and get certified without putting your life on hold. You'll need to dedicate roughly 15–20 hours per week to the theoretical components.

This course is built for experienced painters and decorators, apprentices who are partway through or recently finished their training, decorative finish specialists working in texture coatings and faux finishes, and migrant tradespeople looking to convert overseas qualifications into an Australian-recognised certificate. If you've got the skills, we'll get you the ticket.

With your cert in hand, you can apply for a Painter's Contractor Licence in your state, quote and run your own jobs legally, take on larger commercial contracts and government tenders, step into supervisory or estimating roles, or launch your own painting business. Certified tradies also report earning up to 40% more — that's an extra $8K–$13K a year.

You must be at least 18 years of age, an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or hold a valid visa with full study and work rights, and be currently employed in painting or construction — or have arranged employment upon enrolment. You'll also need sufficient language, literacy, and numeracy skills at ACSF Level 3 to complete the theoretical components.