← Certificate III qualifications
Certificate III in Painting and Decorating
CPC - Construction, Plumbing and Services
Apprenticeship outcome for painting and decorating. Required for licensed painting work in some jurisdictions.
Entry requirements
- Signed apprenticeship contract
- White Card
What you will learn
The CPC30620 covers preparation, application and finishing of paints and protective coatings on residential and commercial buildings. Core units include preparing surfaces (sanding, scraping, filling), applying paints by brush, roller and spray gun, hanging wallpaper, applying decorative finishes such as stencils and limewash, and stripping lead and other hazardous coatings under safe work procedures. You learn to read paint specifications, calculate paint quantities, set up and protect work areas with drop sheets and tape, and work safely at height with ladders and scaffolds. Across the three-year apprenticeship you build the cut-in accuracy and finish consistency that distinguishes a trained painter.
Skills you build
- Surface preparation, sanding and filling
- Brush, roller and spray-gun application
- Cutting in straight lines without tape
- Colour matching and tinting
- Wallpaper hanging and decorative finishes
- Safe lead paint removal under NSW WorkCover rules
- Setting up scaffold and working at height
How the course runs
Most apprentices attend TAFE on day release (one day per week) or in one-week blocks each term. Around 480 hours of TAFE contact across the three years is typical. The work is fully hands-on in workshop and on site, with a smaller theory component on coatings chemistry, safe lead removal and colour theory. Some jurisdictions require state painting licensing for work above a contract threshold.
How you will be assessed
- Practical demonstrations in TAFE workshops
- Timed cut-in and finish tasks
- Written knowledge tests per unit of competency
- Third-party reports from your supervising painter
- On-job photo evidence and log book entries
Workplace and placement
The apprenticeship is a three-year paid workplace contract under the Australian Apprenticeships framework. You sign a Training Contract with a painting subcontractor or builder. Apprentice wages are set under the Building and Construction General On-Site Award and rise each year. In Queensland the QBCC requires a painting licence above the residential works contract threshold, so you may need to apply for that licence after qualifying.
Typical employers
- Residential painting subcontractors
- Commercial painters on schools, hospitals and offices
- Industrial coatings contractors on tanks and bridges
- Heritage and restoration specialists
- Property maintenance and strata contractors
- Local council and government building maintenance
Pay after this qualification
$60,000 - $85,000 per year
Source: https://www.jobsandskills.gov.au/explore-careers/occupation/painting-trades-workers. Last reviewed 2026-05-21.
Is this the right course for you?
You probably thrive here if
- You have steady hands and good cut-in accuracy
- You can work neatly and protect customer property
- You can deal with customers in their homes politely
- You can work to a quote and stick to a quote
- You can handle solvents and dusty environments
It is probably not for you if
- You cannot commit to three years of apprentice pay
- You have a back, knee or shoulder condition that limits ladder work
- You react badly to solvents or dust
- You are not patient with surface preparation tasks
After you finish
After the apprenticeship you can pursue Certificate IV in Building and Construction (CPC40120) toward a builder licence in painting, or the Diploma of Building and Construction (CPC50220) for supervisor work. Specialist endorsements include industrial coatings (e.g. NACE Coating Inspector training) for offshore and bridge work, and heritage and decorative finish specialisations. Many painters set up as licensed subcontractors after a year or two on the tools post-qualifying.