What apprenticeships do HIA offer?

As a bricklayer, you’ll work outdoors with a large variety of building bricks and masonry products and work from builders’ plans and specifications. You may need to operate brick cutting machinery and erect scaffolding, depending on the work.

You’ll usually work in a team employed by bricklaying subcontractors or building and construction companies.

Bricklaying will require you to travel to a range of job sites to perform your work.

Qualification level: Certificate III

Apprenticeship duration: 3–4 years

Related trades: Solid plasterers and wall and ceiling fixers, painter and decorator. 

As a cabinetmaker, you usually work from a factory, depending on the type of cabinet making involved. Some onsite fitting may be required.

You can make or repair furniture from solid timber, flat panel or timber-based products, and fit and assemble the furniture in a business office or home. The furniture can be both free-standing and fitted furniture.

You may also specialise in areas such as reproduction of antique furniture, kitchen fittings, bedroom suites, office furniture, dining suites, shop fitting and occasional furniture.

You’ll be required to select and prepare timber and mark out, cut and shape pieces using saws, chisels, planes, power tools and wood-cutting machines.

Qualification level: Certificate III

Apprenticeship duration: 3–4 years

Related trades: Bricklayer, carpenter/joiner

As a carpenter, you’ll construct, install, finish and repair wooden and metal structures and fixtures used on the inside and outside of buildings, both for residential and commercial constructions. Carpentry will require you to travel to a range of job sites to perform your work.

As a joiner, you’ll mainly work in joinery workshops with some onsite installation.

Qualification level: Certificate III

Apprenticeship duration: 3–4 years

As a painter and decorator, you’ll work both indoors and outdoors, painting and decorating new and old houses. You may be required to apply paint, varnish, wall paper and other decorative finishes to interior and exterior surfaces, both domestically and commercially.

You may also have to prepare surfaces for painting and liaise with clients on colours and styles. You can also work alone or part of a small team.

Painting and decorating will require you to travel to a range of job sites to perform your work.

Qualification level: Certificate III

Apprenticeship duration: 3–4 years

Related trades: Bricklayer, carpenter/joiner, plasterer

As a solid plasterer, you can apply decorative coverings to the interior or exterior of buildings or as a wall and ceiling fixer, apply plaster sheets and fix plasterboard internally.

You may work for a small company or large contractor within the building industry. The work you perform will be both indoors and outdoors.

Qualification level: Certificate III

Apprenticeship duration: 3–4 years

Related trades: Bricklayer, painter and decorator, wall and ceiling fixer

As a roof tiler, you may tile new roofs, repair existing roofs or remove old roofs and replace them on homes and buildings.

You can work in residential and commercial sectors in small teams or can be self-employed. Subcontracting to roofing manufacturers is another option.

Roof tiling will require you to travel to a range of job sites. You should also have good balance and be prepared to work at heights.

Qualification level: Certificate III

Apprenticeship duration: 3–4 years

Related trades: Bricklayer, painter and decorator, wall and ceiling fixer

As a tiler, you might lay ceramic, marble, porcelain, glass and other types of tiles on external and internal walls and floors to provide decorative and protective finishes to new homes, buildings and swimming pools. You also carry out renovation work to existing buildings. You may be required to examine plans, measure and mark surfaces to be covered, and lay out work.

You can work for a company that subcontracts tiling work within the building industry or be employed by a large contractor. Eventually you can be self-employed.

Qualification level: Certificate III

Apprenticeship duration: 3–4 years

Related trades: Bricklayer, painter and decorator, wall and ceiling fixer