With construction one of the fastest growing industries in the Australian economy, more people than ever are looking for innovative ways to make themselves indispensable in the field. Many are turning to concreting – a highly versatile and transferrable role – in order to help them break into the industry. As part of the construction industry, all concreters are required to register with and achieve certification from their state’s respective building licensing authority. Each of these authorities has slightly different requirements for prospective licensees, so having a thorough understanding of your own state’s rules is absolutely necessary. To help you make the right choice for your career, we’ve put together this short guide to the registration requirements for concreters in Australia’s three most populous states. Read on and take your first step into the industry with confidence.

Victoria

In Victoria, concreters are classed as domestic builders by the Victorian Building Commission (VBC). Depending on the precise nature of your work, you may be granted one of several kinds of licence, most commonly Domestic Builder – Limited (DB-L-B), but also DB-L-O (footings and slab works), DB-L-S (swimming pools) or DB-L-U (structural landscaping). Due to the number of vocations covered by the licence, no specific guidelines are provided for concreting. Applicants will have to demonstrate competency in the field by showing a knowledge of the practical, technical and bureaucratic elements of the role, demonstrating an understanding of what is required to maintain compliance. Possession of special qualifications and training certifications, or relevant experience will be looked favourably upon by the VBC.

Queensland

Under the Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC), concreters are a type of trade contractor and require a concreting licence. This entitles the holder to perform all types of concreting including the installation of formwork, reinforcement and concrete, as well as incidental work of another class relating to a concreting project. To achieve this, applicants must have successfully completed Certificate III in Concreting CPC30313 or an equivalent course, or hold either a recognition certificate as a qualified concrete worker or a qualification or statement of attainment of required competency issued by an approved authority for the class of licence.

New South Wales

All concretes in New South Wales must hold a general concreting licence – a class of contractor licence under the home building licencing scheme. This licence is provided by NSW Fair Trading, and requires that the individual complete one of several Certificate III courses in concreting, formwork/falsework or construction carpentry. You will be required to provide proof of your completion of the relevant course as well as a list of professional referees with whom you’ve worked in the past and who can vouch for the quality and professionalism of your work. For assistance having your past learning recognised as any of the above certificates, speak to the team at Skills Certified today.