Australia is facing a skills shortage, and tradespeople are in high demand. The Australian government has identified 67 technician and trade worker occupations that are experiencing a shortage of workers. That translates to 33% of all skills shortages in the country—by far the highest sector.

Do you love working with your hands? Are you naturally creative and enjoy working outdoors? If so, then becoming a painter could be a great career for you. Your role is to paint walls and furniture, varnish floorboards, and perform finishing touches to protect or embellish homes, commercial premises, and industrial buildings.

Technically speaking, you don’t need a NSW contractor licence to work as a builder or tradesperson in NSW – with one major proviso. You don’t need a NSW contractor licence so long as you don’t do any individual jobs for which the total cost of labour and materials totals more than $5,000 (including GST).

When hiring tradesmen for your small business, you don’t have any room for error – so every tiny detail counts. It can be daunting and time-consuming sorting through the hoards of qualified tradespeople if you don’t know where to start looking or what you need to be looking for, so we’ve created a checklist to help make it a little easier.

Knowing where demand is strongest can give tradies an edge in what is becoming an increasingly competitive market.

Small businesses play a vital role in Australia’s economy, driving innovation, creating jobs, and demonstrating remarkable resilience and adaptability year after year.