Taking control – more reasons for taking up a trade career

There has been considerable discussion in the Skillset blog about the benefits of taking up a trade career – the training doesn’t cost as much as a university degree, you can get into the workforce faster with a VET qualification, trade jobs are in demand, and trade jobs are well-paid jobs – these are all true.

There is also another large benefit – trade careers put you in the driving seat. Once you are qualified, you can make decisions about the type of work you want to do and where you want to be.

We explore this further below …

Work where you want to

Unlike many careers in the professions that require that you work in a specific location, once you are qualified in a trade, it is possible to work almost anywhere in Australia.

Given the demand across Australia for trades and the fact that qualifications are nationally-recognised, it is possible to try out different locations and work out which is the right one for you. You don’t have to be confined to one location – you can work almost anywhere you want to!

You can be your own boss

Once you have your qualifications and some experience, there is an opportunity to start your own business down the track if you enter a trade career. In addition to undertaking work for clients, as a business owner you will organise the marketing, financials, communications, scheduling and IT for your own business. If your business gets large enough, you may wish to hire your own employees, including taking on an apprentice!

As a business owner, you will make the decisions about the type of work you want to do and how much of it you will take on. Effectively, the buck will stop with you – and this includes all the responsibility and the risk! However, if you have the drive, vision and energy to make your business a success, taking the plunge into business ownership is definitely worth keeping on your career horizon!

Greater flexibility

Even though there is huge demand for trade roles across Australia at the moment – and that means there is always work to be done – having a trade job can often provide a lot more flexibility than other jobs. Unlike jobs that require people to work between the hours of 9am to 5pm, trade jobs generally start early – and this means they finish early. This schedule gives people the opportunity to go to the gym, pick up kids from school or further their learning by undertaking a course.

As many tradespeople are also business owners, taking up a trade career can give you the opportunity to organise your time according to your clients’ and your own needs. This may mean finishing late a few days per week to work in with clients and scheduling your work so you can have some time off in lieu of this during the week. This level of flexibility can be extremely beneficial if you have a young family or are planning to have one.

Opportunity to specialise

Another benefit of undertaking a trade career is the opportunity to specialise in the future. Once you have had exposure to various types of work in your trade, you may decide you would like to know more about a particular field of work and become an expert in this area. This may mean undertaking more VET or industry-specific qualifications, or choosing a pathway into a university degree.

There are many specialisations you can choose from in each trade. For more information about trade specialisations, contact your trades industry association.