Certificate III in Painting and Decorating

Turn surfaces into spaces. Build a trade with colour.

Course overview

The Certificate III in Painting and Decorating turns a steady hand into a skilled trade. You’ll master surface preparation, brush, roller and spray application — including specialist spray booths — decorative finishes, wallpaper hanging and safe work practices with hazardous materials like lead paint and non-friable asbestos. Graduate ready for a career across residential, commercial and industrial painting projects. This is an AQF Level 3 trade qualification, taught by trainers with real industry experience, available at our Melbourne and Brisbane campuses.

Why choose Certificate III at Evantaa?

• Workshop-first learning — You’ll spend the majority of your training in our on-campus painting workshop and dedicated spray booths — developing real trade technique, not just theoretical knowledge.
• Spray booth access from Term 1 — Most painting courses don’t give students access to professional spray equipment until late in the program. At Evantaa, spray gun technique and spray booth operation are built into your training from the start.
• Surface prep to decorative finishes — This course takes you through the full painting and decorating trade — from surface preparation and priming through to brush, roller and spray application, wallpaper hanging, staining, decorative finishes and lead paint and asbestos encapsulation.
• WHS and hazardous materials training — Working safely with paints, coatings, solvents and hazardous materials is a core part of this qualification — you’ll graduate with the knowledge to work compliantly on residential and commercial sites.
• Two campuses, one qualification — Study in Melbourne or Brisbane — the same nationally recognised AQF Level 3 credential, the same workshop quality at both locations.
• A trade in consistent demand — Painters and decorators are required across the full spectrum of construction — new builds, renovations, commercial fit-out, industrial maintenance and heritage work.

What you’ll learn

• Prepare surfaces for a flawless finish
• Apply paint by brush, roller and spray
• Create decorative and textured finishes
• Hang wallpaper and coverings
• Work safely with coatings and at heights

Entry requirements

Qualification package requirements: there are no entry requirements set by the CPC training package itself — everything below is Evantaa’s own admission standard.

• Age: 18 years or over at course commencement.
• Academic: completion of Australian Year 12, or an equivalent overseas senior secondary qualification.
• English language: IELTS 6.0 overall (minimum 5.5 in each band; online IELTS not accepted), or PTE Academic 48 overall, or TOEFL iBT 54. Completed an AQF Level 4 (Australian) qualification? You’re exempt from the English test requirement.
• LLN assessment: all students complete an LLN assessment before training, referenced against the Australian Core Skills Framework (ACSF), to identify any additional support you may need.
• Pre-training review: we conduct a pre-enrolment self-assessment to check course suitability, your existing skills and knowledge, any support needs, and whether you may be eligible for credit transfer or RPL.
• Equipment: all tools, equipment and PPE are provided on campus for training. You’ll need basic digital skills for study outside class hours.
• Attendance: face-to-face only — classroom and on-campus workshop (including spray booths) — with a minimum of 20 scheduled contact hours per week. There is no online or self-paced-only mode.

Next intake dates

Intake dates change regularly — contact our admissions team at admissions@evantaa.edu.au for current start dates for this course.

Course structure

29 nationally recognised units of competency — 26 core and 3 elective — delivered over 60 weeks, face-to-face, with a minimum of 20 scheduled contact hours per week. Units are sequenced in a modular format, progressing logically from safety, scaffolding and tools through to surface preparation, application techniques, specialist finishes and advanced decorative work.

How you’ll be assessed

Every unit is assessed the same way, so you always know what to expect. Each unit has two tasks:

• Knowledge task — a set of short objective questions (multiple choice, matching, tick-all-that-apply) and a set of short-answer questions covering the safety, materials, techniques and regulations for that unit. If writing is a barrier, the short-answer part can be assessed orally.
• Practical task — three real painting and decorating jobs, completed in the on-campus workshop under conditions that replicate a work site. For each job you plan the work, carry it out while your assessor observes, and complete the job records a painter keeps on site. Your assessor inspects the finished work with you, against the specification and the relevant Australian Standards.

Safety-critical units — working at heights, scaffolding, elevated work platforms, lead paint and asbestos encapsulation — follow the same structure, with your assessor checking the safety set-up before each stage of the practical work can proceed. No student works with real lead paint or asbestos; these procedures are trained and assessed on designated training surfaces with every control applied as it would be on site.

You must complete both tasks satisfactorily for each unit. If a task is not yet satisfactory, you receive specific feedback on what to improve and can be reassessed. Reasonable adjustment is available where it does not change what the unit requires, and if you already have trade experience you can apply for Recognition of Prior Learning (see below).

Resources & facilities

Evantaa’s painting and decorating program is delivered in purpose-built, industry-standard facilities at both campuses:

• Fully equipped on-campus painting workshop — the primary training environment for practical units, set up to replicate real site and workshop conditions.
• Dedicated spray booths with compressor connections for spray gun practice and assessment.
• Painting and decorating-specific tools and equipment — including handheld tools, portable power tools, scaffolding, trestle and plank systems — provided on campus.
• Scaffolding and elevated work platforms for units covering heights and scaffold erection/dismantling.
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) supplied for all practical sessions, including protective clothing and footwear.
• Chemicals, coatings, paints and raw materials, along with up-to-date Safety Data Sheets (SDSs).
• Dedicated classrooms with broadband internet, computers, printing and photocopying facilities, whiteboards and interactive panels.
• Student Management System, reference library and digital learning materials.

Where possible, Evantaa will also organise excursions to active construction sites to give students experience of real-world painting and decorating conditions.

Evantaa’s painting and decorating facility is built around the full range of trade conditions you’ll encounter in the field. The on-campus workshop includes dedicated spray booths with compressor connections, scaffolding and elevated work platforms for heights training, purpose-built surface preparation stations, and a full range of painting tools, rollers, brushes and spray equipment. Chemicals, coatings, paints and SDSs are supplied. Both Melbourne and Brisbane campuses deliver the same program with the same facility standard.

Recognition of prior learning & credit transfer

Already have relevant trade experience, qualifications or site skills? You may not need to start from scratch.

• Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL): if your existing skills and experience already meet a unit’s requirements, you can apply to have that competency formally assessed and recognised.
• Credit Transfer (CT): units you’ve completed at another RTO can be credited in full, based on verified AQF certification or authenticated VET transcripts. Credit is only granted for whole units.
• Apply before you enrol or at any point during your course — we’ll confirm the outcome in writing, generally within 10 working days of a complete application.
• See our Credit and Skills Recognition Policy and Procedure for full details.

Licensing & regulatory information

This course does not have an automatic licensing outcome. However:

• In Victoria, tradespeople who wish to advertise, contract or subcontract residential painting work must hold a Domestic Builder – Limited (DB-L) licence with a supplementary Q code (sundry works). Contact the Victorian Building Authority or Painting Victoria to confirm current licensing requirements before commencing residential contracting work.
• Licensing, legislative and certification requirements for painting and decorating differ between states and territories — contact the relevant regulatory authority in your state before starting work.
• This qualification is suitable for an Australian apprenticeship pathway.

Where it can take you

Painting and decorating is one of the most consistently employed trades in the Australian construction industry — required at every stage of a building’s life, from new construction through to renovation, maintenance and heritage restoration.

With a CPC30620, you could work as:

• Residential Painter — interior and exterior painting and decorating on new homes and renovation projects.
• Commercial Painter — large-scale painting on office buildings, retail fit-outs, industrial facilities and multi-storey residential projects.
• Industrial Painter — applying protective and specialist coatings to infrastructure, plant, equipment and structures — often in high-access or hazardous environments.
• Painter and Decorator — combining trade painting with decorative finishes, wallpaper, staining and specialist coating techniques for high-end residential and commercial clients.
• Heritage Restoration Specialist — working on heritage-listed buildings requiring period-accurate colours, materials and techniques.
• Self-employed painting contractor — running your own residential or commercial painting business — in Victoria, this may require a DB-L licence with a Q code for residential contracting work.

Pathways for further study

• CPC40120 — Certificate IV in Building and Construction: the natural progression, adding supervisory, estimating and project management skills to your trade foundation.
• CPC50220 — Diploma of Building and Construction (Building): for those aiming at building contracting and construction management roles.
• BSB40520 — Certificate IV in Leadership and Management: a business and leadership qualification for those looking to move into supervisory or small-business roles in the trades sector.

Is this course right for you?

This course is designed for you if:

• You take pride in quality finishes — Painting and decorating is about precision, patience and attention to detail — if a perfectly prepared, evenly coated surface satisfies you, this trade is a natural fit.
• You’re comfortable working at heights — Scaffolding, elevated work platforms and ladders are part of the job. This course trains you to work safely at heights from early in the program.
• You want to work across a variety of environments — From apartments to heritage buildings to industrial facilities — painters and decorators work across more sectors than almost any other trade.
• You’re interested in the chemistry of coatings — Understanding paint chemistry, surface compatibility and coating systems is what separates a good painter from a great one — this course covers all of it.
• You want a trade with a clear contractor pathway — Many painting graduates move into self-employment within a few years of qualifying — the barrier to entry is low and the demand is consistent.

Not sure if it’s for you? Contact our admissions team at admissions@evantaa.edu.au — we’ll help you understand whether this course matches your goals.

Fast facts

Fees

Fees are shown in Australian dollars. See the full fee schedule for payment plans and international rates, and our Refunds Policy for refund terms.

Keep exploring

• Conditions of Enrolment — your study load and attendance obligations.
• Planning Your Arrival — what to book and pack before you fly.
• Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) — your visa-required health insurance.
• Student Central — forms, support and services.

Frequently Asked Questions