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I have worked in the construction industry for nearly 25 years. Working in many areas over that time but mainly concentrating on Painting and Decorating. At the age of 42 I decided that I wanted to build the houses rather than paint them.

Although I have been working around construction and trying my hand at labouring, I still needed to attain my Carpentry license in order to progress to my Builder’s License. The only way to do this was to become a mature aged apprentice; something that my boys thought was quite funny.

With the contacts that I had already it wasn’t hard to find a Builder willing to take me on and push me through the process (with a gentle shove from my wife). Having construction knowledge was not enough as I am a perfectionist and wanted to know that I had earned my qualification the right way – doing all the hard yards.

I was introduced to Joel Kemp at Blue Dog Training and off we went. At first Joel was there to answer the tough questions – ‘so how do I turn this computer on again?’… then the work began. I moved through the apprenticeship bookwork at a pace that suited me, which enabled me to progress quicker than usual. In the space of 2.5 years I completed all the online work including my log book entries and moved through to complete my apprenticeship. 

The time away from family and social activities has all been worth it as I am now a major step closer to my end goal of Building my own homes. My hard work was rewarded this year at the local Mackay and Whitsunday’s Queensland Master Builder’s Awards by taking out the Apprentice of the year which was totally unexpected but greatly appreciated.

The online course was easy to follow and self explanatory and helped me move through the course at my own pace. The staff were understanding and helpful from beginning to end. I would recommend Blue Dog Training for anyone considering getting their Certificate III in Carpentry. Thank you Blue Dog Training, and especially Joel, for helping me through the process.