Starting your own business is an equally exciting and daunting prospect—there’s almost as much to lose as there is to gain. As the person in charge, it’s your job to take charge of key decision making, and you’ll also need to learn a range of supporting business skills to complement your craft, like administration, marketing, customer service/management and accounting to name a few. You’re also entirely in charge of your earning potential, a factor that is driving more and more tradies to enrol in a Diploma of Building and Construction.

Redundancy in later life often comes as a shock, and the immediate consequences of leaving your long-term position may cause you stress. Not only are finances now front-of-mind, you may also be wondering about how you can rediscover old networks and begin to market yourself again. It’s the moment after being made redundant, “what to do next?” begins circulating in your head.

It’s no secret that Victoria is in the midst of an infrastructure boom. Over $106 billion worth of projects are planned, spanning transport, energy and health sectors. Such a surge has a dramatic impact on employment, with an estimated 340,000 new jobs created since late 2014 to support the builds. Many Victorians are now considering how enrolling in building courses online can pave the way for a career change, and enable them to capitalise on this immense growth.