Meet John Baribar – Certificate IV In Building And Construction

When John first finished his carpentry apprenticeship, he began thinking about what direction his career would take. 

“Did I want to work for someone, or did I want to start my own business?”, he would ask himself.

So, once he realised that he wanted to extend himself and get a trade behind him, nothing could stop John from completing his course at Builders Academy and becoming a qualified builder.

“I got injured at work a few years ago, and I was in a bad place mentally”, he admits. “I went from someone who worked about 60 to 80 hours per week for the last 4 years, to someone who had nothing”.

Despite this obstacle, John maintained a determined mindset which propelled him to research his options at BAA. “I started looking into doing a Cert IV, and what that would entail”, he says. Now, he’s applying the same resilient attitude to upskill so that he can take his career to the next level.

That’s why John was so keen to complete his Certificate IV in Building and Construction at Builders Academy Australia. 

Training

Although John found the transition from face-to-face learning to the online setting to be slightly challenging due to the lack of in-person communication with friends, the online learning environment became a huge factor in his ability to learn effectively. 

“Once I got online, the learning was still there and the course was still there, and I’m yet to have a poor instructor or a bad teacher”, he says. “My teacher, Cam, made me feel really comfortable despite my anxiety telling me ‘are you doing this right even though you’re not in a classroom?’”.

Additionally, John discovered the links between what he was learning at Builders Academy and the work he was doing. 

“I’ve been in a position where I’ve managed a job before, and in terms of delegating and making sure everything is working to code, it was the same as what I was learning in class”, he says. “Everything married up really well, and it was a great case of the practical mirroring the theory I was learning”. 

Unfortunately, John ended up having a second operation on his ankle, resulting in him not being able to leave home, right before lockdown. 

“Finishing my Cert IV helped me through the recovery process and gave me something to do and devote time to”, he says. “It helped me keep my focus on what I wanted to do down the track”.

Thanks to the flexible learning environment that BAA grants to any student in need of the skills to excel, John completed his certificate online, allowing him to learn the necessary skills to partake in and potentially supervise construction work.

“I could literally do the course in bed, and it took my focus off all the pain from the injury”.

Just as John appreciated the online platform of Builders Academy, so too did he cherish the conversations about construction with his fellow classmates. 

“I really enjoyed having the time to talk about construction and continue the conversation about things that are relevant in the industry”, he says. “I liked having chats with friends in class and sharing our experiences at work, and being able to speak with like-minded people who are setting out to achieve the same things in the industry as you”.

Next Steps

Since completing his certification, John has now decided to enroll in BAA’s Diploma in Building and Construction. 

“Had I not done the Certificate IV, I wouldn’t have thought to continue the education side of being on the tools”, he admits. “The end goal was having the tools to be able to start my own business, and I feel very confident with that now”.

John now recommends to any young apprentice that they should highly consider completing a course at BAA.

“BAA has given me the confidence to know that what I’ve learnt will carry over into my career, and the course reinforced everything I already knew”.

John found that the understandable and interactive learning methods at BAA helped him grasp all the content properly; “With BAA, it was really simple to understand what we were doing, why we were doing it, and what we can do with that knowledge in the industry”.

Throughout his Certificate IV in Building and Construction, John learnt the professional skills and knowledge required for the management, supervision and administration of residential, industrial and commercial building projects up to three stories.

Looking to take the next step in your career in building and construction with a certificate or diploma? Contact our team at 1300 LEGEND (1300 534 363) or request a callback and we will get back to you with all the information you need.