Meet Brooke Moses – Certificate IV in Building and Construction

4/02/2020

Brooke Moses came to Australia from New Zealand when his best mate, Nick Fromhold, called him up with a job offer.

“I asked what the rate was and he told me the rate,” Brooke says. When he found out what he could earn in Australia, he pretty much packed his bags up straight away.

Brooke came from New Zealand on the promise of a better rate and the next step in his career. After being in Melbourne for a while, Nick convinced Brooke to enrol in a Certificate IV in Building and Construction with him.

Even though Brooke didn’t love the idea of going back to school, he knew it was time for him to take the next step in his career towards becoming a registered builder.

Building and Construction

Mates from Way Back

Nick and Brooke didn’t grow up together, but when they met on a job site in London four or five years ago, they became fast friends. When they finished up in the UK, they spent time travelling around Europe as well.

As always, the holiday has to end, and Brooke and Nick parted ways.

“I went back to New Zealand for a while,” Brooke says. As it would turn out, the boys would be back at it again, working on-site in Melbourne together.

“Nick rung me up and said, ‘Do you want a job?’”

“Our boss was looking for a guy. I asked what the rate was.”

According to PayScale.com, the average hourly rate for a carpenter in New Zealand is about $24 Australian dollars per hour compared to $30 per hour in Australia. And, as a New Zealand citizen, Brooke automatically has the right to work and live in Australia.

The decision was a no brainer.

“He told me the rate and I pretty much packed up and came over here,” Brooke tells us. “I’ve been working with him ever since.”

Like when they were back in London, Brooke and Nick work well together. Each of them has their own strengths and weaknesses, which makes them a strong team. Even still, when Nick told Brooke that he was going back to study so that he could move forward in his career, it took some convincing.

The Back to School Sell

Even though they are best mates, it was still a hard sell for Nick to convince Brooke to go back to school. It’d been years since Brooke had sat in a classroom, and he wasn’t looking forward to going back.

“Definitely not my strong point,” he says, talking about study. “I’ll stick to building.”

“I didn’t like school. I struggled a bit in areas. I’m not the smartest man around but I’ve good common sense.”

This practical way of thinking is common to a lot of builders, and it’s what makes people like Brooke so suited to the building profession.

“I’ve always worked hard my whole life and that’s how I got to where I am today,” he says.

But Nick wouldn’t let up. Eventually, Brooke caved and decided he would enrol in the course as well.

“It’s something I’ve always dreaded and I’m not very good at it. But I haven’t failed a test yet, so that’s boosted my confidence a little bit.”

His time at BAA has definitely changed Brooke’s outlook on school in general.

“Coming here’s not like school,” he says. Part of this is due to the way BAA trainers are experienced in the Building and Construction Industry, and how they teach a course that’s designed to enhance a tradie’s strengths.

Brooke says that the biggest difference between a Certificate IV course at BAA is that you aren’t forced to learn about things you aren’t interested in. You get to focus on learning things you care about, with like-minded trainers and students who are also from your industry.

“It’s not really school. You’re learning something that you actually want to excel in,” he says. “It’s a learning facility to excel your skills. You want to excel in something, and this is what you’re good at so come and get the course done.”

Even though he’s changed his mind about the course, the demands of work mean that Brooke still feels like he can’t be bothered sometimes. That’s why it’s good that he studies with his best mate.

“Getting here is one challenge I’ve struggled with. It helps to have a friend that does the course with me. He rings me if I’m not here and asks, ‘Where are you?’”

“Sometimes I feel like I don’t want to be here at this course, but I get the motivation and think I’m going to make more money at the end of the day.”

Certificate IV in Building and Construction

The End Result

By doing a Certificate IV, Brooke is moving closer to becoming a registered builder. Like the move from NZ to Aus, a higher qualification means Brooke will take home more pay at the end of the day.

With this in mind, Brooke is already starting to think about the next step, such as starting his own business with Nick.

“He’s good at framing and I can finish pretty well, so we could use those strengths of ours. He could go on framing and I could finish off the jobs,” Brooke says, pointing out the benefits of going into business with someone you already know and trust.

“We’d be able to concentrate on our strengths,” he says. “We could use that in our business, and I think we’d run a pretty good business.”

Brooke hasn’t fully changed his mind about being at school and studying. If he can avoid going back into the classroom, he will. But he has stuck out the course because BAA creates the best environment for tradies to study so that they can move on to the next stage of their careers.

“It’s hard to get motivated to come back to school again. No one wants to go back to school.”

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.