Additional Information
Painters can enter the trade either through informal on-the-job training
or through apprenticeship programs. Depending on where you live, these programs
could include many hours of related classroom instruction.
Classroom instruction covers color harmony, use and care of tools and equipment,
surface preparation, application techniques, paint mixing and matching, characteristics
of different finishes, blueprint reading, wood finishing and safety.
To become an apprentice, you have to be hired by a company that's willing
to train you. After you've been hired, the next step is to contact your local
apprenticeship board. Contact your state apprenticeship agency for information
about job training.
While trade certification isn't necessary to work as a painter, experts
agree it's the best way to ensure a good job at decent pay. You can become
certified by taking an apprenticeship program, during which you'll be paid
a portion of a certified tradesperson's wage.
Talk to someone who works as a painter. It may even lead to a summer job,
which would be a great way to see if you'd like the work.
Also try a job shadowing program where you can work alongside a painter
for a day. Experts suggest the more contacts you make in this field, the better
your chances for landing a good apprenticeship and employment.