While the job of sprinkler fitter sounds like he’d work in a garden, Jason Day spends most of his time inside. Photo: TAFE NSW.
When he decided on a career change, Jason Day wasn’t sure what he wanted to do – just that it needed to be something different.
“I wanted to completely change … I wanted to do something new.
“[My family] was all for it because I was going home miserable.”
The 46-year-old grandfather of three had done a stint as a garbo and worked for two decades as a plasterer.
He eventually settled on retraining as a sprinkler fitter (also known as a fire protection plumber).
There’s been a need for the role in all (or all but one) of Australia’s states and territories from 2021 to 2024, according to Jobs and Skills Australia’s Occupational Shortage List.
It’s a highly specialised trade, focused on installing, servicing and maintaining fire suppression systems in buildings, including sprinklers, hydrants and hose reels.
After making his mid-life career switch, Jason now spends three days a month in Sydney, studying his trade at TAFE NSW’s Randwick campus – the only TAFE NSW campus to offer it.
Although new to his classroom surrounds, the age difference with classmates isn’t lost on him.
“I guess I’ve got a bit of an older head on my shoulders, so I pull a couple of the younger guys in line in class,” Jason says.
The fourth-year apprentice spends the rest of his time working inside buildings across the ACT with O’Neill & Brown Plumbing, Fire and Electrical. And there’s never one job the same.
“There are so many varieties of pipe work and different layouts,” he says.
“After a while, one building looks the same as another, but the War Memorial’s been enjoyable.”
Apprentices complete a Certificate III in Fire Protection.
“We do a variety of learning about our trade … We learn everything, it’s been really good.
“Randwick TAFE is pretty well equipped with quality gear and it’s been really good to learn everything – all the different machines.”
TAFE NSW Randwick fire protection plumbing teacher Peter Edmonds says the demand for sprinkler fitters has grown.
“As safety regulations have improved over the years, the demand for sprinkler fitters has grown quite substantially,” he says.
“TAFE NSW really is the go-to industry for training in fire protection and we give graduates the real-world, hands-on skills to succeed.”
After working in a bunch of different jobs, Jason says being a sprinkler fitter is the one for him.
“I’ll do it until retirement. This will be my retirement,” he says.
“There are quite a few construction jobs going on in Canberra at the moment, so there’s a lot of work.”
He encouraged others thinking of making a change to push ahead, even if it meant heading back to the classroom.
“No one judges you – at the end of the day, we’re all there to do the same thing, which is to learn.
“It was 100 per cent worth it, getting out there and amongst it.”
