The following information is general in nature. Please consult with a financial professional before making any important investment decisions. 

While securing your finances remains an important consideration, there’s a different element of your future that’s come into the fray: ethical interests. No longer are we only interested in strong returns and attractive bank balances, we also want to do our part to protect the world and meet our social obligations. 

In the current climate, our social and environmental needs are just as important as the financial reward when it comes to choosing our super fund. In recent years, more and more superannuation funds have popped up promising to deliver strong results while also ensuring that their money is funding ethical projects and steering away from potentially environmentally damaging outcomes. 

What are the main ethical superannuation funds?

If you’re looking for a fund that focuses on not just your own future but the future of others and generations to come, it’s easy to find one that’s as kind with your wallet as they are on the planet. According to Money Magazine and a study conducted by the Responsible Investment Association of Australia (RIAA), these are the top 14 responsible investment superannuations:

1. Australian Ethical
2. AustralianSuper
3. Crescent Wealth
4. CareSuper
5. Cbus
6. Christian Super
7. First State Super
8. Future Fund
9. Future Super
10. HESTA
11. Local Government Super
12. NZ Super Fund
13. Unisuper
14. VicSuper
15. Vision Super

Considerations included environment, governance and ethical factors. But most interestingly, responsible investments outperformed the average return of the total pool of superannuations used in the study. 

RIAA’s number one choice, Australian Ethical has three main pillars:

1. Planet: “Every decision is made with empathy and compassion for the planet and all those that inhabit it.”
2. People: “Environmental and social concerns need to be given equal weight to financial outcomes.”
3. Animals: “We do not invest in anything that is unnecessarily harmful to animals.”

Australian Ethical’s key objectives are typical of responsible superannuation funds, focusing on the planet and the people. 

Pros of ethical investing

Whether you’re choosing a super fund that invests in ethical projects or your own investment choices are made with social issues in mind, you can rest easy knowing your money is going to a greener and sustainable future. 
 
While it’s a great feeling knowing your investments aren’t doing more harm than good, your money is also going towards driving social change. For example, your funds might go towards an up and coming company that is working on sustainable energy. Not only can you profit from this company, you can also contribute to fighting climate change. 

Cons of ethical investing

Although your money is working more responsibly and you have the future in mind, your returns might not be as attractive as picking other funds or investments. By sticking to ethical and responsible companies, you limit yourself to the projects available. 
 
Some top-tier companies on the ASX might also not have the best track record when it comes to sustainability and social issues, so you’ll miss out on any large returns that they may achieve. 
 
Finally, if you choose to invest directly in ASX companies rather than through a managed fund, you’ll also find yourself spending a little more time researching the company’s strategy and whether they meet the criteria for your ethical standards. 
 
Making responsible investments is the easy part – choosing between attractive returns and doing your bit for the planet is the hard part. 

Looking to learn more about key business decisions? Head to Qualify Me! to see how you can progress your career and grow your company.

While having sharp skills and first-rate customer service can put you in a good stead for a successful career, without building a dedicated team and surrounding yourself with the right people, you might find yourself missing out on the opportunity to grow your business. 

But creating a strong work environment isn’t as simple as merely going through the hiring process. You need to provide the right forms of leadership to ensure that your tradies have an opportunity for upward mobility and start to work autonomously.

How do you become a leader?

According to Small Fish’ Jon Dale, mutual respect is key. Dale references leadership expert Simon Sinek.

“If your team feels like you’ve got their backs, they’ll have yours,” he says.

 Using the case study of a company leader who changed the way he treated his employees financially, Dale explains how earning the respect of your colleagues can help improve the morale of the business.

Initially, workers at his company were paid poorly: barely enough to cover bills. His
employees resented him for it. 

After researching, he found a magic number that would satisfy his employees. He took a paycut to ensure that everyone in his business at least had a minimum wage of $70,000. Interestingly, the same research found that after $70,000, the happiness of employees increases at a slower rate.

His experiment worked: the business thrived, with revenue and profit growing. His workers also wanted to stick around, creating a positive environment. 

“He looked after them,” Dale continues. “(He) did something to look after them and they looked after him and his business in return.”

While increasing pay is ideal, there are other ways to show your people you value them, according to Dale:

1. Safety – make sure you keep the workplace, especially a construction site, as safe
   as possible. Build a culture where the rules are clear and people understand the risk
   of working with power tools.
2. Paying them properly – as we saw, increasing wages have an extremely positive
   effect on your workers. For many businesses, however, they can’t afford to double pay overnight. Instead, motivating staff with yearly increases and career progression is an alternative way of keeping them happy on the job.
3. Communication channels – You’re not just a boss, you’re a friend as well. You need
   to make your employees feel comfortable that they can chat to you about anything.
   Sure, you might not be the person they go to when they’re dealing with personal
   issues, but it’s still important that they feel like they can talk to you. That way when
   they are dealing with a personal issue – such as breaking up with a partner – they
   know you’ll be understanding if they might appear flat at work. 

Looking to start your own business? Head to Qualify Me! to see how a tradesman coach like Dale can give you the keys to success.

Tradies : When you think of tradies, well-tailored formalwear rarely comes to mind. Instead, picture high-vis and tired hands. 

But while weathered clothes and battle scars are synonymous with ‘working on the site’, it turns out presentation still plays a huge part in how your customers will perceive you.

Whether you’re starting a new business or you’re a seasoned veteran looking to grow your trade, here’s how you can go from part-time handyman to professional tradie. 

Firstly, you need to give your business a polished look to show customers that you don’t skip any steps. Consider how your brand looks – is the branding clear? Is your website easy to follow and user friendly? It’s important to make sure that the imaging is neat and clean. Your contact details should also be easily accessible and it’s worthwhile doing a social media audit to make sure customers don’t see your eventful Saturday nights. 

“If they look good online, we have higher expectations of the professionalism of their work and probably, their price,” says Smallfish tradesman business coach, Jon Dale. 

“As people, we correlate the effort someone (or a business) puts into their appearance with the effort we expect them to put into their work.”

Next, how do you conduct yourself? Just because you’re not in an office, it doesn’t mean you should be too casual over the phone. When you’re answering calls or emails, remember that you’re offering a service and that you need to convince customers you’re the right person for the job.

When customers think about how likely they are to recommend you to a friend, it’s not just whether you got the job done or not. Every facet of your business is likely to affect their perception of you. 

Consider more mundane processes like how payment was conducted, your staff culture and the equipment you use. If a pair of tradies turn up and start bickering, there’s a good chance the customer is going to call someone else next time. 

Little details go a long way, like sending a thank you email to a happy customer or offering discounted services for loyal clients. 

At the end of the day, while you might not work in a corporate office, that’s no reason to ditch the professional standards. Remember, clients are observing every part of your business from quality of work to how pleasant the exchange was. 

Looking to upskill? Get started with Qualify Me!. 

With the Australian property market continuing to boom and showing resilience during uncertain times, many traditional hands-on vocations are proving to be a hit with employers. Although carpenters and sparkies headline the list, bricklaying remains a fundamental role in the building industry.

Nowadays, the profession includes more than just laying bricks. Bricklayers own the start-to-finish process from preparation to reinforcement and repairing.

The trade also requires you to shape, polish and cut materials to create the groundwork for new infrastructure.

So here are the concrete facts you’ll need to know that will give you the right foundation for your construction career.

Do I Need A Bricklayer Licence?                                          

With quality standards constantly improving, most states and territories will require you to have the right bricklaying licence to work as a bricklayer.

In most parts of the country, it’s mandatory to have a licence if you want to participate in any residential building work over $5000. You can check the relevant state guidelines to see what requirements are needed where you live as well as official definitions.  

A bricklaying licence is also vital in letting you advertise your services as well as signing contracts to help you take on bigger projects.

Meanwhile, if you want to work on a construction site, you may also need a White Card to confirm you understand Occupational Health and Safety standards for bigger jobs.

To be eligible for the bricklaying permit, your licensing body will likely expect you to have completed a nationally recognised VET qualification through a Registered Training Organisation (RTO). They’ll also expect you to have undertaken practical training in bricklaying.

It’s also important to keep an eye out for changes to industry standards to ensure your qualifications are still relevant and you meet the requirements to keep on practicing. You can monitor this by contacting your state’s licensing body.

You don't need a bricklaying licence just because you work around bricklayers. For example, building and pest inspection and tree lopping staff do not need a bricklaying licence.

How Do You Become A Bricklayer In Australia?

Although slightly varied, most states require qualifications – typically a Certificate III in Bricklaying/Blocklaying. Other states, such as NSW, will also accept a Certificate III in General Construction (Bricklaying/Blocklaying).

Alternatively, if you want to speed up the process, governing bodies such as fair trading NSW also accept Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) as the required prerequisite qualification(s). This means your previous experience can count towards your new qualification.

Organisations like Qualify Me can assess your prior learnings and experience RPL to see if you can be fast tracked.

Once you’ve become a qualified bricklayer, you can then apply for a bricklaying license. This will let you take on projects and help you meet the requirements of licensing bodies.

How Do You Apply For A Bricklayer Licence In Australia?

Each state and territory has a Building Commission that regulates bricklaying licenses. To begin with, you will typically need to earn the relevant certification. It also helps if you complete your study as part of a bricklaying apprenticeship so you have more on-site experience.

Tertiary institutions offer these courses while also equipping you with the practical skills to meet the licensing requirements.

Once you have received your qualification in bricklaying (such as cert 3 in Bricklaying), you can apply for a bricklaying contractor licence from the governing body in your state such as fair trading NSW. This can usually be done through a government service website such as Service NSW in NSW. Other states such as Queensland let you apply direct through the Building and Construction Commission website.

Remember, it’s important to check what applies to you to see if standards have changed.

How Long Is A Bricklaying Apprenticeship?

Bricklaying apprenticeships take on average three years.

Although the typical certificate offered by tertiary institutions only takes one year, an apprenticeship offers you the chance to earn an income while honing your skills in the field.

Apprenticeships also offer the flexibility to ensure you can manage both working on-site and in-class lessons.

Want to see if you can be fast tracked and start building your future as a brickie? Head to Qualify Me to see if you fit the bill.

Capstone Exam: The final subject of your Certificate III in Electrotechnology Electrician is often referred to as the capstone assessment (aka subject title: Electrical Systems Safety). As the name suggests, the purpose of this assessment is to observe students apply what has been learned in their electrical course and engage in an experience that summarises what they have learned.

If you would like to do your Capstone Assessment with us, we have a Capstone Program that embeds revision, preparation and the assessment all in one.

Contact Qualify Me for more details.