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    TAFE NSW Macquarie Fields | 19 January 2026

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    Scheriya seals her future in the waterproofing industry

    “There’s so much opportunity in the waterproofing industry and TAFE NSW really opened my eyes to it.”

    Scheriya Cuello, TAFE NSW student

    A former childcare worker has made an unlikely career shift to waterproofing, part of an army of TAFE NSW-trained waterproof technicians. They are helping to address the leading cause of building defects across the state.

    Glenfield’s Scheriya Cuello, 26, completed an Early Childhood Education and Care traineeship through TAFE NSW after leaving school. However, she had always harboured ambitions to do a blue-collar trade.

    “My dad and grandad were both in construction and I’ve always enjoyed home DIY projects,” Ms Cuello said.

    Scheriya stands at a work bench using waterproofing tools including a roller and a hot air gun, watched by a tradesman in a high-vis vest.

    “There was always a sense that females don’t belong in the trades but that’s been changing in recent years so I decided to make a change.”

    Ms Cuello enrolled in a Certificate III in Construction Waterproofing at TAFE NSW Macquarie Fields, attending one day a week while working as a sheet membrane waterproofer.

    Now a sales rep for waterproofing, flooring and concreting repair company Bayset, Ms Cuello hopes to use the skills learned at TAFE NSW and on the job to eventually open her own waterproofing business.

    “There’s so much opportunity in the waterproofing industry and TAFE NSW really opened my eyes to it,” she said. “As building compliance codes get stricter, the industry will continue to grow and that’s great for anyone wanting to enter the industry.”

    Anyone performing residential waterproofing work valued over $5000 in labour and materials must hold a relevant trade licence, making it a regulated trade occupation in the state.

    A report by the Strata Community Association of NSW revealed more than a quarter (27 per cent) of all strata buildings had defects relating to waterproofing, making it the most prevalent cause of building defects. Meanwhile, across all defect cases in NSW Fair Trading, waterproofing appeared in 34.4 per cent of disputes, making it nearly three times more frequent than electrical defects.

    TAFE NSW Macquarie Fields waterproofing teacher Rob Rose said waterproofing was playing an increasingly critical role in the construction industry.

    “It’s arguably the most important of the construction trades because of the amount of defects out there and the cost to rectify them,” Mr Rose said.

    “Building classification laws are tightening and every building requires some form of waterproofing. It’s created huge demand for waterproofing professionals.

    “Scheriya was a great student, very attentive and meticulous, and I have no doubt she’ll have a successful career in the industry.”

    TAFE NSW Macquarie Fields is the only TAFE NSW campus in the state to offer the qualification.

    Media contact: Daniel Johns, TAFE NSW Communications Specialist, 02 7920 5000.

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