Painting with pride

TAFE Queensland painting and decorating teacher Pierre Brand loves his trade, teaching, and enabling people to be their true selves, three things he has found to be key contributors to his success as a teacher.

Although he is a highly skilled painter whose career has been centred around working with complex colour schemes and decorative finishes, Pierre knows his best asset as a teacher is his openness and insistence that all people are welcome in his workshop.

“I felt a sense of otherness when I was an apprentice – I had just moved here from South Africa and was older than most of the other apprentices – and I don’t want any of my students feeling that way, I want them to be completely comfortable being themselves,” Mr Brand said.

“I’m part of the TAFE Queensland Pride Network and it’s been great to have that network across the state and know that people in all the parts of Queensland and different industries are talking to each other to make our students and staff feel welcome everywhere they go.”

“I heard about the Pride Network at a Wear It Purple Day celebration at the Bracken Ridge campus in 2023, and since then I’ve been going along to the meetings when I can and it’s been great to see the growth since then.”

“One thing I find useful to help my students know they can be themselves in my classes is by announcing my own pronouns: he/him.”

With more than 25 years of experience in the painting and decorating trade in Australia, Pierre has always enjoyed working on high-end, decorative finishes found in the most prestigious of homes and buildings.

Pierre's favourite work is in decorative finishes.

“After my apprenticeship I began working with a business that predominantly worked in high end finishes and traditional European decorative finishes. I had learned the basics of these skills when I did my apprenticeship training at TAFE but on the job doing them every day was where I really became an industry specialist,” Mr Brand said.

“That was where I also developed my passion for these techniques, and I started teaching younger workers and apprentices how to do things to a high standard and really enjoyed that.”

“Following my time with that business, I took on a management role at another local high end painting company and ran most sides of the business there for 10 years. I enjoyed passing on my knowledge and passion to apprentices and workers there,” he said.

After a brief hiatus from the industry, Pierre decided during the COVID-19 pandemic that he would begin study to become a teacher in his trade, completing his Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (TAE40122) with TAFE Queensland.

“I knew I wanted to teach at TAFE Queensland and specifically at the Acacia Ridge campus, so I’m glad now that I’m here and I really enjoy training apprentices in my trade.”