Panel Beater (NSW/ACT)

State/Territory Specific Information

Education and Training:

To become a panel beater you usually have to complete an apprenticeship in Automotive Vehicle Body. Entry requirements may vary but employers usually require Year 10. Ask your career adviser about the possibility of starting some of this training in school.

Additional Information:

In NSW, panel beaters must be certified by the Motor Vehicle Repair Industry Authority (MVRIA) under the Motor Vehicle Repairs Act 1980.

Related Courses:

While the following courses are related to this occupation, they may not necessarily lead directly to employment, nor provide the most direct pathway to the occupation. Courses which provide preliminary or informal training, as well as those which provide additional job skills following initial qualifications may also be listed.

*Course is offered by more than one institution. Click link for details.

  1. Paintless Dent Removal
  2. Soda Blasting
  3. Certificate II in Automotive Vehicle Body *
  4. Certificate II in Automotive Vehicle Body - Paint/Panel Preparation
  5. Certificate II in Automotive Vehicle Body - Panel Preparation *
  6. Certificate III in Automotive Vehicle Body *
  7. Certificate III in Automotive Vehicle Body - Panel Beating *

Employment Opportunities:

Panel beaters mainly work for crash repairers, new and used car dealers and motor vehicle manufacturers. A few work for motor body builders on the construction of new bodywork.

Panel beaters may progress to supervisory and management positions, especially in larger organisations. They may also establish their own motor vehicle repair businesses.

Others may move across from panel beating to related occupations such as vehicle painting and welding. Some become loss assessors in insurance companies or take up sales positions in industrial machinery and equipment.

Employment opportunities depend on the number of cars on the road, the number of accidents and technological change, especially in vehicle body structures and materials.

For Further Information:

Automotive Training Board of NSW

(02) 8251 0032

Motor Traders' Association of NSW

(02) 9213 4222

Motor Trades Association ACT

(02) 6241 6266

Motor Vehicle Repair Industry Authority

(02) 9619 8650

Information for other states and territories: