What do they do?
The signmaking industry is a diverse industry incorporating designing, building, painting, signwriting, applying graphics and installation. A career in signmaking allows you to get creative and use a variety of materials such as perspex, vinyl, plastic, metal, glass, and wood. Various methods are used to produce signs, for example computer-controlled routers for 3D lettering and shapes from various materials, cutting and applying lettering or digital imagery to panels, banners and vehicles.
A typical day
Typically, an eight-hour day (possibly shift work).
The nature of the work will vary with the employer, but it could involve machining, colour vinyl wrapping vehicles, printing, hand decorating spray-painting and screen-printing.
Sound like you?
- English or Media Studies or History
- Sciences or Workshop Technology
- Creative Arts (Visual/Textiles/ Graphics)
- Computing/ICT/Information Management.
- Confident communicator
- Strong eye for detail
- Confidence with IT, computers, technology.
- Making or fixing things
- Working with machinery
- Working with computers.
- Inside (workshop or plant)
- Outside (outdoors)
- Different places from time to time
- Lots of different places everyday.
Pathway
These can be useful from school:
- NCEA English, Maths, Visual Arts, Technology, Computing or Graphics
Apprenticeship
- Signmaker
Higher learning
- Business Manager
- Business Owner.
Higher learning
- Specialist Signmaker
- Senior Signmaker
- Team Leader
- Manager.
Our industries
A career in signmaking
Apprentices who love their careers
