At first glance, early childhood education and construction waterproofing sit worlds apart.
One focuses on caring for young children. The other protects buildings from moisture, mould and long-term structural damage. But for 26-year-old Scheriya Cuello, the move from childcare to construction was less about changing direction and more about returning to something familiar.
Raised around the building industry through her father and grandfather, Cuello had always felt drawn to hands-on work. While she completed a traineeship in Early Childhood Education and Care after leaving school, the pull of a trade never really went away.
Today, she is part of a growing cohort of skilled waterproofing professionals trained through TAFE NSW, entering an industry facing both rising demand and increasing scrutiny.
A growing problem beneath Australia’s buildings
Waterproofing might not be the most visible trade on a construction site, but it is fast becoming one of the most important.
According to data from the Strata Community Association of NSW, waterproofing defects account for more than a quarter (27 per cent) of all strata building issues across New South Wales. That makes it the single most common defect type in strata properties.
The numbers climb even higher when disputes are examined more broadly. Figures from NSW Fair Trading show waterproofing features in 34.4 per cent of all building defect cases, almost three times the rate of electrical defects.
These statistics tell a simple story. When waterproofing goes wrong, the consequences are widespread, costly and difficult to fix.
Challenging old assumptions about who belongs on site
For Cuello, the decision to leave childcare and retrain was shaped by both opportunity and mindset.
“There was always a sense that females don’t belong in the trades,” she has said. “But that’s been changing in recent years, so I decided to make a change.”
She enrolled in a Certificate III in Construction Waterproofing at TAFE NSW’s Macquarie Fields campus, the only campus in the state offering the qualification. While studying one day a week, she worked on site as a sheet membrane waterproofer, gaining practical experience alongside her formal training.
That combination of classroom learning and real-world application is increasingly seen as essential in a trade where mistakes can remain hidden until long after a project is finished.
From the tools to the bigger picture
Cuello’s career has continued to evolve since completing her training.
She now works as a sales representative for Bayset, a business specialising in waterproofing, flooring and concreting repairs. The role allows her to combine technical knowledge with client communication, helping builders and property owners understand what compliant waterproofing actually looks like.
But her ambitions do not stop there.
Like many young tradespeople entering regulated construction roles, Cuello has her sights set on eventually running her own business. The pathway is clear, but not casual. In New South Wales, anyone carrying out residential waterproofing work valued over $5,000 in labour and materials must hold the appropriate trade licence. The regulation reflects the scale of risk involved when waterproofing fails.
Why waterproofing skills are in demand
Rob Rose, a waterproofing teacher at TAFE NSW Macquarie Fields, says the trade is no longer viewed as a niche.
“It’s arguably the most important of the construction trades because of the amount of defects out there and the cost to rectify them,” he explains.
As building classification laws tighten and compliance requirements increase, every building, from apartments to houses to commercial structures, requires some form of waterproofing. That has created sustained demand for trained professionals who understand both materials and standards.
Rose describes Cuello as attentive and meticulous, qualities that matter in a trade where attention to detail can prevent years of future problems.
A pathway that reflects a wider shift
Cuello’s story is not just about one career change. It reflects broader shifts happening across the construction industry.
Trades once seen as male-dominated are opening up to a more diverse workforce. At the same time, regulatory pressure and defect data are pushing builders to take specialist trades like waterproofing far more seriously.
For young people, career changers and those looking for long-term opportunity, waterproofing offers something rare. It is essential, regulated and only becoming more important as building standards rise.
As Cuello puts it, “There’s so much opportunity in the waterproofing industry. As compliance codes get stricter, the industry will continue to grow.”
For an industry trying to lift quality and restore trust, that growth could not come at a better time.
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