Kanahooka barber Will Green shared some of his tips and tricks at a NSW TAFE event. Photo: Zoe Cartwright.
If you’re sick of telling your teen to get off their phone, cut yourself (and them) some slack.
They could be picking up valuable career skills.
Thanks to his screen time, a teenager from Kanahooka headlined a careers event held by NSW TAFE and TikTok Australia to inspire young people to get the most out of their screen time.
Countless skilled workers are turning to TikTok to share their tricks of the trade and inspire young people to fill essential skills gaps.
To help demonstrate the real-world impact of showcasing trades online, TikTok Australia and the Minister for Skills, TAFE and Tertiary Education, Steve Whan, hosted an in-person creator careers event, where young people could meet and be mentored by some of the biggest TikTok creators leading their fields – including Kanhaooka’s Will Green.
There are currently 48 million #LearnOnTikTok posts showing how Australians are turning to the platform to discover the skills to nail their working futures.
Tradies have built a solid foundation on TikTok, with more than 6.8 million posts showcasing #construction and other popular trades such as #barber (7.6 million posts) and #florist (1.3 million posts).
One of those #barbers is Will. His online handle @cutsbygreeny, has tens of thousands of followers.
He credited TikTok with helping him set up his own small business before he’d finished school.
“TikTok’s allowed me to discover my passion, learn from a community of barbers, find an audience, and set up my own studio and small business.
“A great haircut can transform your life, and TikTok has transformed my hobby into a future career. I started cutting my mates’ hair for fun, and now have people driving over an hour for a haircut, which is pretty cool!
“As a student thinking about my own future, I’m pumped to chat with other young people figuring out their next step at TikTok’s Tools of the Trade event, and hope my journey inspires others to follow their passions.”
As part of the event at TAFE Ultimo Will shared his best barbering tips with an in-person, rather than digital, audience.
He’s also responsible for Mr Whan’s newest haircut, one the minister said he was “very happy with”.
To inspire young people to consider a career as a skilled trades worker, attendees at TikTok’s Tools of the Trade event participated in a series of workshops, discussed pathway options with TAFE NSW representatives, spoke to the 2025 NSW Training Award winner, and took home prizes from their favourite TikTok creators.
According to Jobs and Skills Australia, trades workers remain a cornerstone of the workforce, with nearly 14 per cent of all Australian workers taking up a trade.
Despite this, NSW continues to face shortages in critical areas including construction, manufacturing and care.
Minister for Skills, TAFE and Tertiary Education Steve Whan said TikTok wasn’t just a time waster – it could help springboard kids into careers they love.
“If you’ve ever renovated or needed essential work completed, you’ll know that NSW needs more tradies,” he said.
“TikTok has become an online toolkit for turning passion into profession, and today we’re showcasing some of these skills to encourage more young people to consider a future in this space.
“It’s especially exciting to see young women using TikTok to show how they can succeed in traditionally male-dominated industries.
“The number of women training as apprentice plumbers in NSW has grown more than five-fold in just three years. Hopefully, this number continues to grow as more women tradies share their journeys on TikTok.
“As young people start to think about their future, I hope this event inspires them to consider a rewarding career path through TAFE NSW that builds not only their own futures, but the future of Australia.”
