Hands On - Plastering and Artexing

There is a steady demand for plasterers to work in all areas of the building trade. Philip Sykes of Step to Training explains how to enter this promising career and the options available once you have the basics under your belt.

The biggest thing to be aware of is dust. It gets everywhere, but so do plasterers whose skills are required in all aspects of the building and construction trades. From full-scale construction work to helping plumbers in bathroom refits, plasterers have skills that are required widely in the construction industry and also by other tradespeople.

Plasterers finish interior walls, ceilings and sometimes floors of buildings as well as applying stuccos to external surfaces. Before the finish a plasterer will usually fit the plasterboard to internal walls; making partitions and laying bases called screeds for floor coverings. Unlike other construction trades, most of the work is carried on inside, away from the cold. The same cannot be said of pebble dashing or other outside work where you will be exposed to the elements.

The three main types of work are:

• solid plastering for walls and floors and other flat surfaces
• fibrous plastering which is more delicate work involving shapes and patterns often used in decoration
• dry-lining which is a fast growing part of the industry much in demand with new house building.

As with any building trade you should be good with your hands and also in good physical shape as you spend a lot of time kneeling and bending and on your feet. Working at heights is sometimes necessary.

Speed and accuracy is essential for plasters. Mastering the tools of the trade such as a hawk and trowel is much like golf; its looks easy to drive and putt, but playing like Tiger Woods takes time, effort and real skill. So, a one or two week course is not recommended for someone who looking for a full-time career in plastering. You are unlikely to have sufficient speed or confidence to deal with the range of work required, and such a short course cannot teach subjects like fibrous plastering and this will limit the work that you can undertake.

Most recommended courses take six to seven weeks and lead to either National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) or the Intermediate Construction Award (ICA). These can be taken as part of your resettlement. However, the NVQ route will not gain you an NVQ until you enter the workplace and get assessed. So, during an NVQ course, you will learn and gain confidence in the underpinning knowledge for the NVQ as well as starting to build a portfolio which you can then develop for the award.

The ICA is aimed at people not currently in the construction industry but covers the same units as the NVQ. You will develop a portfolio and gain the ICA certificate to show potential employers. For both courses health and safety is a crucial element and you should ensure that the course includes the knowledge required to obtain the Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) card, which is your passport to work on a construction site.

Employers range from several large construction firms which contract large teams for big projects to small businesses employing less than five people. You can choose between these two extremes or go for anything between them. Due to skills shortages, employment prospects are very good especially if you have the personal skills developed during your time in the Services.

If you are planning setting up on your own, do your homework. Check the local papers, see what the competition is like and carefully examine your start-up costs. You may find that working with a fully qualified plasterer after completing a course will improve your skills and give you experience in the art of quoting for work, and this is critical if you want to have a thriving business.

Once you have mastered the basics, additional skills such as marble plastering or other specialist plastering techniques will increase your employability and the money that you can earn. You may consider learning these skills part-time at a local college or at a private training organisation while you are working. To become a fully qualified craftsperson you will need to achieve NVQ Level 3.

Salary depends on the area in which you operate and the type of work undertaken. Another crucial element is the speed at which you work. It is not uncommon for good plasterers to earn up to £250 per day or even more for London or specialist jobs. You will also need to build relationships with other tradespeople and contractors, as many other jobs require plastering skills alongside other trades.

For further information on plastering or other construction skills training, call Step to Training on 0800 043 6960 or email info@steptotraining.co.uk