Are Quick Plastering Courses Worth It?

I did a three week course with Silver Trowel in Portsmouth. It was suppose to be two weeks setting (with a day of boarding) and a week floating. I was pretty s**t... So they let me spend three weeks skimming and said I could go back for the floating at no charge which I did later.

This is all from an IT background as I wanted a change. Through these forums I found work as a labourer and that is really where I started learning. I'm lucky that I'm about four months into said labouring and really enjoying it. The chap I work for is teaching me plenty and I don't doubt that I could do some small work on my own now.

I'd say that a short course will let you know if you like it or not, and you should be able to knock up and keep gear on your hawk but I totally made a mess plastering my own kitchen when I finished the course as you never do much meterage and thus think you've got aged to flatten etc!

Good luck OP and be prepared to pester local, and then potentially distant spreads to get some labouring work so you get the hang of knocking up a good gauge at the right consistency, and as importantly the right amount for the job!

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If you want to do a short course then there is no better in the UK than gold trowel... NOt going to delve to much into it as over the 12 years TPF has been going it has been done to death...

Everyone is out to make money and should never be ashamed of making money :D
 
Can anyone tell me what’s said to lads doing these courses?.Do they tell them it’s a basic introductory course or a license to print money?.
 
tricky one as courses can be a good start but they often end with people thinking they can plasterer and getting on a job and then being told ' get on the mixer ' ....it happened to me 25 years ago after a tops course :)....anythings worth a go but i dont think paying crazy £ is just to learn how to pick up a hawk of plaster or something.Best way was always as a labourer improver i think.
 
will say down here in cornwall a mate did a course on weekends and by all accounts the teacher was bragging how they could all earn xxxxx amounts and there was work all over the place down here and i dont know what fking planet the course tutor was on but got the impression he was trying to keep himself in a job .I think these courses often talk s**t up way to much .
 
mch said:
will say down here in cornwall a mate did a course on weekends and by all accounts the teacher was bragging how they could all earn xxxxx amounts and there was work all over the place down here and i dont know what fking planet the course tutor was on but got the impression he was trying to keep himself in a job .I think these courses often talk s**t up way to much .
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I think they are s**t
 
kebab king said:
The best Plasterer in the world is no good if he can’t present himself. The best Presenter in the world is no good if he can’t Plaster.
You also need to have it in your heart if you want to learn.
And if you do then go for it.
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Think I need to work on me presentation . When i have to price a job I just walk in give a price . Should really take a diary and a tape lol
 
John j said:
Think I need to work on me presentation . When i have to price a job I just walk in give a price . Should really take a diary and a tape lol
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Do you not email a quote? You're f**k*d if you work for a nobhead that doesn't want to pay if you don't have a proper quotation
 
John j said:
Think I need to work on me presentation . When i have to price a job I just walk in give a price . Should really take a diary and a tape lol
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Yep. Come to job, measure, scratch head, frown. If plaster is blown, stick hammer through it and make customer jump. Rub dust between your fingers and frown.

Jot some stuff down. Give customer estimate which is really a quote with a promise of an exact quote by email.

Pretend to check diary in van. Flip pages, frown. Scratch head. Tell customer you are very busy (remember not to tell them that you are busy driving a truck) but hate to turn work away, so will do weekend.

Pretend to check something at builders merchants and send customer quote which is really your estimate plus about £13.

Happy days.
 
Stevieo said:
Yep. Come to job, measure, scratch head, frown. If plaster is blown, stick hammer through it and make customer jump. Rub dust between your fingers and frown.

Jot some stuff down. Give customer estimate which is really a quote with a promise of an exact quote by email.

Pretend to check diary in van. Flip pages, frown. Scratch head. Tell customer you are very busy (remember not to tell them that you are busy driving a truck) but hate to turn work away, so will do weekend.

Pretend to check something at builders merchants and send customer quote which is really your estimate plus about £13.

Happy days.
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Wouldn't have a hammer lol. I bet I only went and priced 5 to 10 jobs last year. . Someone came to door and wife was shocked and asked if I talk to all me customers like that lol good job I keep busy with builders i guess lol
 
John j said:
Think I need to work on me presentation . When i have to price a job I just walk in give a price . Should really take a diary and a tape lol
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Actually, yes, most of my work is months after i looked at it, how can you give a date, or remember how much you quoted, what materials to buy.
 
They are a waste of money. I went on a 3 month course years ago at Peterlee, cost £2800. Got a job as a plasterer’s labourer because I knew realistically I couldn’t charge a customer for the work I was producing. Learnt more labouring than on the course and practiced on the walls in my garage when I had the time.

I would just ask a plasterer if you can labour for him for free when you have the time and practice at home. Then take on jobs for family and friends where you can take your time.
 
kebab king said:
So, you just work from day to day, lol. Think im getting the picture hear.
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I tend to work for same 5 builders . And seem to roll round em . So I.m not all over place week from week . Dont really do a room here and there so its quiet easy to remember.
 
Seen some courses advertised the other day tbh I don’t know if they are good but they had dewalt drills in the background
 
rhysp said:
They are a waste of money. I went on a 3 month course years ago at Peterlee, cost £2800. Got a job as a plasterer’s labourer because I knew realistically I couldn’t charge a customer for the work I was producing. Learnt more labouring than on the course and practiced on the walls in my garage when I had the time.

I would just ask a plasterer if you can labour for him for free when you have the time and practice at home. Then take on jobs for family and friends where you can take your time.
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who did you do the course with?
 
Maybe, but I just don’t think they prepare you for real world jobs. There’s needs to be more apprenticeships.
 
rhysp said:
Maybe, but I just don’t think they prepare you for real world jobs. There’s needs to be more apprenticeships.
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That will never happen now. That ship has sailed and the standard that most colleges put out is not up to scratch either
 
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