From Laborer to plasterer.

[superspread]

Started in 84 on yts followed by 3 year apprenticeship, got all my papers etc, also had another lad work along side us but no college or proper apprenticeship still turned a good lad, I think its all down to working with a good spread whos willing to take the time to teach you properly.

Bang on niro06

 

[jamesthefirst]

its a tricky one, if you a crap labourer you never going to get a chance if you a good labourer they don't want you to progress and learn a bit cos they want you to keep making there job easier (shut up and do as your told) i found people were reluctant to help you learn either cos they **** their self and don't know how to teach somone or just want to treat you like a low life so they can feel better about them selfs. either way i did'nt like it but tried to put up with it by looking at the bigger picture. somtimes shot myself in the foot by being pushy or speaking my mind but **** it got there in the end, and am now sat here wondering why?

You were just being yourself, if we are true to ourselves then where we end up is where we end up.

 

[SpankySouthport]

its a tricky one, if you a crap labourer you never going to get a chance if you a good labourer they don't want you to progress and learn a bit cos they want you to keep making there job easier (shut up and do as your told) i found people were reluctant to help you learn either cos they **** their self and don't know how to teach somone or just want to treat you like a low life so they can feel better about them selfs. either way i did'nt like it but tried to put up with it by looking at the bigger picture. somtimes shot myself in the foot by being pushy or speaking my mind but **** it got there in the end, and am now sat here wondering why?

Yep why oh why didn't I listen in school lol

 

[jh4757]

I started with a multi course which consisted of carpentry, brick, painting and plastering. I had done this course with the goal of getting some basic wood work experience before going on to a carpentry course, although after a couple of days in plastering I changed my mind and went down the plastering route.

I spent about 2 years at college where I still to this day feel I learnt next to nothing there, the group of twelve of us was handed an NVQ level 2 for a few days work boarding and skimming in a tower block that was part of a regeneration project. It also wasn't until after the course that I got my break and got in with a plasterer, I picked up more things with him in the first 2 weeks than i did for 2 years at college. 4 years on and I have just gone self employed and am picking up new skills i.e carpentry, plumbing, tiling etc.

I think the colleges giving these lads there paper work with out any real experience is very misleading, I no lads my age who on paper can call there self plasterers yet have not picked up a trowel since. It is very hard to get a start when your in that passed the stage of being an apprentice yet not even a content labourer.

Anyway I guess that is another subject for another post, but me I thought I was going for carpentry and just enjoyed skimming more than anything...strange!

 

[stevo79]

how many times have i thought that! at the begining of the 90's they were telling us that we should learn computers, i thouhgt computers are shite we only had them bbc or acorn things that the only thing you could do was type in green space invaders style wrighting. so i decided to spend the rest of my school days practicing drinking, worked out well

Yep why oh why didn't I listen in school lol

 

[jamesthefirst]

how many times have i thought that! at the begining of the 90's they were telling us that we should learn computers, i thouhgt computers are shite we only had them bbc or acorn things that the only thing you could do was type in green space invaders style wrighting. so i decided to spend the rest of my school days practicing drinking, worked out well

Thats why I think plastering will not be a trade at all in the next 30-50 years.A lot of plasterers children don't go into the building trade at all now because we don't encourage it.

 

[spunky]

There will probably be a boom then

 

[Jk16lufc]

How long would it generally take to learn the job to a standard of doing it on your own etc, I'm an apprentice now and feels like I'm losing time on learning with hearing others learning it all in a year, any good honest feedback would be appreciated, cheers.