looking to become a plasterer

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Danny said:
Technique... methods.... materials....

I would quite happily say in 6 weeks at gt you put more on than you would in 3 years at college...

It gives the basics to build on....
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With the greatest amount of respect Danny, that is complete tosh.

I went to college for two years under the old yts scheme, 1st year 6 month block, 2nd year I think it was a week a month, and there is absolutely no way on earth what I learned at college, ( from sand/lime mortar through to running cornice and all the science in between) could be learned in 6 weeks if you were there day & night.
 
2300 can't get my head around it. Let's say u go look at the curse how do you know if it's good or not. Your not a plasterer so how can you tell what is good and what is not. Id tell you what you want to here for 2300. But best of luck what ever you do
 
Luckily for me I had my dad come with me who is in the building game, new al the right lingo and all the rest of it! Plus I even turned up there during the day and spoke to some of the boys on the course now! Some who had previous experience and some without and they all said the same! We all have to start somewhere.
 
BigK said:
With the greatest amount of respect Danny, that is complete tosh.

I went to college for two years under the old yts scheme, 1st year 6 month block, 2nd year I think it was a week a month, and there is absolutely no way on earth what I learned at college, ( from sand/lime mortar through to running cornice and all the science in between) could be learned in 6 weeks if you were there day & night.
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You won't learn running moulds and fibrous on a course..

Have a look at the college schedule now... it's a not great
 
So what is going on in the uk. Are you telling me u have to spend 2300 to go on a course for 6 weeks b4 a plasterer will take you on. Let's say u don't find a real plasterer to take u on. So what do you do. Start going around saying to people that u are a plasterer and start practicing on there home.
 
Then again I am lucky my dads in the building game, he has opportunitys for me to practice, expand my knowledge and practice some more! but I'm a lucky one! Somebody if more likely to want to take you on if you have a bit of experience than no experience at all!
 
I have seen students that have been at college for 3 years and can't skim an 8x4 board to a standard I would be happy with....

Beading up is terrible...

Yes you get the odd one that breaks the mould but the standard is poor and the number of students that make it out as full time plasterers after college is few and far... more plasterers are created by being taught on the job by other plasterers....

Not saying that's right or wrong... but for someone to earn a living in this day and age being able to run moulds and use lime is not essential...

Moat of domestic work is board and skim with a bit of floating...

College is good to see what you might like to delve further into but but in these times you are only doing snippets... lack of funding... also if the lecturer does not like or is not very good at one subject you will find they will shy away from teaching it...
 
theclemo said:
So what is going on in the uk. Are you telling me u have to spend 2300 to go on a course for 6 weeks b4 a plasterer will take you on. Let's say u don't find a real plasterer to take u on. So what do you do. Start going around saying to people that u are a plasterer and start practicing on there home.
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I was only at college 2 years ago, and as much as I wasn't the best student. The Tuters are even worse! They either didn't turn up, didn't care or just couldn't be bothered! There is also lots of people at college just there because there mum and dads told them to go instead of being bums and don't want to learn anything! And that interupts the rest of the class! It's not a good environment to be in when your trying to learn!
 
BigK said:
With the greatest amount of respect Danny, that is complete tosh.

I went to college for two years under the old yts scheme, 1st year 6 month block, 2nd year I think it was a week a month, and there is absolutely no way on earth what I learned at college, ( from sand/lime mortar through to running cornice and all the science in between) could be learned in 6 weeks if you were there day & night.
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The yts was a good system and did what it was meant to do

but I was comparing it to today's training... and as always there are good colleges and bad ones...

no offence taken by the way :) and also no offence meant as I would like to see the trade go back to beING taught in this way... maybe that would drive prices up again and plasterers would become the respected trade it once was
 
caddyplasterman said:
Hello everyone Toby here, brand new to this forum. Looking for some advice on becoming a plasterer…

You might try googling up "Books on Plastering" and doing a little self education…. I collect old plastering books after I found out that I had one worth quite a bit of money.
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Danny said:
I have seen students that have been at college for 3 years and can't skim an 8x4 board to a standard I would be happy with....

Beading up is terrible...

Yes you get the odd one that breaks the mould but the standard is poor and the number of students that make it out as full time plasterers after college is few and far... more plasterers are created by being taught on the job by other plasterers....

Not saying that's right or wrong... but for someone to earn a living in this day and age being able to run moulds and use lime is not essential...

Moat of domestic work is board and skim with a bit of floating...

College is good to see what you might like to delve further into but but in these times you are only doing snippets... lack of funding... also if the lecturer does not like or is not very good at one subject you will find they will shy away from teaching it...
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There is no curses here in ireland. It a 4 year apprenticeship. To me to be called a plasterer u need to know how to do everything in the trade internal and external. I no if someone phoned me up saying he was a plasterer looking for work and i ask him what can he do. If he said just skimming id hang up the phone. He would not be worth f**k to me tbh. I think its worng that lads have to pay 2300 plus i can't see the curses being good for the plastering industry. Men just about knowing how to skim then going out on their own thinking he is a plasterer. No wonder the m2 price is so bad in skimming.
 
theclemo said:
There is no curses here in ireland. It a 4 year apprenticeship. To me to be called a plasterer u need to know how to do everything in the trade internal and external. I no if someone phoned me up saying he was a plasterer looking for work and i ask him what can he do. If he said just skimming id hang up the phone. He would not be worth f**k to me tbh. I think its worng that lads have to pay 2300 plus i can't see the curses being good for the plastering industry. Men just about knowing how to skim then going out on their own thinking he is a plasterer. No wonder the m2 price is so bad in skimming.
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If we saw the introduction of the 4/5 year apprenticeship it would be a good a thing but there is no way to enforce that... like @BigK said earlier the YTS scheme did everything and he was/is able to create a nice business now due to that...

without regulation I can pick up a trowel and start trading as a plasterer without any training whatsoever... (worrying) I dont think courses are ruining the trade... they are not the problem... colleges only get funding up until the age of 19 I think which is great if at 16 you know what you want to do... but if you are beyond that you will be having to fight for a place in college....

Plastering City & Guilds Diploma Level 1 (bradford College)
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Plastering City & Guilds Diploma Level 2
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Looks like they dont offer level 3 and no mention of lime... no mention of fibrous...
 
theclemo said:
There is no curses here in ireland. It a 4 year apprenticeship. To me to be called a plasterer u need to know how to do everything in the trade internal and external. I no if someone phoned me up saying he was a plasterer looking for work and i ask him what can he do. If he said just skimming id hang up the phone. He would not be worth f**k to me tbh. I think its worng that lads have to pay 2300 plus i can't see the curses being good for the plastering industry. Men just about knowing how to skim then going out on their own thinking he is a plasterer. No wonder the m2 price is so bad in skimming.
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Wait till you hear about the weekend courses and week courses or like you call them curses lol these guys are encouraged to get there vans signed up and business cards and even some are supplying websites lol they fall flat on their faces after one or two jobs so they don't worry me. I had a lad help me a year or so ago who had been on a weeks course not GT, he wasn't shown how to mix plaster they had some lad mixing for the lot of them but he only realised when he came to do his first wall lol yo be fair I've been at goldtrowel on the Venetian course and they are set up better than most of the places I've seen and heard about. This lad told me one of the tricks he was taught on his weeks training, don't worry about cleaning your beads just run down the edge with a pencil once your finished :) it's a cracker
 
flynnyman said:
Wait till you hear about the weekend courses and week courses or like you call them curses lol these guys are encouraged to get there vans signed up and business cards and even some are supplying websites lol they fall flat on their faces after one or two jobs so they don't worry me. I had a lad help me a year or so ago who had been on a weeks course not GT, he wasn't shown how to mix plaster they had some lad mixing for the lot of them but he only realised when he came to do his first wall lol yo be fair I've been at goldtrowel on the Venetian course and they are set up better than most of the places I've seen and heard about. This lad told me one of the tricks he was taught on his weeks training, don't worry about cleaning your beads just run down the edge with a pencil once your finished :) it's a cracker
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lol ffs
 
Plaster-scene said:
@caddyplasterman I'm in the same position as you, I have booked the course and start next month took me months to pluck up the courage and make the jump, I went down and saw the guys at gold trowel and they are a good bunch of lads and I believe if anybody can help me they can. It's not gonna be easy I accept that but I realise I'm doing it to make a better life for myself. What I have learnt is no matter what negative or positive things people say go and see the gt people and make your own decision! If you want it enough it will happen! Hope this helps
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Cheers mate I will go and see them and good luck boss hope it works out for you
 
You cant beat hands on experience. I started labouring for 2 plasterers when i was 18. Everything was hand mixed. S&c mixed with a shovel in a tin bath. Kept me fit lol. If mix was wrong it was thrown back at you to do it again. Hard work but had alot of respect for them and they taught me alot. Even if i didnt always think it at the time. Took along time to learn the trade. Not the same anymore. Do a short course and buy a van. Under cut you on price do a bad job and then dissapear after 6 months because they didnt realise how hard work it is. I'm now 48 bty and still enjoy what i do.
 
I feel a mix of college as everything is taught by the book and hands on with a good tradesmen/firm is the best way to be a decent spread.
 
Danny said:
If we saw the introduction of the 4/5 year apprenticeship it would be a good a thing but there is no way to enforce that... like @BigK said earlier the YTS scheme did everything and he was/is able to create a nice business now due to that......
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Hang on a bit Danny lol, I don't think I'm able to earn a living due to the yts/college course I did, as good as it was.
The college course did teach me the science bit and whys and wherefores etc and gave me an insight into niche categories of the plasterers work.
But today I'm a decent plasterer, have earned a living and will see out my days doing so because I served a proper apprenticeship, probably upto 5 years with the old fella, and that's where my thanks lie, not with the college or yts.

A six week course costing 2300, would be pointless, but that's just my opinion.
 
Running cornice etc was done in your 3rd year (advanced craft) i did that and the 2 day skills test aspart of an nvq which you had to pass to be considered time served. @flynnyman did the same test at the same place as me in Trafford Manchester if i remember correctly??
 
There is also a serious lack of colleges teaching it too. Was working in one part time for the last 4 yrs. They refused to teach plastering as it wasn't cost effective.
Also seen so many students 'helped' through the course. For the statistics. Which is all colleges care about these days.
In 4 yrs, reckon I saw maybe 3 guys worth employing. One who would make it as more than a decent pair of hands.
People will find other ways to get in if they can't do it the 'proper' way.
The apprentices I saw were no better either, so don't kid yourselves there! The education system is a joke. 2yrs or 2wks!
:(
 
BigK said:
Was thinking we should have been the same year, I was at Bolton though.....
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1988 i started pal it depended on where your firm was as to which college you went to. My firm was based in Kirkham hence me going to Blackpool most other lads went to Accrington from Preston
 
Accrington wasn't going in '88 Greg, was a few years later that.
An apprentice of mine went to Accy, only 3 miles from me, I had to catch a train at 10 to 7 to get to Bolton [emoji35][emoji35][emoji35]
 
BigK said:
Accrington wasn't going in '88 Greg, was a few years later that.
An apprentice of mine went to Accy, only 3 miles from me, I had to catch a train at 10 to 7 to get to Bolton [emoji35][emoji35][emoji35]
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Showing my age as the lads (younger than me obviously) went to Accy i was pissed off going to Blackpool as i was immediatley hated being from Preston
 
I think courses are designed for people who got no nvq so they can be partly funded by the government or older and want a career change 2300 quid will give you a basic insight of some aspects of plastering. Unfortunately there's no or very few firms or established spread who wants to take on anybody these days, nobody wants the responsibility these days or wasting their own time. Also who's got a family to support they hardly be happy to serve an apprenticeship.
 
zolco said:
I think courses are designed for people who got no nvq so they can be partly funded by the government or older and want a career change 2300 quid will give you a basic insight of some aspects of plastering. Unfortunately there's no or very few firms or established spread who wants to take on anybody these days, nobody wants the responsibility these days or wasting their own time. Also who's got a family to support they hardly be happy to serve an apprenticeship.
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Fair comment mate very true
 
Marshy said:
1988 i started pal it depended on where your firm was as to which college you went to. My firm was based in Kirkham hence me going to Blackpool most other lads went to Accrington from Preston
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Started the same year :) I went to Manchester college and also done the two day skill test :) We could of done our skills test on the same days lol do you remember a guy turning up at about 10.30 and f**k**g off at about 2pm on both days? That was me lol. I have lost my results, out off all my certificates which I still have that's all that's missing, I got 98% because one of the reveals was slightly out grrrrrrrrrr I am just coming to terms with it just now with a lot of help and councilling;)
 
That test was out of 38 points i got 36 because my box section (which was meshed) was slightly out lol bloody hell i kind of remember now that a lad turned up late and f**k*d off early lol. Hahaha fair play mate. The trucker cafe was bloody good mind (y)
 
I done block release when I was about 18.

The teachers there were good spreads.....but not as good as the lads I worked for.

Working with decent lads 5 days a week is a better option.

But you NEED to learn to labour first.
 
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