Statistics for declining trades in the UK!

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Yep painting and decorating is another job anyone thinks they can do but there is a massive difference between a good and bad one. A **** painter can make the best plasterer look **** and visa versa.
 
I think this is a really difficult one, I defo think that week course plasterers are making a dent in the domestic market and driving prices down.
I also think that the job is so varied that no one can be good at everything. I would probably be a bit slow on a site as I used to doing domestic and renovation work. But I do all my own boarding, studs and prep.

I think the worst thing is the standard of plasterers coming out of college.
 
How many times does one have to say this. College is for basic across the board introduction to a trade. The real work is done on site. Unless you are prepared to take trainees/ apprentices most of them will chance their arm and learn at the expense of the reputation of the trade.
 
A lot of the young guys I meet are labourers turned plasterers ( nothing wrong with that ,that's how we all started) but the guys showing em haven't got a clue themselves,I was lucky my old man would stop and show me no matter how long that took or how many times i asked,even tho all his work was price work .guys doing these courses get there mates in to do some labouring then
THEY think they can plaster and so the trade gets even more diluted and so on and so
 
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topstrop1 said:
How many times does one have to say this. College is for basic across the board introduction to a trade. The real work is done on site. Unless you are prepared to take trainees/ apprentices most of them will chance their arm and learn at the expense of the reputation of the trade.
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No wonder your name is "top strop".
 
casplas said:
although I partly agree ,you still have to push forward and do things your unsure of, to move forward with the times and learn new techniques along with new materials and such, we would still be using lathes if we didn't move on,99% of time we all learn something new by chance :RpS_thumbup:
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are you learning by chance whilst working in peoples homes - I wouldn't like someone experimenting in my front room with new materials or techniques :RpS_laugh:
 
ryanswart said:
Yes that true as many of my mates at college go self employed because so hard to get apprenticeship with local plastering companies. Only one have apprenticeship cos his uncle is running the business. That why they bring down the trade with low prices. So you can't blame the students.


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in my area there is no plastering company of any size now. it was the large plastering firms that where members of the building fed. that offered apprenticeships to school leavers. some did do late apprenticeships but it was a real struggle for them on low income.
often it was like a closed shop where apprenticeships where offered to members of familys and friends.
 
those statistics about plasterers are probably true every ***** a plasterer these days and the lads who do these 8 week courses then think there spreads is bullshit but people still pay them , where im working the boss did a course on plastering, the things people get away with on site is shocking
 
if the coarses were'nt good enough then they would'nt give away the qualifications like when you do a weekend driving coarse like i did still had to be good enough to pass things change and thereis no point living in the past and moaning. if you are all that concerned give some youngsters an aprrenticesgip ..... no i did'nt think so . just like why i had to do a coarse. grow up
 
being let loose in a car an some **** plastering your house who has done a course is bit different , and i aint living in the past you cannot learn plastering in that time any **** says you can is full of **** , i bet not one person failed your course you took !
 
The apprentice does not need a company to train . He needs a master to teach him on site. It is and always was possible to indenture a trainee to yourself. It just needs the will to pass on your skill.
 
DavetheDog said:
but the goverment would not just allow them to pass everybody if they were'nt good enough to pass surely
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thats bullshit aswell, training centres get paid for people they pass not fail. when i was at college they passed people who get barely get it on the wall let alone do a good job
 
exactly mate i mentioned getting an apprentice last week and every body just ripped iknto me. theres thousands of members on here and in the sections you never or hardly never see any body saying they want an apprentice just people whinging about there being poor qualikty plasteres. well get an apprentice abd pass on your skills then!!!! i phoned about beforwe doing the coarse and no body wanted to know
 
theres a fella on our street who can fix any car mechanically. just has a knack for it but he has'nt got a mechanics qualifications. but since they have all the computres in the engines he now ca'nt open them and fix them anymore. he did'nt need to be an apprentice he was just a natural
 
theres great spreads out there without any qualifications but they learned day in day out with other spreads and you cant teach that **** in 8 weeks , so is someone who done a course a better plasterer than someone whos got no quals? coz i know who i would want doing plastering
 
I know how you feel Dave. I am retired . I spend my time advising company's. the CITB, colleges and plasterers alike. Not for money, Ido it for the sake of the future of my craft.
 
topstrop1 said:
I know how you feel Dave. I am retired . I spend my time advising company's. the CITB, colleges and plasterers alike. Not for money, Ido it for the sake of the future of my craft.
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do you advise them to get more college lads learning on site?
 
i had to do the coarse topstrop because no body would take me on as an apprentice and if some of my questions seem thick its because i do'nt know which is why i am on here asking instead of burying my head in the sand. it was 1600 quid rob but i did it over different weeks over six weeks. i have the number if you want you needto speak to spence and rob mate. you will need somewhere to sleep but they have beds for twenty quid a night
 
rob88 said:
not angry mate but if you want to learn how to plaster go work with other spreads , how much did your course cost?
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Not that easy anymore mate ,a lot of spreads these days don,t even need a laborer, if someone wants to pay money for an insight into the game ,then move on from there ,i don,t see any wrong in that , IMO
 
DavetheDog said:
i had to do the coarse topstrop because no body would take me on as an apprentice and if some of my questions seem thick its because i do'nt know which is why i am on here asking instead of burying my head in the sand. it was 1600 quid rob but i did it over different weeks over six weeks. i have the number if you want you needto speak to spence and rob mate. you will need somewhere to sleep but they have beds for twenty quid a night
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i dont need the F*****g number mate , 1600 quid for the course why didnt you try working for plasterers for nothing and learn that way being the dogs body doing the mixing, loading up, prep work if you have a good attitude and work ethic there more than likely to take you on , theres lad on site at the moment working his ass off doing that for 7 quid an hour 7 til 5 six days a week hes been doing that for 3 months take my hat off to him the work he has to do and they have just started him on the tools
 
oh **** off how mant times do i need to say i phoned about before the coarse and there were no takers but i am in mid thirties mate so maybe that is why but i di'nt let that stop me becoming a sprread
 
keithuk said:
Not that easy anymore mate ,a lot of spreads these days don,t even need a laborer, if someone wants to pay money for an insight into the game ,then move on from there ,i don,t see any wrong in that , IMO
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nothing against them but better way to learn than 1600 quid course
 
keithuk said:
In an ideal world your so right , but we don,t live in one anymore
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if you want it enough , i can see why people take the course to get a start but only so many jobs you can get away with , recommendation is everything in this game
 
DavetheDog said:
oh **** off how mant times do i need to say i phoned about before the coarse and there were no takers but i am in mid thirties mate so maybe that is why but i di'nt let that stop me becoming a sprread
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and dave i wouldnt give up yeh times are **** but carry on trying to get in with someone
 
Just a footnote to answer Cassie. I have a home there. Have been in the UK since October. fighting my cancer (dosent affect my brain). Strange thing is I can give a lot of advice online but whilst in the UK I am mentoring 3 new colleges, one trainer , Ryan and trying to help Callum get a placement. Also altered the practical course for the CITB to make it more representative of what goes on on site. Tell me what are you doing for the future of our trade?
 
topstrop1 said:
Just a footnote to answer Cassie. I have a home there. Have been in the UK since October. fighting my cancer (dosent affect my brain). Strange thing is I can give a lot of advice online but whilst in the UK I am mentoring 3 new colleges, one trainer , Ryan and trying to help Callum get a placement. Also altered the practical course for the CITB to make it more representative of what goes on on site. Tell me what are you doing for the future of our trade?
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leaving a top job on everything i do so people know there are decent plasterers out there , applaud you for bringing this **** up in colleges more on site work the more they know when they go it alone
 
rob88 said:
if you want it enough , i can see why people take the course to get a start but only so many jobs you can get away with , recommendation is everything in this game
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Which Rob as you know takes time , we all had to start some where, doing laboring or a course , if that get them the start and the feel for it , then so be it
 
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