Mature plastering wannabe ...

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Monkeyboy

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Afternoon all

firstly really nice forum, had a good nose round before deciding to post and quite impressed:RpS_thumbsup:

Reason I'm posting is I'm currently a 35 year old officer worker looking to change career. I'd say I'm ok at most DIY bits and after speaking with friends it seems there's more demand than supply for plasterers in London at the moment so I wanted to give this a go.


the research I've done has caused me. Few headaches as the definition industry ready seems to get thrown around a lot on course providers site so I thought I would ask here.

in a perfect world I could stop working and do a 2 month intensive course costing thousands but the reality is I don't think that's possible.

what I'd like to ask is what is the minimum level required for things such as site work? Gnvq, btec? Answers seem to vary.

also any London based plastering bros able to comment on the London / greater London market.

many thanks for your time :)
 
If your looking at retraining mate why not go into a trade that will be a little easier on the body, electrical/mechanical or similar?.
 
Afternoon all

firstly really nice forum, had a good nose round before deciding to post and quite impressed:RpS_thumbsup:

Reason I'm posting is I'm currently a 35 year old officer worker looking to change career. I'd say I'm ok at most DIY bits and after speaking with friends it seems there's more demand than supply for plasterers in London at the moment so I wanted to give this a go.


the research I've done has caused me. Few headaches as the definition industry ready seems to get thrown around a lot on course providers site so I thought I would ask here.

in a perfect world I could stop working and do a 2 month intensive course costing thousands but the reality is I don't think that's possible.

what I'd like to ask is what is the minimum level required for things such as site work? Gnvq, btec? Answers seem to vary.

also any London based plastering bros able to comment on the London / greater London market.

many thanks for your time :)

Get a lot of sarky replies on here, don't worry its prolonged exposure to PVA, messes with your head.

I'm a student. I can honestly say you won't get it intensively in 2 months. Or at least I consider myself to be pretty good, picking it up nice and quick and 6 months later I'm still a beginner.

Mind you this stuff about working with a plasterer for 3 years? Nah I don't think so. Just did a quick calculation there. I reckon I'll do 1000 hours tuition over the course of this year. And I mean is it intensive? You can't be any more intensive or not really, I'm plastering, big areas/small areas, beading, bonding and other stuff. Your either chucking it on the wall or you are not. There isn't really such a thing as intensive.

I'll probably put 500 hours of my own time in and I did 4 weeks and I've given myself a ton of practical experience (and practical mistakes) thus far. Been at it since April and started the full year long course in September. I'm off work this week with a bloody awful abdominal strain this week like hence my typing. I think I'll be able to do reskim jobs and whatnot after a year but lately I've been thinking I'd probably do another diploma level 3 next year if I was able too.

Doesn't mean I don't think you should, I love it, more than anything I've ever done.
 
I do enjoy these threads. A novice/beginner asks for advice about how long learning takes and what's the best way to do it. No matter what, the answers will always unanimously be about 3 years, learn on the job as a labourer.

You then get someone who is on a course that has no experience. Has no real idea. And gives Contradictory advise.

With all due respect mate your opinion is daft whilst not having the experience to really comment about it. I'm sure your course is good and I'm sure you're getting along fine. But I am also positive that if you learnt on the job for a longer period and served your time in different aspects and got the experience and dealt with the day to day problems everyone has to, the sort of things that you will end up scratching your head at once you've finished your course and asking how to do it on here, you would turn out a much better plasterer.

And I'm sure you will disagree with me ☺
 
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Get a lot of sarky replies on here, don't worry its prolonged exposure to PVA, messes with your head.

I'm a student. I can honestly say you won't get it intensively in 2 months. Or at least I consider myself to be pretty good, picking it up nice and quick and 6 months later I'm still a beginner.

Mind you this stuff about working with a plasterer for 3 years? Nah I don't think so. Just did a quick calculation there. I reckon I'll do 1000 hours tuition over the course of this year. And I mean is it intensive? You can't be any more intensive or not really, I'm plastering, big areas/small areas, beading, bonding and other stuff. Your either chucking it on the wall or you are not. There isn't really such a thing as intensive.

I'll probably put 500 hours of my own time in and I did 4 weeks and I've given myself a ton of practical experience (and practical mistakes) thus far. Been at it since April and started the full year long course in September. I'm off work this week with a bloody awful abdominal strain this week like hence my typing. I think I'll be able to do reskim jobs and whatnot after a year but lately I've been thinking I'd probably do another diploma level 3 next year if I was able too.

Doesn't mean I don't think you should, I love it, more than anything I've ever done.
Lol he who knows everything yet really knows absolutely **** all join the queue
 
Thats fine we'll see. I certainly doubt I'll be able to render as 80% of the course is internal. Time will tell.

I know a bloke on the course who is working after 20 months on course and building a good reputation. I'm sure you'll call him a cowboy but his customers are not and his evidence standard of work I see seems high admittedly from what I can tell. There are blokes posting on here who are working who started off on so called "intensive courses"...I'm talking about putting 2 years study.
 
Thats fine we'll see. I certainly doubt I'll be able to render as 80% of the course is internal. Time will tell.

I know a bloke on the course who is working after 20 months on course and building a good reputation. I'm sure you'll call him a cowboy but his customers are not and his evidence standard of work I see seems high admittedly from what I can tell. There are blokes posting on here who are working who started off on so called "intensive courses"...I'm talking about putting 2 years study.

fcuk em, cowen. you'd think they were all born with a trowel in their hand.
 
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