Certified Plasterer Scheme - Q&A

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BritishGypsum

Well-Known Member
Hi all, it’s time for another Q and A! This time we’ll be discussing the Certified Plasterer Scheme as we know you have a lot of questions. As usual, we’ll be keeping an eye out for your questions and we’ll be answering them in a live session on Friday 9th September.

Cheers,
British Gypsum
 
Excellent, really glad to see this happening as im sure theres a lot of people on here who are on the fence about the scheme and if they should bother joining or not. @flynnyman @gps here's the chance to get stuff off your chest (and maybe take the plunge and apply)
 
If it was in Ireland I'd sign up. Do you know if it's going to happen in Ireland. Am very good with clints once they don't ring me on weekends :)
 
I'd like to ask if you could extend the free membership past the first 100 applications for TPF members to give others that haven't applied yet off here a chance to get on for free...especially the regular older experienced regular posters ?
 
I've not even heard of it?????

Have I missed something???

Can someone explain what it is and how it works plz???
 
I've not even heard of it?????

Have I missed something???

Can someone explain what it is and how it works plz???
Basically bg are doing a members club where you will pay for a membership and some retired plasterer will come out for an hour for a chat and decide by watching you for a short space of time if you are a competent tradesman in all aspects of the trade. Anyone who has got a free membership will tell you it's great everyone else can see it's a flawed system.
 
And the last two posts basically sum the forum up these days. They set up a thread specifically to answer questions instead of jumping in the middle of the last handbags at dawn one and people still complain. Its pretty rediculous really.
 
@BritishGypsum .
how will this benefit us and make us apply to you with the redtape these days on sites with cscs cards which need a nvq in the trade to.get one.
on a domestic level you have the likes of checkatrade which is highly relied on for reputation.
will this be operated on same process where mr jones contacts you and asks for a plasterer?

Dan
 
I think what gets people is Bg have posted this as a q&a and come Friday they won't show and that will be annoying I hope they do show cos could clear up a lot of things and why wait til Friday if scheme been running a while, not nit picking but basically trying to find a middle ground on way some feel
 
i would like to ask BG , to be a plasterer you do need to be able to carry out different disciplines most of which do not involve BG. ie floor screeding, external wall insulation, rendering, lime work,pargetting etc. or is this just another skimmers paradise?
i served a 5 year apprenticeship the only qualification that i have ever had. no csc card, i have never been unemployed, seen upteen recesions, so why do i need to join your list?
 
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I sent an email showing interest a couple of weeks ago. I received an automated response but haven't heard anything since.
 
i would like to ask BG , to be a plasterer you do need to be able to carry out different disciplines most of which do not involve BG. ie floor screeding, external wall insulation, rendering, lime work,pargetting etc. or is this just another skimmers paradise?
i served a 5 year apprenticeship the only qualification that i have ever had. no csc card, i have never been unemployed, seen upteen recesions, so why do i need to join your list?
To be honest Malc you don't need to join the scheme would be better if bg offer you a role running it, and I ain't joking.
 
i would like to ask BG , to be a plasterer you do need to be able to carry out different disciplines most of which do not involve BG. ie floor screeding, external wall insulation, rendering, lime work,pargetting etc. or is this just another skimmers paradise?
i served a 5 year apprenticeship the only qualification that i have ever had. no csc card, i have never been unemployed, seen upteen recesions, so why do i need to join your list?

Ewi is a recent "skill" it wasn't on any apprenticeships, lime work and pargetting are specialised aspects of the trade. In 16 years i've not once been asked to do either nor could i. I did a 2 year apprenticeship and left college 2 weeks early to go on a lads holiday so didn'T get my qualification signed off, i got it in an hour on a building site in bristol 9 years later along with god knows how many other "spreads".

People seem to be getting to worked up about this scheme, if you don't need or want to be a part of it then don't stick your name in the pot. It doesn't make anyone on it better than the really touchy lot who take so much pride in their extended apprenticeships however what most don't seem to get is that unless you want to teach, a qualification in plastering really counts for sod all in the real world. A customer couldn't care less about qualifications they care about your work and your service. The likes of checkatrade give joe public a chance to get that instead of picking people out of the yellow pages if they don't know a recommended plasterer and this will do to. The difference being this is direct from the people who make the products. If your workmanship is crap or your service you won't stay on the scheme for long.

Could the checks be more stringent- yes certainly, but its the period after that that will show up the idiots and eventually weed out the rubbish and leave a pool of good people.

People have this romantic idea that you need to be able to do every aspect of plastering to be good but you don't, you need to only take work on that you can do well and turn the rest away. Personally i can't stand floor screeding, i can do it to a reasonable standard on an average sized room but im by no means great at it so i don't touch it. If theres people on the scheme that can only do half the things i can do and they do it well then good luck to them.

People need to wake up and realise its not 1985 anymore, the trade has evolved for better or worse
 
Basically bg are doing a members club where you will pay for a membership and some retired plasterer will come out for an hour for a chat and decide by watching you for a short space of time if you are a competent tradesman in all aspects of the trade. Anyone who has got a free membership will tell you it's great everyone else can see it's a flawed system.
Sounds like a job for Gary @TheApprentice ;-)
 
I sent an email showing interest a couple of weeks ago. I received an automated response but haven't heard anything since.
I enquired in June filled All the bumf out then got a call last week out the blue came up on friday assest and sorted, i ain't worrying about what they arnt going to do or anything if I get a few calls off it so be it ,who gives a f**k I know u got to use BG products that's no hardship u r using the plaster anywY most of the time
 
Ewi is a recent "skill" it wasn't on any apprenticeships, lime work and pargetting are specialised aspects of the trade. In 16 years i've not once been asked to do either nor could i. I did a 2 year apprenticeship and left college 2 weeks early to go on a lads holiday so didn'T get my qualification signed off, i got it in an hour on a building site in bristol 9 years later along with god knows how many other "spreads".

ewi is not that recent, we have been taking on ewi contracts for over 30 years. it was not part of my apprenticeship either, but you do need to be trained to survive recessions.

floor screeding is very much a part of every apprenticeship. as in rendering.

pargetting is very popular in essex /suffolk, perhaps not so much in other parts of uk.

lime work is a lot simpler today then ever before, you can purchase ready mixed materials and do not need to get covered in fleas when you dragged the horse hair out of the bag it came in.

i was asking bg what can being on their list offer me?
by the way plastering is not a trade, it is a craft.
 
Well i've only ever known it as a trade but i am only 32 so maybe im wrong about that one. I'll take being a craftsman rather than a tradesman then


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Hi all, it’s time for another Q and A! This time we’ll be discussing the Certified Plasterer Scheme as we know you have a lot of questions. As usual, we’ll be keeping an eye out for your questions and we’ll be answering them in a live session on Friday 9th September.

Cheers,
British Gypsum


A time on the 9th would be useful
 
One of my many questions will be

Why is @thebearbeef and @theplasterman all over this ? Is there a vested interest

I have never known thebearbeef to be so passionate about any other thread unless it's defending offering £2m2

Lol it's only ever been £2.25-50!?

I'm all over it because i've had a positive experience with being on it. As for a vested interest unfortunately i have none.


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I think what gets people is Bg have posted this as a q&a and come Friday they won't show and that will be annoying I hope they do show cos could clear up a lot of things and why wait til Friday if scheme been running a while, not nit picking but basically trying to find a middle ground on way some feel
They always show to the q and a's

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i would like to ask BG , to be a plasterer you do need to be able to carry out different disciplines most of which do not involve BG. ie floor screeding, external wall insulation, rendering, lime work,pargetting etc. or is this just another skimmers paradise?
i served a 5 year apprenticeship the only qualification that i have ever had. no csc card, i have never been unemployed, seen upteen recesions, so why do i need to join your list?

A free mug, 1 pint glass and a bag of wots its :inocente::inocente::lol:
 
Excellent, really glad to see this happening as im sure theres a lot of people on here who are on the fence about the scheme and if they should bother joining or not. @flynnyman @gps here's the chance to get stuff off your chest (and maybe take the plunge and apply)
I have a little secret :) I'm already in I have been for ages, maybe even one of the first lol
 
@BritishGypsum
From what I read on here the expectations are high to get on board. Is that a try to bring the standard on domestic up to site work? And what you will do if you find out sme of the members are not leaving up to BG standards job? I think most of the domestic served plasterers have never put a foot on site and have no idea what the standards now days are, or been kicked out of sites . How much control you will have over the standards and products used on domestic?

Thanks
 
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