Learning about plastering through plastering courses!

Plastering courses are a dime a dozen on the internet. But how do you choose the perfect course for your needs? Are there any specific criteria the employers look for while going through resumes for plasterers? Let find out!

Plasterers are an integral part of the construction industry. They are responsible for covering external and internal constructions surfaces with a thick and water resistant coat of plaster. But the main problem with plaster is that it sets very fast. Plasterers have to learn to judge accurately exactly how to mix the material and how. The material once mixed has to be applied surfaces in a limited period of time or it simple sets like marble. As you must have realized by now, plasterers require a whole lot of technical experience along with pure skill. And that’s what plastering courses can teach you.

Requirements-
 When you are working with a wet and plastic material like plaster, speed and accuracy becomes essential. You will have to have basic skills in wet working and how to use tools like the trowel and the hawk. The process looks easy but it’s not as easy as it seems. Most professional plastering courses have practical sessions where you learn how to mix and use the material and apply it with the necessary equipment.
 There are special techniques like beading, plastering etc which are explained in theoretical classes and then demonstrated in practical sessions. You may need to get additional hands on experience which will be judged by assessors. Short plastering courses of only one to six weeks are not enough to get the experience required in handling the material.
 Choose plastering courses which are atleast six to seven weeks long as that’s the only way you get the best out of it. At the end of the course you should be getting National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) and or the Intermediate Construction Award (ICA) for having finished the course. The NVQ is however not really assessed till you enter your workplace so you get trained in the course and learn the basics. The ICA is really great if you get it and is a tremendous plus point in your resume.
 Your chosen plastering courses should teach you the basics in health and safety at the workplace as this contributes to a Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) card. Every employer requires that you be aware of workplace safety and if you have the card ready then it instantly readies you for a job at a construction site.
 Additional skills in decorating and plastering become very necessary, as you get skilled in your job. Plastering courses which teach additional tweaks like plasterwork decorating are great and you should try them out.
 After you have sufficient experience, you have to register with the Construction Skills Register (CSR) where you are kept on the books for future jobs. As you progress with your skills then you also simultaneously progress through the accreditation levels of NVQ level 2 and 3. Eventually you are assigned a Skills Card and then a Craft Card

Make sure you check for all these requirements before you choose any of the plastering courses which are there on the internet or in your locality and you should do fine.