Plastering courses: Learning the trade

Plastering courses are a dime a dozen on the internet and you can pick and choose what you want. But most of the time, you aren’t really sure what these courses entail. Unless you have researched the field completely, you get cheated on the course and that can make you lose your money. A few tips on how to choose plastering courses are-

Length of the plastering courses- Plastering courses can be anywhere from one month to six months to one year. No matter what the length of the course, you should be able to get sufficient practical experience which will teach you the intricacies of dealing with the material. Try part time plastering courses or courses which are attached to a construction company, as you are more likely to get practical training during the plastering courses.

Curriculum of plastering courses- The curriculum of plastering courses should include the following-
1. Learning about the physical properties of plaster and its derivatives like gypsum.
2. Learning the history of plastering
3. Learning how the percentage of water in the plaster water ratio affects the strength of the mix. You should also learn how to manipulate the plaster water mix to get optimum strength.
4. Getting practical training in how to handle the material.
5. Learning how to design and cast moldings for specific locations. That requires basic math knowledge and carpentry design drawing familiarity. This will also help you to judge accurately how much material will be required to fabricate specific moldings and the amount of plaster required to cover specific surface areas.
6. Learning specific techniques like screeding, beading, layering, skim layers etc which are essential to prepare a great treated surfaces.
7. Learning the newer and most modern techniques in plastering which are used to create internal and external special effects on walls and ceilings
8. Learning to attach chipboard after making the metallic framework for false ceilings.
Once you finish your basic course, you will be awarded your NVQ grade 1 certification. But with more technical qualifications you can apply for NVQ 2 and 3 grades which are better to get higher paying jobs in the construction industry. These grades also make you eligible for teaching positions in plastering courses. The NVQ's or National Vocational Qualifications are not easy to get. The only way that you can get assessed is when you join work with a company and after a set period of time; an independent assessor will come to the place you are working to check out your work. The assessment is done on the job by a certified City and Guilds Examiner and they check for the following-
 The quality of internal and external finishes
 The application and fixing of chip boards
 The quality of produced casting
 The process of fixing and repairing fibrous castings

After finishing plastering courses- once you’ve finished your plastering courses, you are free to work with construction companies as apprentices. You can check online for companies who are hiring plastering apprentices and put in your resume there. Most institutes offering plastering courses have their own apprentice-department where you can get an apprentice position as soon as you pass out.