As with any skilled trade, training courses are important not only to learn the exact skill but also to increase credibility with future employers and clients. Having a plastering course on your CV shows both a high level of commitment whilst evidencing your skill level on a national standard. From 2014, NVQs will be a required must-have qualification by law.

But what exactly do you learn on a plastering course?

1. Preparation

Part of plastering involves preparing your environment for the job. This includes removing previous plaster, mixing materials such as render and plaster, cleaning the area, etc. A plastering course will teach you how to do all these things in order to fully prepare for the task in hand. It’s no good knowing how to plaster if you don’t know how to remove old wall furnishings.

2. The Tools of the Trade

There is more to the process of plastering than many people realise; perhaps it could be considered an art or science due to the intricate nature of calculating how best to plaster certain areas of the house. With this in mind, plastering courses will teach you to use more complex tools such as bell cast beads for creating protection from the elements when plastering around windows.

3. Plaster and Render

The actual act of plastering is obviously the main focus of a plastering course. However, many people don’t realise that walls need to be rendered prior to the plastering process. Plastering courses teach you how to carry out this whole process practically, coupled with a theoretical education on the basic mechanics of plastering.

You will not only learn how to plaster a brand new wall, but will be given an education on repair work to damaged walls; a different skill set entirely.

4. Finishing

Plastering can be messy business and customers don’t want to pay for a rough job. Skimming is the art of applying a thin layer of plaster to give a smooth finish to a wall. This skill can perhaps be considered one of the most tricky yet important parts of the plastering process. Plastering courses will spend considerable time intricately teaching the secrets to this process.

Plastering courses can last round six weeks and are soon to become integral to building a career around the trade. Aside from the requirements set to come into force in 2014, plastering courses are a great idea for those looking to validate their skills with a recognised standard qualification.

Access Training offer high quality plastering training courses to budding plasterers across the UK. To train in the best facilities, with the best equipment and leading teachers from within the industry, find out more about the courses available at Access today. Your first step towards your new career.