Welcome

Introduction
Plasterers work on the construction of new council buildings and the maintenance of existing ones. Plastering takes great skill and demands speedy work as the plaster dries quickly. There are two types of plastering: solid and fibrous. Solid plasterers put wet plaster on to walls and ceilings; fibrous plasterers create ornamental plasterwork, such as cornices, ceiling roses, covings and arches.

Work Environment
Plasterers spend most of their time working in a variety of council buildings, although they also carry out some work on exterior walls. They may work at heights, using ladders, trestles and scaffolding and the atmosphere may be dusty and dirty.

Daily Activities
Plastering is a highly skilled job that may involve some or all of the following tasks:

• preparing the work area by chipping off existing plaster, checking that the surface is flat and level, fixing up plasterboards that are not level, and fixing metal strips to corners and angles to make them sharp;
• mix dry plaster with water to the required consistency, then use trowels to spread it on the wall in layers, starting at the top and working down in sections;
• scratching the surface of the first coast of plaster in order to provide a base for the second coat;
• applying a second coat of plaster building up the wall to the desired thickness;
• ensuring they work neatly and quickly - they may be working backwards whilst looking up at ceilings, as they do not only plaster flat walls, some work involves curved walls and arches;
• applying a skim on top of the two original coats of plaster - this is a thin final coat of plaster;
• applying renderings made of sand, cement and pebbles to exterior walls either with a trowel or by spraying it on;
• mixing special strong plaster with added fibres and using it to mould and create decorative pieces, such as ceiling roses.

Skills & Interests
Plasterers need to be:

• practical and skilled using their hands;
• numerate, with the ability to calculate wall areas and volumes of materials;
• able to work quickly and neatly;
• safety conscious;
• able to work well as part of a team;
• courteous and polite when working in people's homes and work places.

Entry Requirements
There are no set entry requirements, though some GCSEs grades or equivalent vocational qualifications may be required for trainee plasterers. English, maths and technology are useful subjects.  Training schemes generally combine on-the-job experience with part-time attendance at college, for example, Apprenticeships or individual N/SVQs.  Some councils may ask for previous experience working within building and construction. They may also ask for other qualifications in plastering such as City and Guilds.

Future Prospects & Opportunities
With experience, plasterers may be able to progress to supervisory jobs or roles within construction management. With the right training they may also be able to move into other craft careers such as bricklaying or carpentry.

Further Information & Services
Construction Skills www.citb.co.uk
City and Guilds http://www.city-and-guilds.co.uk/
Welsh Government - Apprenticeships in Wales http://wales.gov.uk/topics/educationandskills/skillsandtraining/apprenticeships/?lang=en

Careers Wales have produced a Spotlight article on careers in construction: https://www.careerswales.com/en/spotlight-on-construction/

You may find further information about this area of work through Careers Wales (www.careerswales.com/) or in your local library, careers office or school careers library.