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.

Basic working hours are around 37 per week, but start and finish times may vary.

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/S 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.

Estimated salary range

£14,000 – £16,000 per year.

Please note that salary information is a guide only and there may be local agreements in place. For further information about salaries for particular positions, please contact your local council directly.

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.

Related Occupations

Follow this link to view a list of all related occuptions in Building Your Community.
Alternatively, follow this link to view all career profiles placed in the same job area.

Further Information & Services

Construction Skills www.citb.co.uk

You may find further information about this area of work in your local Connexions service/careers office/school careers library – under BB.

What should I do next?

Look for current local government Plasterer vacancies in the following places:

• LGjobs.com - the official recruitment website for local government.
• Weekly, bi-weekly or monthly jobs bulletins produced by local councils themselves, available from libraries, community centres, town halls/main civic buildings and central council personnel departments.
• Local council websites.
• Local newspapers
• National newspapers – The Guardian is particularly well known for its public sector job advertisements on a Wednesday.

Find out about the council and get some work experience if possible by:

• Making the most of work experience placements arranged through your school, college or university.
• Contacting councils close to your home to find out about the work experience opportunities they offer.
• Talking to someone who does the job you are interested in – ring your local council to see if someone can spare some time.
• Making an appointment to see a careers adviser for more specific information about jobs and training.