Plasterers have an important role in the building industry, as they are responsible for mixing and applying plaster to walls and ceilings to allow them to be decorated.
This is a skilled job that requires experience of working on building sites, so anyone who chooses it as a career has to start at the bottom. Young people hoping to train as a plasterer need to find an apprenticeship or a job as a labourer.
It is possible to obtain qualifications, such as a City & Guilds in basic construction skills (plastering), but employers always value demonstrable skills ahead of educational achievement. Learning solid and fibrous plastering, along with how to do all the associated calculations and measurements, from a skilled tradesman is the best way to progress in this field.
House builders, construction companies, interior design firms, housing associations and maintenance contractors all recruit plasterers for permanent jobs. Starting salaries for experienced staff are typically around £18,000 to £20,000, but wages can rise to in excess of £28,000.
As the building industry is project based, there is also a strong demand for plasterers on temporary contracts. Employers can find skilled staff for such assignments via specialist trades recruitment agencies, which usually have a selection of workers available at short notice.