It’s not often you find a job where you get your hands dirty almost all the time, but a plastering apprenticeship gives you that opportunity. It’s an essential job within the construction industry, but plastering isn’t just about construction: restoration is an integral part of the plasterer’s job, as is helping to build new structures wherever they are needed. So if you enjoy working at heights, and don’t mind getting messy during your working day, then you’ll find plastering not just fulfilling as a career, but also a very creative way of making a living.

As a plastering apprentice, you would be working alongside a qualified plasterer who would be teaching you the basics of the trade and the best way of making use of your tools. You could be working on a new build like a school or a shopping centre… or a restoration commission on a classic older building.

Plastering apprenticeships need to be keen and quick learners, with good hand-to-eye coordination, a sharp sense for detail and willing to put in a few late shifts as a project nears its end. You need to be able to make decisions alone and work well and productively as part of a team. Of course, a good apprenticeship will hopefully develop all these skills and more.

A modern apprenticeship of any sort at the moment can be extremely beneficial in a time when university places are dwindling whilst fees are rapidly rising. Not to mention, the government have pledged to ignite the UK construction industry once more in the wake of the 2012 London Olympics, which puts the likes of plasterers and other practical workers in a good position.

The traditional academic route of university is not for everyone, although even if you commit to a modern apprenticeship, education is a lifelong pursuit and you could dip into university education even easier with your apprenticeship qualifications.

Completing a plastering apprenticeship will earn you a nationally recognised Level 2 qualification with the opportunity to progress further. A typical starting salary for a plasterer is somewhere between 14,000-17,000, or you could join a guild and become self-employed within time making you responsible for your own earnings and progression.

If you’re considering becoming an apprentice you can get info about different apprenticeships that are possible at Notgoingtouni.co.uk. You’ll also get more info and advice about foundation degrees, gap years, voluntary work and sponsored degrees, as well as more than 300 distance learning videos