Intensive Courses

[littlewinguk]

Befoire everyone rolls their eyes i know this may have been asked lots of times before, but perhaps i can put a different slant on it....

Others have asked in teh past whether an intensive plastering course, 5 or 10 days, perhaps C&G accredited, could get them a plastering job where they can set up on their own etc etc

Well, although this might be my aim eventually, i am more realistic and appreciate that plastering comes with practice and more practice.

I am 32, with mortgage, bankrupt last year, 3 children. So, as you can imagine, i cant get finance, can barely pay my mortgage, and to add to that am in an office job that i hate.
I have been a Security engineer before, CCTV, Alarms etc, but dont want to go back into that. However, i ma handy, can use tools, can do a fair bit in my house and will tackle most things.
I dont mind sitting down a researching things first etc

So onto the question - if i was to save and pay for one of these courses, perhaps, £1000, woudl i be able to come out, practice on my own house to a decent standard ( i dont mind knocking the plaster off some walls to get practice), perhaps do family and friends for little or no money, and then perhaps do some weekend small jobs, or take a few days holiday and do some small jobs, to gain experience and extra money?
Could i realistically pay off the course over a few months by doing some local work? Id be honest with people, tell tehm i was newly "qualified" and i wouldn't take on anything i couldnt do.
I would also pay for liability insurance - i dont want to be a cow boy.


I cannot do this office job any longer - i want to be trained in something, i want to learn, but i cant just jack it in and be an apprentice - i need £1500 a month after tax

What do you think?

 

[HERTS P&D]

I think you might have to re-think your plan.

At the moment the recession is hitting hard on all tradesmen, there are a lot of good tradesmen on here answering questions in the day time when they should be working. There are loads of plasterers out there with 20 years behind them looking for work.

DO NOT LEAVE YOUR JOB!! There are a lot of people out there who would love to be in your position, but still look around at things you can do to earn any extra money.

Good Luck.

Andy

 

[littlewinguk]

Hi
Thanks for your reply.

I know that its selfish to be thinking about it in a recession, and others would kill for a job like mine. I know i should be grateful for what i have.
But 5 years of doing a job i hate!!!

I mean, i get chest pains and stress with this job at the best of times, without the added extra because i dont want to be doing it.
I actually work for my father in law, which is ok, but has as many negatives as positives.

I want to be happy with these circumstances. but i made the wrong decisions when leaving school - took an academic route rather than learn a trade because back then all the money was in office / IT etc. Now i loathe it

I wont leave my job - i am wanting to know about doing plastering along side it - small jobs first etc

 

[peaps2]

If you have suffered chest pains through stress I would not be thinking about going into plastering, very physically demanding job.

Sound advice from above.

 

[ponyagent]

oh look another cowboy !

look here and you will see what i mean

//www.diynot.com/forums/plastering-rendering/simply-plastering.324097/

 

[huddsspread]

agree with what everyone else says.....

Not to put you off, but gone are the days of earning £200/£300 a day cash, 7 days a week. My work is well slow at the moment, and im over the border in marsden nr oldham. Sometimes i dont work for 2 weeks, yet ive still got to pay the bills, some weeks work 10 days a week and 28 hours a day!


i would not give up my job, untill i was good at plastering, and was getting work. Try doing the course, and working weekends plastering, till you build up a client base etc. then if you have enough work to keep going, ditch the 9 till 5.

The skill of plastering and getting work is being good at it. Be clean, and be reasonable, and dont be a flash b@stard. There are loads of bad plasterers, loads of normal, and loads of good. more bad than good though.

Good luck in whatever you do.

 

[Alastairreid]

I can only imagine what it must be like to be stuck in a job you dislike so much, i can also appreciate your need for a career change but how do you know you wont hate plastering as well? its not everyones cuppa tea.

Some also have a natural aptitude..some dont and never will make the grade no matter how much or long they try.

Also the construction industry is in terminal decline at the moment and doesnt look to be improving any time soon.
Looking to this industry at this present time especially as a newby to strive to emulate or improve your financial status is optimistic to the extreme imo.

I may be wrong and hope i am, but like the other guys i look round about me at countless other tradesmen struggling to get by.

Good luck and all the best. hope you make a wise decision.

 

[roughcaster]

Well put lads. Nothing much more to add really. Hold on to the job you have, pick up any plastering info/practice that you can, and hope things improve in the construction industry, then take it from there.

 

[huddsspread]

What you need to take into account also, that this is one of The only jobs, where you come home from work knackered everyday. My arms still ache now, and you see them people on tv with sweat running down their face? That will be you.

 

[joe-90]

The problems have only just begun. As Europe goes bust every building worker in Europe will be looking for work - that means yet more immigration and more Brit jobs lost. I retire in a few years but anyone younger will find it very tough. I'm also lucky in that I do all types of work from brickie to plumber, joiner, alarms, plastering, decorating, bathrooms - just about everything except gas - and I even run the pipes for that when needed.

Single trade? No chance in tomorrows world and little in today's.

 

[roy c]

I also am not tied to just plastering and this is what has kept me in work for the last 30 odd years.I am also not far off retiring age but pensions are a joke and I cant see myself slowing down, until I cant get out of bed in the morning. All my "pension " is in my own house (finish mortage next year) but it means selling and down sizing to release the capital. But as like most builders houses it is always the last one to have work done on it , and while I'm workin' there is not much done. Lets just hope that "things" will get better for all the young and old spreads out there.. I was thinkin' of sellin' my body for medical research but they said I would get more for it off the dog food manufactorers But a fiver doesn't go anywhere nowadays.....

 

[littlewinguk]

Guys
Thanks for the helpful comments

I should have clarified my original post. I'm not thinking of doing a course and immediately jacking in my job. I was thinking a bit more long term. Perhaps practice and small jobs at the weekends and holidays for a year or more.
Having a light at the end of the tunnel helps me cope with the day job
My original post was after a course could I do some small jobs to build up money and experience over time?
Not come out, set up a business and start taking work away from people. If a newly trained person can come out of a 5 day course and take work off an experienced person, get paid for it AND the customer is happy....is there not a problem with the experienced person in the first place??

I am also thinking about tiling and plumbing, perhaps leading to a handy man job, or school caretaker etc. it's not always about setting up a full time business once you have been on a course.