What will I learn
What will I do during the course
Duration and Cost
5 day plastering course start dates

What will I learn

This 5-day plastering course equips you with the skills to plaster and skim walls and ceilings. You’ll learn to:

Apply finishing plaster to flat walls, walls with window openings (including reveals), ceilings, and attached piers.
Prepare surfaces using PVA and blue grit.
Fix skim beads.
Understand and perform pre-plastering preparations.
Complete patch and repair work.
Use various tools and equipment for plastering.
Have your questions answered by experienced tradesmen passionate about their craft.

You’ll receive full post-course support, with free access to your tutor or the training centre via phone, email, or in-person visits for any course-related queries, anytime in the future.

You start skimming from day one. For additional practice, you can join our 1-day skimming practice sessions (exclusive to course graduates), working on larger areas like 4m walls, 3m-high walls, or raked ceilings.

Class sizes are capped at 10, with each participant getting their own workspace, tools, and materials (using multi-finish, not sand and lime mixes).

What will I do during the course

The training bay used in our 9-day course, already fully plastered, will be utilized for this 5-day course so you can start skimming from day 1.

On Monday, we will begin with a skimming discussion and demonstrate mixing plaster, transferring it from bucket to spot board, hand board, and onto the wall. During the demo, you’ll prepare your first wall with PVA.

On Day 1, you’ll plaster a flat wall (approx. 5 m²).

Throughout the course, you’ll plaster a flat wall, a wall with a window opening (including reveals), an attached pier and reveals (chimney breast area), and a flat ceiling.

You’ll also prepare surfaces with PVA or Blue Grit and fix any necessary beading.

Duration and Cost

The course is 5 days in duration, Monday to Thursday from 8am until 4pm.

The cost of this plastering course is £650 INC VAT.

Our centre based in Stoke-on-Trent, ST6 2DJ. Please arrive at the training centre at least 15 minutes before the course start time.

We ask for a deposit of £150 to secure your place on our plastering course and full payment four weeks before your course start date. Payment can be made by card payment or bank transfer.

5 day plastering course start dates

Due to demand for our 6-week and 9-day plastering course we do not currently have any dates for our 5-day course.

Book Now

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need prior experience to enrol?

No prior experience is required for our 5, 9, or 10-day training courses, as they are specifically designed for individuals with little to no previous experience.

For NVQ assessments, you must be actively working in the trade, as assessments are conducted in the workplace.

Are your courses more expensive than others?

There a couple of training centres who offer similar courses and qualifications which are cheaper than ours, but compare what is covered during the course. You will find these centres teach you what you need to pass an assessment rather than also teach you the skills needed to complete work in the real world. If unsure please contact us and we can discuss the course content of both centres and advice what is best for your future aims.

There are also some training centres offering courses which are longer in duration than ours and cost more than ours, but they don’t actually cover more than we do. They spend more time talking than doing.

We have designed our courses to be intensive and comprehensive with what is covered. We appreciate time is precious and so ensure we fit as much as we can into each course and give you after course support as well.

The courses are fairly priced, taking into account the amount of materials used on the courses and the high level of teaching by experienced trades people.

You are investing time and money to learn and develop your skill set and we are here to help you succeed. We have been helping people change careers and complete projects on their own properties for over 20 years.

Can I visit the training centre to look around?

Yes, you’re welcome to arrange a visit to our training centre whilst a course is running. If possible, visiting near the end of a course is ideal, as you’ll see the quality of work produced by people on the course. Whilst at the centre we can explain what is completed during the course and answer any questions you may have.

What can I do after I complete the course?

After completing your course you could progress into employment or self-employment. A number of our learners are now working for a company completing work related to trades they studies at our training centre.

Many more have progressed into self-employment, either in a trade specific role such as a plasterer or a plumber, or combining their skills to become a bathroom installer, a kitchen installer, property developer or working in property maintenance.

Others have progressed into further education to gain gas-safe qualifications, further electrical qualifications and NVQs.

Please feel free to contact us to discuss your aims after completing your course.

Do you provide any support?

Support provided when choosing a course

We will provide you with as much information, advice and guidance as we possibly can and if we are not able to offer you the course that best suits your needs or give you the information you require we will signpost you to somewhere that is able to. We do not pressure you to book onto any course and if we feel that you would be better suited to a course we do not offer then we will give you the contact information of a college that does.

Hopefully the majority of the information you require is available on this website but if you have any questions at all then please contact us and we will help in any way we can.

We would like to invite you to attend the training centre to view the facilities and discuss the course with both the tutors and current learners. We suggest if possible that you visit our centre towards the end of a course as people in general are always happy at the beginning of training and you want to make sure that they are as happy at the end of the course. When you visit you will be free to discuss the course with current learners on a 1-to-1 basis, if someone has paid good money or used limited funding to attend a course and they are not happy they will definitely tell you. If you visit towards the end of a course you will also be able to see the standard that everyone on the course has achieved.

One of the most popular comments we receive on questionnaires is that people did not expect to reach the high standard that they do on a course, it is also one of the most popular negative comments that we receive by people who are not aware of what we offer as they will say ‘you won’t be any good after 10 days’, if you yourself are unsure then why not pop down for a pressure free look around.

During Training

During your time with us every member of staff will do their best to help you achieve your aims. You will be provided with supporting literature relating to your trade and have access to further reading to research the trade further in your own time.

If you struggle on any element of the course then we will provide additional training at no extra cost to ensure that you reach the required standard.

If you have any learning difficulties or disabilities or have any physical difficulties or disabilities then we will support you throughout and this additional support will remain between the centre and the individual. The majority of the training courses are practical based but if you do have any concerns then please contact the centre.

We will also provide you with additional information, advice and guidance relating to progression routes available after completing the course including further training, finding employment and starting to work for yourself. Whilst on a course please contact a member of staff if you require any further in information. Whilst you are at the centre there may be other courses running so if you have any questions relating to another trade please feel free to speak to the relevant tutor – they are all here to help you.

After Training

We will continue supporting you after you have completed a course with us and you can contact us either by email, phone, WhatsApp or in person to discuss any aspects that you covered on your course. For example you may wish to contact us to clarify how to complete a job or how to price a job or maybe to ask for information on writing a business plan.

Your tutors will give you their contact telephone numbers and email address so if you have any questions at all you can give them a call. It is invaluable to have this continuous support available and will give you the confidence to complete work away from the centre.

Do you offer funding or financial support?

If you have access to ELC funding, we are an approved ELC learning provider.

Funding is currently available for our 6-week plastering course—please contact us for details.

Unfortunately, we do not offer funding for our other courses at this time.

Will I get hands-on training?

Absolutely, our courses are hands-on and focused on equipping you with the practical skills needed to perform jobs independently outside our training centre. While there is some theory included, it’s kept minimal and directly relevant to the trade you’re learning—not theory for its own sake. The only entirely theory-based course is the Level 1 Health and Safety in a Construction Environment, which is an online course completed at your own pace.