Skimming Practice Day – £150
These practice days are available for our customers, old and new to practice their skills.
Our 9-day plastering course is perfect for anyone who wants to learn how to plaster, with the option to gain an accredited certificate from a recognised awarding body. Our training centre is approved by City & Guilds and AIM Qualifications.
We believe the best way to learn plastering is by doing it — not sitting in a classroom. Within your first hour, you’ll be in our fully equipped training bays, learning how to measure, cut, and fix plasterboards. You’ll fix plasterboard to stud walls and ceilings, creating a smooth, solid background ready for plastering. With freshly boarded bays, you’ll be able to practise achieving neat corners and high-quality finishes. You’ll apply finishing plaster around window openings, niches, attached piers, raked ceilings, and wall-to-wall and wall-to-ceiling joins. As well as plastering flat walls, completing patch and repair work to damaged walls and chased out walls and fixing plasterboards to solid walls.
Learn to plaster and start your plastering career with our 9-day intensive plastering course in Stoke-on-Trent. Designed for beginners, career changers, people who want to learn a new skills and DIY enthusiasts, this hands-on course will give you the skills, knowledge, and confidence to produce professional-quality finishes.
With a maximum of just 10 students per course, you’ll benefit from plenty of one-to-one guidance from experienced plasterers. Most of your time will be spent in a spacious, fully equipped training bay, learning the exact techniques used by industry professionals.
This course covers a complete range of plastering skills, including:
Plasterboard Installation: Measure, cut, and fix plasterboards to stud walls, solid walls (dot and dab), ceilings, and raked walls.
Applying Finishing Plaster: Skim flat walls, ceilings, niches, window reveals, pillars, raked ceilings, and other intricate areas.
Beading & Scrim Tape: Cut and fix beads and scrim tape for seamless joins.
Patching & Repairs: Repair a damaged wall and a raked out damaged wall.
Material Knowledge: Learn about bonding, multi-finish, hardwall, PVA, Thistle Bond-It, and different beads, including coverage, setting times, and best-use practices.
Board Types: Understand soundbloc, moisture-resistant, fireline, foilback, duraline, and thermaline boards.
Preparation & Planning: Prepare surfaces, select tools, estimate materials, and plan projects.
Business Skills: Price plastering jobs, manage customers, and troubleshoot common issues.
Practical, Hands-On Learning
Hone your skills in your own spacious, purpose-built bay (check out our photos). Our focus on practical training minimizes classroom time, ensuring you develop job-ready expertise.
Limited Spaces: Maximum of 10 learners per course for personalised instruction.
Practical Focus: Minimal classroom time – learn by doing.
Expert Tutors: Instructors are time-served plasterers with real industry experience.
Career-Ready Training: Learn the skills you need to start taking on paid work.
Your Training Experience
From your first hour, you’ll be in your training bay with a trowel in hand, working with industry-standard tools and materials. You’ll master techniques for different surfaces, corners, and finishes so you can confidently tackle real-world jobs.
Our instructors share tips, answer questions, and help you develop speed and accuracy. By the end of the 9 days, you’ll have the ability to board, skim, patch, and repair with a professional standard of finish.
Learn how to measure, cut, and fix plasterboards to stud walls.
Fix plasterboards to ceilings, creating a solid background for plastering.
Understand correct fixing techniques for a professional, long-lasting finish.
Morning:
Watch a live demonstration on applying finishing plaster (Multi-Finish).
Prepare your bay, including applying PVA to a previously plastered flat wall.
Afternoon:
Apply finishing plaster to a flat wall approximately 8ft x 8ft, focusing on achieving a smooth, even surface.
Prepare and plaster a flat wall again to reinforce your technique.
Progress to plastering a wall approximately 8ft x 8ft with a window opening.
Plaster the reveals that join the wall to the ceiling, ensuring neat, sharp corners.
Fix a plasterboard to the back of a niche (built-in shelf) and plaster it to a smooth finish.
Apply finishing plaster to a raked ceiling area.
Plaster an attached pillar, including reveals, ensuring consistency in finish.
Learn to fix plasterboards to solid block walls using the dot-and-dab method.
Fit scrim tape and beading to strengthen joins and achieve crisp edges.
Continue practising finishing plaster application on various surfaces.
Learn techniques for patching and repairing damaged walls to a high standard.
Repair chased-out walls, ensuring the finish blends seamlessly with surrounding plaster.
Practice any specific skills or areas you want to refine with instructor guidance.
Apply all the skills you’ve learned on different surfaces and in more complex situations.
Refine your speed, consistency, and quality of finish.
Tackle full room setups, including flat walls, ceilings, reveals, niches, pillars, and raked ceilings.
Receive feedback from your tutor and tips for working efficiently in real-world jobs.
Learn how to price plastering work accurately and professionally.
By the end of this 9-day course, you’ll be able to:
Fix plasterboards to stud, ceiling, and solid walls.
Skim flat walls, ceilings, reveals, and more intricate features to a professional standard.
Carry out high-quality patch and repair work.
Apply finishing plaster to a variety of surfaces with neat, clean edges.
Confidently quote for plastering jobs and understand the business side of the trade.
Post-Course Support
Your learning doesn’t end when the course does. We provide ongoing support to help you succeed in your plastering career. Contact your tutor via phone, email, or WhatsApp, or visit our training centre to discuss any questions or challenges.
Who Should Enrol?
This course is ideal for beginners, DIY enthusiasts, tradespeople who are interested in adding a new skill to their portfolio or those looking to start a career in plastering. No prior experience is required—just a willingness to learn and a passion for hands-on work.
How to book on our plastering course.
Ready to learn to plaster to a high standard? Join our 9-day course and gain the skills to succeed in this rewarding trade. Contact us to book your spot or learn more about our training program.
Upon completion of this course you will receive an attendance certificate which will detail what you have completed during the course.
You also have to option of achieving an accredited unit certificate in plastering. We are approved by City & Guilds and AIM Qualifications.
The course lasts 9 days. Week 1 runs from Monday to Friday, and Week 2 from Monday to Thursday. Sessions are from 8 AM to 4 PM, except for the Friday of Week 1 and the final day, which end at 2 PM.
The cost of this plastering course is £1,150 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.
We are worth travelling to and there are plenty of safe, local accommodation from £30 a night.
Payment can be made by card payment, bank transfer or via PayPal.
We add extra dates to meet demand
We ask all learners to complete a feedback form and the results are published on our website along with comments made by the students.
The following page shows feedback results from previous students. Link to Student Feedback
Our success stories highlight the remarkable journeys of our learners — from enrolling in our courses to achieving tangible, real-world outcomes. Whether it’s a career change, skill development, or personal growth, their achievements inspire us all.
Success Stories
We value every voice. The feedback we receive helps us grow, improve, and continue delivering the best possible experience. Here’s what our learners have to say about their journey with us.
Feedback
Choosing the right training centre is key to reaching your goals. At Construction Skills College, we provide expert instructors, practical hands-on training, and tailored support to boost your success. When you compare our course content with others, you’ll see we cover more in the same or less time. We achieve this by minimizing classroom sessions and focusing on real-world practical work—not small, low-value projects that don’t prepare you for actual job sites.
Choosing A Training CentreNo 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
We have one training centre located in Stoke-on-Trent. We are not affiliated with any other training centres in the UK.
We are honestly worth travelling too. Nearby there are hotels, B&Bs, Airbnb, campsites, etc. You can stay from £125 a week.
You can enrol by contacting us directly at 01782 837007, emailing us at enquiries@tradeteacher.co.uk, or using the “Book Now” option on our website.
Become Part of Our Success Stories
