Archive for the ‘Plastering’ Category
Construction Industry Upward Trend Gives Optimism To Trade Skills Training
A landmark occasion was highlighted in the news this week as the 2012 Olympics reached the July 27th planned opening date, now exactly just two years away.
The construction industry in London continues to benefit from preparations for the 2012 Olympics. The £303 million Aquatics Centre and the £80 million Velopark are among the key stadium building projects to have started on site over the last year, while work has also commenced on the Olympic Village.
Recent trends within the construction industry as a whole, seem to show a continuing, if cautious improvement in the recovery from recession. Various news reports for the last quarterly show that renewal of work on building projects, temporarily halted in the last two years, have helped with improving work prospects across the industry trades.
This is encouraging news, especially for those currently in Electrical NVQ 2330 training or on a Plumbing 6129 level 2 course. The slowly returning confidence spells optimistic prospects for the many men and women thinking of entering the industry by enrolling on a training course at an approved skills learning centre.
Individuals searching for a new career and are thinking to train as a bricklayer or learn tiling, the prospects for employment in the private residential housing market have started to pick up during the second half of 2009, cutting the decline for the year to just 11%.
During the first five months of 2010, the sector continued its recovery, growing by almost 50% compared to the same period of 2009. Examples of residential housing projects set to begin early in 2011 around the capital, include a £9 million, 2 year construction of 157 flats and 2 Commercial Units at Bow Common Lane, East London and a £137 million regeneration scheme in the Borough of Brent to develop 1, 800 units across South Kilburn.
Electricians, plumbers, tilers, bricklayers and plasterers possessing formal City & Guilds NVQ qualifications could be elegible to participate in any number of identical projects mushroomimg around London and the South East, according to experience, employment and apprenticeship status.
Training Takes The Toiling Out Of Tiling!
Practically very DIY enthusiast has attempted a little tiling project, whether it was installing a few rows above a toilet or bathroom sink to act as a splashback or replacing the odd cracked item or even a whole line around the bath. However it is a different proposition to installing a bathroom or fitting a kitchen and/or laying a tiled floor.
The first task is to remove all the old tiling and correctly and thoroughly prepare the undersurface - you may have to apply a screed! Then there’s the all-important accurate working out of the correct spacing, lining up of the patterning and knowing how to work neatly over or around a corner, step, or column.
The amount of pre-preparation work necessary will very much depend upon the existing finish …
Brickwork - will require rendering the wall to be given a smooth finish and allow to thoroughly dry out.
Wallpaper - will need to be removed back to a solid surface, which is then washed down to remove any surface grease and dust etc.
Gloss and semi-gloss - flaking paint will have to be removed and rubbed down using wet medium grade wet-and-dry abrasive paper to take off the gloss and to provide a key for the tile adhesive.
Emulsion - flaking paint has also to be washed down and any surface grease and dust removed.
Distemper/whitewash - removed completely from plaster or alternatively, after removing any flaking areas, the surface can be treated with a stabilising primer before fixing tiles.
Existing ceramic tiles - new tiles can be fixed on top of existing tiles providing that they are firmly attached to the wall.
Timber: painted/varnished - treat as for Paint.
Bare Timber - rub down to give a smooth finish for the tiles and apply a coat of wood paint primer.
Plasterboard - Tiles are heavy so should only be mounted on plasterboard at least 12.5mm (half inch) thick that is securely mounted.
Special waterproof plasterboard is available for tiling in ‘wet areas’ (around a shower), alternatively, if using standard plasterboard, plaster skim it to seal it before tiling.
In ‘non-wet areas’, seal the paper covering of the plasterboard with a coat of emulsion paint.
This all must be undertaken before even beginning to consider laying out the tiles! The good news is that there are good quality training courses where you can be shown exactly what you need to do in order to tile easily and properly. It really is recommended, especially if interested in working with expensive natural products like Granite, Marble, Limestone and Slate as specialist training is required in order to obtain the perfect finish.
If you are thinking of a career change or adding to your current trade skills or simply wish to take up tiling professionally, you will require to qualify on a City & Guilds NVQ tiling course in order to learn the necessary knowledge and skills to become a tiler. Most courses are flexible, are of a short duration and you can even learn on weekend courses, which is particularly useful if weekdays are a problem or if inbetween employment.
From Barbecues And Bathrooms To Building A New Career!
It’s barbecue season again – and currently, the hot weather is holding up long enough to be reason enough for getting in the charcoal briquettes. Of course, it can also mean a chance for the DIY handyman to have a go at building his own brick barbecue, which is great for using when family and friends are round for an impromptu outdoors get together.
But it’s also an opportunity to see just how good your practical skills are. For many right now, this could be a good project to get your teeth into if you’re thinking about an alternative means of work or career switching to train to become a bricklayer, or looking to enter the building industry, generally.
It helps if you do have some extensive DIY experience or have been handling building materials, a short bricklaying course would be ideal to get further involved with plenty of other course opportunities to do plastering, and tiling, at City and Guilds NVQ level.
Many men and women take a short trade skills course because they want to undertake their own home project, say tiling a bathroom, to save money and to see if they ‘can do it’. Most students are surprised just how quickly they pick the basics up, gain confidence in practical abilities they either didn’t know they had or were convinced they could not do!
They also discover that one skill so easily leads into another, especially as most jobs require you to do some additional plastering, plumbing or electrical work. The good news is you can take a bathroom installation course, which shows you all the different skills and knowledge you need to complete the task.
For those who are already considering a serious course of training in the construction trades, then you will already be aware that City & Guilds NVQ training is the first step to getting on the career ladder. Ableskills offers a wide range of accredited and approved courses to suit different requirements, especially if you can only train at certain times or periods in the week.
Remember - building your own barbecue, like all skills required in construction trade projects, requires planning before you start! The first move is to simply get in touch to speak to one of the training team! You will be able to find out what’s the best course of action to take and arrange to visit the training centre – they are always keen to help and you’ll be glad you made that first telephone call!
Summer Heatwaves - Extra Work For Builders!
It doesn’t take much to cause damage to brick walls. A few days of heatwave can be enough to bring about the unravelling of brickwork, especially if a property is close to a large tree with long deep roots spreading out beneath the foundations, especially if the property is situated on a steep incline.
The tree’s roots draw up all available moisture leading to the soil drying out, contraction and slippage and those tell tale cracks appearing on the walls. For builders, this could only mean the one course of action, ‘Underpinning’, will deal sufficiently with the problem. One or more walls may need to be knitted back together with infill brickwork or perhaps rebuilt and resurfaced.
To learn to be a bricklayer requires training by starting on a City & Guilds Bricklaying NVQ level 2 course in order to competently undertake many domestic and commercial building tasks.
More commonly though, jobs requiring plastering work to be done mostly involve built extensions or as a result of ‘knocking through’ from one room to another or dividing a living space into two by studwall and plasterboard. Sometimes a wall may need a ’skim’, i.e. a thin layer of plaster after the removal of old wallpaper reveals a deteriorated, unstable surface that is either uneven, crumbling, flaking or worse !
Or perhaps removing old ‘textured’ wall / ceiling rendering and replacing with a smooth plaster surface prior to painting. The above jobs are typical for a professional plasterer working in domestic dwellings and are always in demand as homeowners seek to increase the value of their property by making alterations and increasing habitable space.
The ability to produce absolutely flat, glass smooth surfaces is a challenging discipline requiring expert tuition on how to master the art of the trowel, correct application, good controlled arm movement and a watchful eye! To train to be a plasterer these days requires undertaking an approved and accredited Plastering NVQ level course.
If you show flair for the craft, and can ‘lay up’ at the required standard of workmanship and at a good pace, then opportunities abound on commercial and industrial build or renovation projects.
For all those just interested to find out about learning a few techniques to accomplish small scale DIY jobs around the house, a short bricklaying DIY course or plastering DIY course is well worth the time and is money well spent! You can even do this on weekend courses if you are unable to find time during the week and in today’s economic climate, every additional, practical skill learnt could lead to possible job openings and career changing opportunities.
Traditional Trade Apprenticeships Scheme Launch
There has been a lot of talk recently, especially from ministers within the new coalition Government, that boosting traditional trade apprenticeship schemes would be a constructive part of revamping the educational system to help deal with the economic challenges ahead.
This would mean that those individuals who feel they are more suited to pursuing a career in the practical trades such as training to be an electrician or learning to become a plumber, for example, are given much more support and opportunity to gain valuable experience, than at present. It would also encourage skills training routes to apprenticeships to continue to be an attractive proposition for students who wish to enter the construction trades industry.
Just this month, The National Trust has launched a new scheme to recruit apprentices in traditional trades across the country, due to start in September. Competition for places will be tough as the starting wage for apprentices will be double the amount a usual apprentice is paid.
Thousands of heritage buildings across the UK are going to need regular maintenance and renovation in the coming years. Without the apprenticeship scheme in place, many of the country’s treasured historical buildings would fall into poor states of repair.
The initiative has been taken now as, once again, it is feared that there will be significant shortages in the trade skilled work force, which has long been the situation, particularly in the electrical sector. The average work force age is over 50, so many retirements are expected within the next few years and properly trained and qualified electricians, plumbers, tilers, plasterers and builders will be in demand.
The established training route is to undertake the City & Guilds NVQ level 2 certificate, for example, the Plumbing 6129 or Electrical 2330 at an accredited and approved training provider, which kickstarts knowledge learning to prove ability and aptitude before progressing onto higher training levels and related subject areas, such as Gas training or Heat Pumps.
After course completion and qualifying, building up valuable experience is obligatory and the more apprenticeship schemes which can be offered by employers, the better it will be for students to obtain a smoother transition from training to workplace.
Tiling Revival!
The news early in 2010 that consumer confidence was returning to the tiling industry was obviously, very much welcomed. The UK trading performance of a major tiling supplier had continued on an upward trend, seeing like-for-like revenues increase by 5.5%, with sales up 3.9%.
This is also good news for the construction industry as a whole, and for all those either looking to start a new career, or experienced tradesmen wishing extend their service skills by training to tile.
Interior tiled spaces are now enjoying widespread popularity after earlier decades of emulsion painted walls. In fact, the recent history of the tile shows an ever upward rise not seen since the Victorian era!
After the Second World War, tilemaking resumed only slowly, with mechanised production helping to cut costs. In the 1950s, the design emphasis was on geometric patterns, but some figurative designs were still made. During the 1950s-1970s, tiles were popular as an exterior facing material for public buildings.
By the 1980s, tiles were undergoing a revival and at the turn of the millennium, tiles - colourful, individual, stylish and fashionable - had become almost as popular as they were a century ago. They are again being used to decorate homes and establish company identities, with a vast range of designs available in many differing techniques.
Such is the enormous upsurge in tiling interiors, that tiling courses are heavily subscribed to by DIY enthusiasts, especially on weekend courses . For all those seriously interested to enter the construction trade industry, a complete City & Guilds NVQ Tiling course is ideal for an assured professional career start. Meanwhile, professional tradesman report increased demand for trained and qualified tilers throughout the country on many of the latest commercial newbuild projects.
Tiling For Gold!
Olympics 2012 edges ever nearer and TV News reports almost daily on construction progress. And the news is that there is still a need for more skilled, trained and qualified workmen to help complete the huge task in time for the opening ceremony!
Latest estimates reveal that there are more than 9,000 people working on the construction of the Olympic Park and the Olympic Village. According to the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) some 20 per cent of the construction workforce are from the five host boroughs - Newham, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest or Greenwich.
Significant progress has been made but the commitment to ensure employment and training opportunities for people living around the Olympic Park is predicted to be a challenge in the year ahead. Expectations are that 2010 will be the toughest year yet to achieve build completion target dates.
The call will inevitably go out for more trained and qualified tilers, electricians, plumbers and plasterers. When it comes to training to be a tiler, there are a number of very straightforward and easy course options for DIY weekenders to fulltime on a short 5 day intensive block diploma to 3,4, or 6 week NVQ Tiling certification.
Learning to tile like a professional can be an easy learning curve if you’ve already undertaken domestic tiling projects in the kitchen or bathroom and found you have a real knack – and can lay up tiles quickly and accurately! Tiling is a trade skill that can be taken up and learnt with relative speed, which is what you will need once you’re gained your qualification and start work down at the Olympic Village!
Testimonials Tell The Good News Training Story!
When it comes to Trade Skills training centres, it really is a case of the good, the bad and the ugly! Student testimonials can help to make your mind up about which one’s wear the white hats!
It can be a bit confusing when it comes to trying to work out which trade skills training centre is really going to provide the correct courses and ultimately, approved qualifications to best serve your career prospects. Unfortunately, we hear too often from students whose choice of past trainers was not all that it should have been, often the focus of attention for trade industry regulatory bodies.
Even worse, some centres fold unexpectedly and the students will have to restart their training elsewhere.
AbleSkills has been established as one of London’s and the South East’s foremost skills training centre of excellence, offering a comprehensive range of City & Guild approved and accredited courses, the most popular of which, are the entry level Plumbing 6129 Technical certificate and Electrical NVQ 2330.
Unlike some institutions or non-accredited trainers, AbleSkills is a specifically dedicated centre with a fully developed course development structure, which can take an entry level student through all required subject knowledge in order to gain the approved and verified standard at each stage of the process to becoming a fully qualified plumber, electrician or another skilled trade, such as a Gas fitter, tiler, bricklayer or plasterer.
AbleSkills also offers advanced courses for experienced electricians and plumbers to update their knowledge in order to compete successfully by offering a range of qualified technical services, both as a company employee and if you decide to be self-employed.
For most students, AbleSkills is their trainer of first choice because their key concerns of flexible course timings and duration, fully equipped and dedicated workshop classrooms and approved, verified and industry experienced course tutors tick all their boxes!
Don’t just take my word for it, read below a brief selection of testimonials from delighted AbleSkills students :
• “ This is my second course that I have undertaken at Able Skills ….Both courses have been excellent value for money. I would recommend Able Skills as a training centre to everyone; the teachers have great knowledge and are so helpful and informative. They deliver the course in such an easy way to understand and at a pace that you can enjoy and take it all in. I’m looking forward to booking my next course here”
• “The tuition, resourced and support that came from all staff within the facility was second to none.
There is constant updating of information across all trades and the administration support is outstanding. There is an onus on individuals to expand their knowledge by private study. I would endorse Able Skills without reservation”.
• “ Able Skills were first rate, looking after all of my needs from Accommodation through to Instruction.
I received excellent tuition from the Instructors who were superb tradesmen and very approachable from day 1.
• After finishing the course I feel more than confident to gain employment within the industry and Able Skills will continue to support me through NVQ if I choose that route. I want to thank Able Skills for an outstanding course and service and wish them all the best. The instructors are great, helpful and patient. They tell you what to do and let you get on with it, but are there for any queries or problems, giving you the benefit of their experience. I would recommend this course and able skills to anyone”.
• “All staff are helpful, and even willing to share their knowledge, during breaks. In my opinion, able skills, merits itself by being very good value for money. A professional centre, that I will definitely be using again, and recommending to my friends”.
• “I can thoroughly recommend all of the courses; the instructors are all very knowledgeable in their trades, extremely helpful and put themselves out to make the week both enjoyable and also a valuable learning experience for every one who attends”.
Plumbing Training – the people’s choice!
With so much gloomy economic news recently, it’s always reassuring to hear that the Construction trade skills are solid as a rock, as we would expect them to be! Despite the economic downturn, the news is that training centres and colleges are still experiencing strong demand from students wanting to train to be a plumber, learn electrician skills, or enroll on a plastering course.
The truth is that there always has – and will always be - a shortage of properly skilled and qualified plumbers! Even when cheap East European labour was at its highest in the UK up to fairly recently. Just prior to the onset of the credit crunch, demand was estimated to be running over 32,000!
According to recent reports, plumbing is still the most popular choice, with a quarter of trainees choosing to enroll on the City & Guilds 6129 Plumbing course level 2 – a technical certificate that enables you to carry on to the full NVQ Level 3 course.
An established, approved Skills Training centre always represents a vital career opening for many looking to enter the trade construction industry as Colleges do not have the capacity to train the yearly requirement of new plumbers, which typically has always been known to stand at around 3,000 trainee vacancies per annum.
Unlike some institutions or non-accreditated trainers, AbleSkills is a specifically dedicated centre with an engineered course development structure, which can take an entry level student through all required subject knowledge in order to gain the approved and verified standard at each stage of the process to becoming a fully qualified plumber, electrician or another skilled trade.
The first key learning schedule is gaining awareness and understanding of the basic principles and a popular method that students opt for is to undertake the Plumbing 6129 home study course. This means learning in your own time and at your own pace, ably assisted by comprehensive self assessment for each module, in order to prepare yourself for final assessment. Practical workshop training begins once the theory learning has been satisfactorily verified at the required standard.
Offering flexible course times and durations – including weekend plumbing courses – for different certifications and qualifications is as varied and student friendly, if not more so, than many of the traditional educational establishments.
First Enquiry With A Trade Skills Trainer Gives First Clue!
Finding a quality approved and accredited trade skills trainer can be a bit of minefield as there are now so many organisations offering a confusing number of courses. Which course is best for you and are you going to get the correct training and qualifications to really allow you to make real progress in your career path?
The key is always to do your homework! By spending time carrying out prior research you will be armed with the right knowledge in order to make a sensible decision. Visit their website first and really look carefully at all the pages and ask yourself the really important questions as you look through, e.g. how long have they been in existence, are they really approved for the right type of courses, how many experienced, trained and qualified teachers and verifiers on the staff?
It should go without saying that you should not be dazzled by cut price, bargain basement course selling, which claims to offer instant industry working status. Remember - experience and expertise takes time to build, and is not achieved in a matter of days or weeks.
Most importantly, and dependent on the individual course level, where exactly will you be training – at their premises or elsewhere?
If you are serious about entering a trade profession, then the likelihood is that you should already have found out that to begin a career as an electrician, you are required to undertake a series of courses that will take you through a structure of required knowledge learning and skillsets, beginning with the City & Guilds 2330 level 2.
Likewise, plumbing training requires a body of knowledge and practical training to be fully understood and practiced as you progress through several levels, but once again, you will need to start with City & Guilds Plumbing 6129 level 2.
Be aware that short centre certificate courses are mostly primers, and aimed for DIY or one set skill learning, giving you insight into the requirements to carry out the basic task the course claims to provide. It does not instantly transform you into a fully fledged tradesperson in that field!
An established and recognised training centre will also offer short, advanced courses for the experienced trade, such as electricians, plumbers, gas fitters, tilers, plasterers, bricklayers and builders to learn specific skills and update their knowledge, which can be added to their range of customer services.
First enquiry will give you a first clue! Listen to the their telephone style. Friendly, yes, but do they sound knowledgeable and can explain in detail about the course you have in mind? Are they approved by City & Guilds and the major trade body examiners and verifiers, most importantly in electrical and plumbing? Do they offer you the opportunity to visit their centre so they can spend time showing you around?
Find out just comprehensive their courses are, availability and if subscribed? What course teaching aids are available and are you offered flexibility with regards when you can train, how long it will take and are there staggered schedules for some types of courses?
There are sure to be other questions you will need to ask with regards your own specific requirements and once again, focus on how keen the response and desire to genuinely help. The next important step will be the visit to the training centre itself!
