Learn a trade: plastering

stoneman

This has got to be stopped!!!
The only people that should be allowed to perform paid construction work are those that have completed indentured apprenticeships. Luckily it has been brought in for electricians, but the rest of the building trades need to be included as well. In Germany and Portugal, (and probably others) you cannot walk on a site without showing your qualification card. It's no wonder that there are so many stories about dodgy builders. I am a stonemason, learnt my trade back in the 70's, did 5 years with a small company in Devon, we were building contractors and funeral directors!!!
This country is going down the pan as far as quality construction trades is concerned. What with these short courses pro-porting to teach you how to plaster, lay bricks, plumbing, etc. Do you know how long it takes how to do a job properly, about 4 years should do it.
Of course the problem is that firms are no longer taking on apprentices anymore, or some are even CHARGING kids to join them. !!!!!!. Respective governments have been to blame for this as well as the attitude of kids these days. Why do the powers that be want everyone to go to university?? Whats wrong with encouraging kids to learn a trade. They would start working at 16, be made to get up in the mornings, learn responsibility, earn a bit of money (when I started I was on £4.90 for a 42 1/2 hour week) and as they learn more, they would become proud of their achievements, and maybe be more socially aware. But no, all they think about is spending the next 3 years !!!!*ng the grant up against the wall, anything to avoid going out and doing an honest days work. As for those of you that didn't think of that when you were younger, tough, you have missed the boat, thats life. Remember there are loads of Polish qualified workers comming over now taking up the slack, so how do you think you will fare telling potential customers that at 24 you have been doing the job for 6 months.
Rant over, but I feel better for getting that off of my chest:mad:

Steve_xx

stoneman wrote: »

This has got to be stopped!!!
The only people that should be allowed to perform paid construction work are those that have completed indentured apprenticeships. Luckily it has been brought in for electricians, but the rest of the building trades need to be included as well. It's no wonder that there are so many stories about dodgy builders. I am a stonemason, learnt my trade back in the 70's, did 5 years with a small company in Devon, we were building contractors and funeral directors!!!
This country is going down the pan as far as quality construction trades is concerned. What with these short courses indentured to teach you how to plaster, lay bricks, plumbing, etc. Do you know how long it takes how to do a job properly, about 4 years should do it.
Of course the problem is that firms are no longer taking on apprentices anymore, or some are even CHARGING kids to join them. !!!!!!. Respective governments have been to blame for this as well as the attitude of kids these days. Why do the powers that be want everyone to go to university?? Whats wrong with encouraging kids to learn a trade. They would start working at 16, be made to get up in the mornings, learn responsibility, earn a bit of money (when I started I was on £4.90 for a 42 1/2 hour week) and as they learn more, they would become proud of their achievements, and maybe be more socially aware. But no, these new modern apprenticeships are a poor imitation of the real thing.
Rant over, but I feel better for getting that off of my chest:mad:

You're not seriously suggesting that plastering ought to be regulated to such a degree that we can no longer do the job ourselves?

What nonsense. This is a nanny state as it is; the government legislating that we are no longer allowed to fit a piece of simple cabling to our own properties.

I would agree entirely that many are incapable of even the simplest of electrical or indeed plastering jobs. But there are equally as many who are quite competent to carry out such tasks and it is onerous for the state to intervene to the extent that they do.

If I want a new electrical socket in my house, then I'll install it. I'll do so because I am more than capable to do so.

People don't want or need to be spending years on apprenticeships when you can learn the basic skills in a matter of weeks, sufficient to do the jobs you need to do.

By the way, there's no such word as "pro-porting". I think you mean purporting.

stoneman

Steve_xx wrote: »

You're not seriously suggesting that plastering ought to be regulated to such a degree that we can no longer do the job ourselves?

What nonsense. This is a nanny state as it is; the government legislating that we are no longer allowed to fit a piece of simple cabling to our own properties.

I would agree entirely that many are incapable of even the simplest of electrical or indeed plastering jobs. But there are equally as many who are quite competent to carry out such tasks and it is onerous for the state to intervene to the extent that they do.

If I want a new electrical socket in my house, then I'll install it. I'll do so because I am more than capable to do so.

People don't want or need to be spending years on apprenticeships when you can learn the basic skills in a matter of weeks, sufficient to do the jobs you need to do.

By the way, there's no such word as "pro-porting". I think you mean purporting.

Hi Steve, you seem good at pointing out spelling mistakes, but not so good at reading. I said PAID work, meaning going into other peoples homes and charging to do a skilled craft. BTW, I hope when you sell your home the surveyor picks up that you have had electrical work done and did it yourself, you could be in for a big bill to get a QUALIFIED tradesman around to check it out and issue you with a certificate.

Steve_xx

stoneman wrote: »

Hi Steve, you seem good at pointing out spelling mistakes, but not so good at reading. I said PAID work, meaning going into other peoples homes and charging to do a skilled craft. BTW, I hope when you sell your home the surveyor picks up that you have had electrical work done and did it yourself, you could be in for a big bill to get a QUALIFIED tradesman around to check it out and issue you with a certificate.

I know you nentioned "paid" work.

What absolute tosh regarding surveyors coming in and checking my work. There'll be no certificates required when I decide to sell. I'm competent in what I do. There are so called professionals, as we all know too well, and, to our cost, that are not what they purport to be.

save-a-lot

The short course is another route into a trade, but also a route for the diy enthusiast, the property developer and those that believe they are capable of doing a good job. I do a good job and I have done jobs for others. It is a sideline... everyone is happy... I am and those who I have done jobs for.

Steve_xx

save-a-lot wrote: »

The short course is another route into a trade, but also a route for the diy enthusiast, the property developer and those that believe they are capable of doing a good job. I do a good job and I have done jobs for others. It is a sideline... everyone is happy... I am and those who I have done jobs for.

Absolutely, I couldn't agree with you more.

Odd-job people like yourself are invaluable; often take far more care in what they do than so called professionals. There's absolutely no reason why people in general cannot learn to do things for themselves. Often it is the case that the cost element actually forces people into DIY. I for one dread having to get any professional to come and quote for for anything because they're prices vary so widely and are so often beyond the test of reasonableness. They are often an unknown.

Recently I had to call someone to fix five tiles on my roof. Several came out to look; some said I needed a new roof, which is tosh, and others didn't want to fix it because the job wasn't big enough. It's still not fixed as i ponder how to tackle it.

My friend had one rooftile lift out of its place. He got a local firm to fix it, it took all of 20 minutes and it cost him £123. Ridiculous.

The thing is that I could do the roof stuff myself - only thing is I can't stand heights.

barrymung

£123 is unreasonable when you take into account the work involved on site.

However, I have seen the other side 'cos I do carpet cleaning in my spare time.

Often people will be astonished when I charge £70-£150 for what appears to be an hour's cleaning.

However, when you take into account the fact that I spend 15 minutes driving to the house, 15 minutes appraising the carpet and giving a verbal quote, 15 minutes driving home, 15 minutes preparing the official quote and posting it, 30 minutes preparing for the job 15 minutes driving to the house to do the job, 1 hour doing the job, 15 minutes driving home from the job, 30 minutes packing stuff away it's easy to see that the "basic" one hour job in fact takes 3.5 hours of my time.

Then, take into account fuel, insurance, consumables and the cost of machinery you'll see that £70-£150 for an hour's work is quite reasonable.

(A carpet cleaning machine can cost anywhere between £500 to £10,000+ and it's got to be paid for by the customer)