Start Your Exterior Plastering Apprenticeship

What you will do Plasterers may do some or all of the following: advise clients on suitable products for their projects and prepare quotes for work erect scaffolding (if it’s less than five metres high) clean and prepare surfaces for plastering mix and apply plaster to surfaces sand surfaces ready for painting run their own business. Skills and knowledge Plasterers need to have knowledge of: plastering materials and equipment plastering methods, such as how to prepare a surface and apply plaster how to apply different flashing (to keep water out of building walls) and cladding systems (to provide insulation and weather resistance) health and safety regulations. Working conditions Plasterers: usually work regular hours, but may work evenings and weekends work on building sites and in buildings being renovated, where conditions may be noisy and dusty may travel locally to job sites. Pay Pay for plasterers varies depending on their employer, location and experience. Apprentice plasterers may start on the training or adult minimum wage. The rate goes up as they gain experience and unit standards. Plasterers without a qualification may start on minimum wage or a little more. With one to two years’ experience, plasterers usually earn up to $22 an hour. Experienced plasterers can earn between $22 and $30 an hour. Those running their own business may earn more than this, but their income depends on the success of their business. Sources: Association of Wall and Ceiling Industries of New Zealand; and Trade Me Jobs 2018. PAYE.net.nz website – use this calculator to convert pay and salary information Employment New Zealand website – information about minimum wage rates (This information is a guide only. Find out more about the sources of our pay information)

Entry requirements There are no specific requirements to become a plasterer. However, you usually need to complete an apprenticeship and gain a National Certificate. To become a qualified exterior plasterer you need to obtain one of the following qualifications: National Certificate in Solid Plastering (Level 4) National Certificate in Proprietary Plaster Cladding Systems (Level 4) To become a qualified interior plasterer you need to obtain a National Certificate in interior systems (interior plastering) (Level 3 or 4). The Building and Construction Industry Training Organisation (BCITO) oversees plasterer apprenticeships. Building and Construction Industry Training Organisation website – information on exterior plastering apprenticeships Building and Construction Industry Training Organisation website – information on interior systems apprenticeships Secondary education There are no specific secondary education requirements to become a plasterer. However, NCEA Level 2 maths, English and construction and mechanical technologies are useful. Year 11 and 12 learners can find out more about the construction industry and gain relevant skills, by doing National Certificates in Building, Construction and Allied Trades (Levels 1 and 2) through the BConstructive programme. For Year 11 to 13 learners, trades academies and the STAR and Gateway programmes are good ways to gain relevant experience and skills. These programmes may help you gain an apprenticeship, but do not reduce the time it takes to complete it. BConstructive website – information about the BConstructive programme Personal requirements Plasterers need to: be careful, methodical and accurate, with an eye for detail be able to follow instructions have good problem-solving skills. Useful experience Useful experience for plasterers includes any work in building or construction, especially as a plasterer’s assistant. Physical requirements Plasterers need to: be fit and healthy as their work can be physically demanding have a strong back and arms, good eyesight (with or without corrective lenses) and steady hands be comfortable working at heights. Registration To carry out certain exterior plastering work you need to be a licensed plasterer as part of the Licensed Building Practitioners Scheme. To get a licence, you need to prove your experience and have appropriate qualifications. Licensed Building Practitioners website – information on the Licensed Building Practitioner Scheme

Career opportunities Leading hand, supervisor, project manager, business owner Most plasterers work for small businesses or for themselves Most plasterers work for small companies of between one and five employees. Almost 40 percent of plasterers are self-employed. What are the chances of getting a job? Strong demand for plasterers Job opportunities for plasterers are good due to: steady growth in construction, which is predicted to continue until at least 2023 KiwiBuild, which is set to deliver 100,000 homes for first home buyers over the next 10 years a shortage in the number of people going into plastering apprenticeships. The construction industry needs at least 25,000 more qualified people in the next five years to meet demand. Solid plasterer and fibrous plasterer appear on Immigration New Zealand’s construction and infrastructure skill shortage list. This means the Government is actively encouraging skilled plasterers from overseas to work in New Zealand. However, like many building jobs, this role can be affected by economic conditions. A downturn in the economy can lower demand for plasterers. According to the Census, 4,605 solid and fibrous plasterers worked in New Zealand in 2018. Sources Building and Construction Industry Training Organisation, ‘Exterior Plastering’, accessed October 2018, (www.bcito.org.nz). Building and Construction Industry Training Organisation, ‘Interior Systems’, accessed October 2018, (www.bcito.org.nz). Immigration New Zealand, ‘Construction and Infrastructure Skill Shortage List’, 27 May 2019, (www.immigration.govt.nz). Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, ‘National Construction Pipeline Report 2018’, July 2018, (www.mbie.govt.nz). Phelps, S, executive council member, Association of Wall and Ceiling Industries New Zealand, careers.govt.nz interview, September 2018. Ranchhod, S, ‘Construction Bulletin – July 2018’, July 2018, (www.westpac.co.nz). Stats NZ, ‘2018 Census Data’, 2019. Wenman, E, ‘NZ needs more than 50,000 construction workers by 2022 to keep up with demand’, Stuff, May 2018. (This information is a guide only. Find out more about the sources of our job opportunities information) Progression and specialisations Plasterers may progress to set up their own plastering business. Plasterers usually specialise as either one of: Exterior or Solid Plasterer Exterior or solid plasterers apply cement-based plaster or modified plaster to the ceilings, floors and inside and outside walls of buildings. Interior or Fibrous Plasterer Interior or fibrous plasterers plaster joints in walls or ceilings and coat them to make a paintable finish. They may also “fix” (secure) plasterboard to the inside framing of a building.