Plasterers

High School

To apply for an apprenticeship, you will need a high school diploma. While in high school, you should take mechanical drawing, drafting, woodwork, and other shop courses. Classes in mathematics will sharpen your skills in the applied mathematics of layout work.

Postsecondary Training

To qualify as a journeyman plasterer, you must complete either an apprenticeship or on-the-job training program. The apprenticeship program typically consists of two to three years of carefully planned activity combined with approximately 6,000 to 8,000 hours of work experience and an annual 144 hours of related classroom instruction. An apprenticeship is usually the best start, since it includes on-the-job training as well as formal instruction.

Some aspiring apprentices participate in the International Masonry Training and Education Foundation's pre-apprenticeship training in plastering or one of the other trowel trades. In this program, they’ll learn the basics of their craft and safety practices. Pre-apprenticeship programs also help young people develop soft skills and a good work ethic. Visit https://imtef.org/training-programs for more information.

On-the-job training consists of working for two or more years under the supervision of experienced plasterers. The trainee usually begins as a helper or laborer and learns the trade informally by observing or being taught by other plasterers.