From this month colleges and training providers offering the accredited course will now be able to award attendees a ‘NOCN Cskills Awards Level 2 Certificate Plaster Skimmer’ qualification upon its completion.

British Gypsum’s Training Partnerships Director, Dave Hall, said: “We are thrilled that the Site Ready Skimming Course has now been developed into a recognised UK qualification.

“It has taken the team at British Gypsum a number of years to develop the initial course, ensuring that it equips students with the necessary skills needed to become a competent Plaster Skimmer and gives them the practise needed to hone their techniques ready for the workplace.

“The course has now been taught through both our own and other specialist training acadamies for over a year – and with amazing feedback.

“Seeing the results it delivers and knowing that it would help address the skills gap within the industry we were confident that it was time to begin discussions with NOCN to develop it into a nationally recognised qualification.”

It teaches students the trowel skills and techniques necessary to be able to skim plasterboard on site, including finishing internal angles, working to wet angles, the application and finishing of angle beads to external corners and around openings, working on splayed angles, as well as working around services in both flat and window walls.

Plastering large areas to represent commercial projects is also a critical teaching  subject on the course with learners stretched and challenged to complete the work to deadlines.

The course also covers the correct use of the latest plastering tools and methods as well as identifying bad practice.