Painting and Decorating Apprenticeship

Working as a Painter and Decorator

Age: 22
Completed course: 2011

So, what are you doing now after leaving college?
I finished my apprenticeship and then I just carried on working with the person I did the apprenticeship with for the past few years. In between I’ve done a lot of my own work, trying to build up a good reputation.

What work do you do on your own? Is it just painting and decorating or do you do other things?
I like to just do painting and decorating. It’s mostly domestic work, so in houses. I rarely do commercial work.

When you left college did you feel prepared going into your job?
Yeah, really prepared. I think it was all the practical work we were doing. It gave me a good insight into the job. It gave me confidence to go out into the workplace.

What do you enjoy most about your job?
Meeting new people. I’d hate to do office work because you’re in the same place all the time and I like meeting new people and traveling. Plus I like the work, I really enjoy the job.

Do your skills vary from job to job?
Yeah, because it could be wallpapering, lining or it could be just general painting, preparation of woodwork, outside or inside, it’s really different.

How did you find out about apprenticeships here in the college?
I was doing my course and the tutor told me there were apprenticeships happening and asked if I was interested in participating.

Did you find your tutors supportive?
Yeah, very.

If someone was doing a college course and they really wanted to do an apprenticeship, what advice would you give them?
Don’t be worried about it, because everyone is in it together and they’re all friendly people.

What advice would you give to someone who is leaving school and wants to apply for an apprenticeship?
It’s definitely the best choice to make, because you learn on site, you know? So, you’re learning in a class at college but then you’re also putting it into practice when you work on it.

What skills do you think a person needs to go into your career?
People person. Get along with people. You have to be trustworthy, going into people's homes so you have to be respectful I suppose.

Have you got to be good at teamwork?
Well, I work on my own a lot. There’s about six of us that work for the firm and so I could be alone for weeks and then it could be all six of us, it varies.

What qualities do you think you have that make you a good painter and decorator?
Loads! Hardworking, friendly, being punctual – punctuality is an important thing. I am trustworthy. I'm good at my job. I’m tidy.

Do you think that’s important on the job?
Being tidy is, yeah. It is important, because, when the customer comes home from work the last thing they want is a messy house. If you’re leaving every night make sure your tools are in the van or kept in a place where you’ve agreed with them to keep them.

What else do you love about your job?
I like doing the actual job and then at the end I stand back and I’m like, yeah, this looks good. The satisfaction of it.

Where do you see yourself in five years time?
I’d like to have a few people working with me.

Having your own business?
Yeah, that’s it, yeah. I’d like that. Then in ten years' time, I’d like to just be going out, pricing up work, have about ten people working for me. That’s where I’d like to be.

Why painting and decorating? Why did you want to get into that?
I didn’t really have a choice. I was in carpentry, and I wasn’t very well behaved.

So what changed?
When I did the switchover to painting and decorating I realised it was me, that I enjoyed it. It’s the last trade in any job so we get the end result.

So, you think the college opened you up to opportunities that you never thought would be for you?
Yeah, that’s it, yeah.

What were your first thoughts about an apprenticeship? Did you think, yep, this is definitely for me?
Yeah, I did, because I didn’t want to be in education really. I wanted to be out working, but an apprenticeship gave me the best of both. I could learn and earn.

What advice you would give to someone new to the trade?
A decorator always carries a duster brush, that’s what I was always told.

What other bit of advice would you give them?
Be tidy, be respectful, it's someone else’s home and they’re trusting you to be in there so don’t abuse it.