Becoming an award-winning plastering apprentice

Ethan finished school, not really knowing what he wanted to do next. After a brief introduction to the industry by working for a family member, he realised his interest in plastering.

Subsequently, he decided to enrol onto the plastering apprenticeship at Leicester College, carrying out his working hours with Leicester City Council. This year, he won the Special Recognition award at the 2024 Leicester College Apprenticeship Awards for his hard work and dedication.

“Practical courses help you build your career faster”

Ethan learned that plastering might be a good career path for him after he did some work experience with his uncle, who has his own plastering business.

“I thought it would be quite tough,” says Ethan. “But I had my uncle to guide me and it was a lot easier than I had expected.”

Ethan decided to pursue a career in plastering and began looking around for apprenticeships.

“I found a course at Leicester College that met all my needs and decided to enrol on it. One benefit for me was that the course was more practical based - I would be working for 80% of the course and spending the other 20% in training or studying – which is exactly what I wanted to help me build my career quicker.

“The College helped me find an apprentice vacancy with Leicester City Council and I’m doing multi-skilled plastering in council-owned residential buildings all around the city, which helped me to develop my skills pretty quickly.”

Getting special recognition

When Leicester College announced its 2024 Apprenticeship Awards, Ethan was told that he’d been nominated and invited to attend the night.

“I had no idea why I’d been nominated or who by,” he says. “But when I got to the ceremony, I was shown a video by my teacher who had put my name forward for the award.”

Ethan went on to win the award for Special Recognition that night.

“I was blown away,” Ethan says. “I didn’t expect to be nominated, let alone win. It was such a good feeling to know that all my hard work was worth it, and it’s just motivated me to carry on and progress my career.

“I would definitely recommend Leicester College. I think it’s the best place to go to if you want to improve your skills. The staff are so encouraging and do whatever they can to help you.

“I would also recommend an apprenticeship to anyone who is finishing school or wants to develop their skills. It gives you a good grasp of work and what a work environment is like – you feel really prepared for the future.”