Are intensive courses enough?

[Leatherface]

Hi
a GOODintensive course will give you sufficient knowledge to be able to start a career in tiling, You will have to understand that you still have lot to learn and will make mistakes. Take it steady, don't run before you can walk, ask advice, learn from your mistakes. Treat each job as if it was at your own home, if you would be willing to pay for it then you are on the right track. Keep trying and try to improve. Remember customer service is as important as the standard of your work.
Good luck

 

[Derry]

a 1 week course can produce a good or a bad tiler.

a 4 year apprentice can produce a good or a bad tiler.

The point is (as with anything) it depends if you are suited to it, how much you listen, how much you want to learn and then how much effort and work you put into it.

A one week course CAN give you the skills and knowledge but its upto you to apply them.
I did a 2 week course and have also learned loads from these forums but i'm also spending all of my spare time practicing doing jobs and reading several different books and typing up my own notes.

hope that helps

 

[GarethK]

Not really an awful lot to add to the above but you may want to consider multi skilling too as the more jobs you can do the better, i.e. plastering and tiling as two skill sets go hand in hand and will maximise your earning potential.

Good Luck!

 

[DHTiling]

a 1 week course can produce a good or a bad tiler.

a 4 year apprentice can produce a good or a bad tiler.

The point is (as with anything) it depends if you are suited to it, how much you listen, how much you want to learn and then how much effort and work you put into it.

A one week course CAN give you the skills and knowledge but its upto you to apply them.
I did a 2 week course and have also learned loads from these forums but i'm also spending all of my spare time practicing doing jobs and reading several different books and typing up my own notes.

hope that helps

I agree with that they can both turn out a bad tiler....but 4 yrs will give that bad or good tiler a lot more knowledge than a 1 week course.

1 week or 4 week or what ever short course are good if taught correctly, but they do not teach you to be a tiler, they teach you the background and basics.

Time will teach you to be a tiler and that is where you gain experiance from doing the trade in the real world and not in a simulated enviroment.

I am all for people re-training but please do not pretend to be a qualified tiler after a short course.

You will gain all the necassary info on here to help you along and gain experiance tiling in your customers houses or on-site , which ever you do.

As said by many on here you will learn from your mistakes but you will bounce back and the mistake will make you better..

So good luck in your new trade but no pretending and take your time...

 

[Daz]

I am all for people re-training but please do not pretend to be a qualified tiler after a short course.

How long should one give it until claiming to be qualified Dave?
I did a 4 week course and haven't stopped since so have quite an extensive portfolio, can I claim to be qualified yet?

 

[peterhouse]

i have just come off a 5 day course,no way am i readyto be let loose on paid jobs,yes it was a good course,tiled a straight wall with a small courner,spent half day tiling a floor,in a bay with a partner,did not do spash backs or tile round a sink/toilet,sti have a lot to experience really,people that come off these 5 day courses and say they are ready to be let loose reay amazes me,unless there course was really a lot better than mine,you never hear back frm peope who say they are going to work for friends or family.where they happy with job? what problems did they encounter etc. etc.

 

[grumpygrouter]

i have just come off a 5 day course,no way am i readyto be let loose on paid jobs,yes it was a good course,tiled a straight wall with a small courner,spent half day tiling a floor,in a bay with a partner,did not do spash backs or tile round a sink/toilet,sti have a lot to experience really,people that come off these 5 day courses and say they are ready to be let loose reay amazes me,unless there course was really a lot better than mine,you never hear back frm peope who say they are going to work for friends or family.where they happy with job? what problems did they encounter etc. etc.

Where did you do your course Peter, would you be good eneough to leave feedback in the Courses Feedback section?

 

[beanz]

Peter, you will make mistakes at first, it's a steep learning curve. But as for not having tiled a splashback, or around a toilet... It's a wall/floor with cuts that need to be made, The same as you would've done on your course (i'm assuming you cut around something?), but on a larger scale. It's the prep i was less prepared for, but i'm picking it up slowly.

The good thing about doing jobs for friends and family, is there are less time constraints. You can make your mistakes and correct them as you go. If they are getting their tiling done for free, they're more than happy. 😉

 

[UKTT Darren]

All training courses are artificial so learning there can only give you the grounding to go out and put your skills to the test, some courses are good and some not so good, time duration of the course is irrelevant as its what you are taught when you are there, you could do a 6 week course but if the instruction is poor or not correct you will learn very little, after the first day on my course you are capeable of shaping a tile arround any problem perfectly whether it be a toilet, washbasin, shower base doesnt matter, once you know how to shape a tile thats all you need, on my website there is a picture of a playboy bunny cut out of tiles, the re cut back into a set of tiles under it, everyone is capeable of doing that after the first afternoon on the first day of my course, so a toilet, washbasin would be very simple after having those skills

not sure which course peterhouse done but it doesnt sound that good if you cant cut around an object correctly, tiling a straight flat wall with 20 rows of tiles is a pointless exercise as after the first couple of rows you are repeating yourself therefore learning nothing new on the other 18 rows, Make sure you choose a course that has a wide variety of contents not just repetive straight tiling

Darren

 

[david campbell]

after doing your course you should be able to accept smaller,less complicated jobs.
from there you should gradually build up the kind of work you undertake,by accepting only jobs you feel comfortable with and know you are capable of leaving a good finish,over time you will gain enough experience to take on nearly any job,making mistakes will not only cost you short term but long term by damaging your reputation😳,if you ever need help or feel you are struggling come onto the forum and ask! as there are many people who have years of experience and have been there with the situations and problems you are going to encounter over the next few years!:mad2:

good luck!