help needed on the right course

[bugs183]

My carpenter friend has been on a job where they have loads of tiling, all in large format porcelain.He recommended me and their reply was 'it's ok we're doing all the unskilled work ourselves'.
Bless 'um.
I'd say do the course, but train alongside a skilled tiler. As Siramic says, every job is different and you are always learning.

 

[UKTT Darren]

Its anoying to think that other tradesman regard tiling as just a semi skilled trades, it goes back to the days when everything was 6 x 6 inch tiles and just one type of adhesive, it was usually plasterers that did tiling as they used to cover it in the old days as a wet trowel trade as they did their plastering apprentiship.

Things have obviously changed a lot with the natural stone and multiple products, weights of tiles now, sealers etc, the old school wont change their mind though, too much set in there ways to learn about new procedures and applications,
The only way to learn is in a college or a fast track training centre as this is where you will find out all the latest techniques, tools and materials, i personally think that colleges are a bit old school and dont prepare you enough for self employment and the real world, we produce a 40 page course manual that goes with the practical training that gives you the bullet point step by step knowledge of what to do when you get into different situations that cannot be covered in the centre. I know its no substitute for being there and doing it yourself but its a start.

Working along with another tiler sounds good and is better than nothing but he wont have the time to talk you through different subject problems and how to overcome them, too busy grafting, unless you are up to speed with him he wont want you along with him anyway as you will slow him down and if you have very little skills to start with, you will have no practice time as he wont let you touch his work or do part of the job, so in theory working with another tiler is great but reality is they cant be bothered to teach you and spend the time with you.. which again leave the training centre the best option to get your feet off the ground. You just haver to start slowly and build up your skills from there, There is no easy ways of making money and the only way you can is through your own abilty and desire to succeed

Regards
Darren

 

[DHTiling]

But your remarks above Darren did diss the tiling trade.. think about what you wrote..?

 

[Andrew Case]

Im on a course next week, so may be a good person to speak to this time in 2 weeks with regards what you can learn etc. I didnt choose the cheapest course nor the closest.

I think its all down the person attending the course. If you are silly enough to think that you can attend a short course and then go and tile a large floor area in natural stone with all the obstacles etc, charging pro rates, then more fool you.
But if you do the course and build up, family, friends, your own house, try different approaches on your own place etc. Then do some paid work, splash backs and small floors, refusing work if it's "too much" for your ability, then i cant see how you can go wrong.

I know others who have done an apprenticeship, old school, in all manner of subjects and they dropped out a year later as all they had learnt was how to brew up.
I also know some who have done a short course and now work in an office because they didnt have the drive and enthusiasm to continue their learning.
Both routes can cause failure, or success.

There will be some who think a course is a good start, there will be others who think its a waste of time. Take their comments and do your own research.
Darren doesnt know this (well he does now), but i'm very good at snooping around the internet and tracking people down. I found several people who had trained at NETT in the past and contacted them directly for their opinion.
Every one came back and are still in tiling business. Some have branched out to plastering etc, others are just doing tiling. All of them were realistic and said their first couple of years were a sharp learning curve with little money, but all of them are now tiling and doing well.
I can credit check companies for free where i work and even checked one of them out - company is doing very well and his work appears to be good. Profit is up etc.
i even checked one of his references out under the pretence of wanting tiling work done myself.
Theres no way im going to pay money on a course just to waste it. But then again im the type of person who will work my arse off and WILL make a success of it. Im also the type of person who doesnt lie and will only do a job if i can do it well.

Dont be fooled into thinking that you will do a 1 or 2 week course and go straight into tiling swimming pools and commercial contracts like some of the people on here. It aint gonna happen.
BUT i have no reason to think that you cannot start with small jobs and build up. Use this forum to continue learning.
Ive signed up with BAL, Maipei, Schluter and their online training programs. I will go on more courses as money allows. Learning doesnt stop at the end of the course.

The people on a forum who say there is no chance of doing a course and then earning money are as dillusional as the people who think they are going to earn a fortune from day 1. It can be done, ive seen it, but it takes a certain person, with an aptitude for learning and business.

Thats my input.

P.S I really do like this forum.

 

[UKTT Darren]

Thanks Andrew, glad your comming on the course so you can give your honest oppinion when you finished, it will still never change the mind of the non believers though
See you soon
Regards
Darren

 

[True Tiling]

Not at all, there must be some naturals on your 2 week course. But for the many thousands of others who have worked hard and done the proper learning curve over 2 years, it's a real puzzle.

 

[True Tiling]

My comment on tiling a splashback is because every job is just as important as the other and needs to be tiled flat, level, plumb, square and balanced. It might be easy in your workshop rooms. In the REAL WORLD, joiners don't always fix the worktop level. Do you teach your students how to scribe a tile to an uneven worktop or how to draw a level line so as to compensate with packers and use a Silicon sealant finisher to create an invisible finish? A "good job" as you say, is certainly in question with what you have written. Anyone can stick tiles onto a wall, for a Granny to pass it happily, but the day one of your students gets a gig in a really fussy couples house dealing with a £20/tile, on a complicated room, he's in MAJOR trouble...

 

[True Tiling]

Just checked out your website. Good look with those recommendations from your students!

 

[Andrew Case]

Just checked out your website. Good look with those recommendations from your students!

I think those recommendations are good too. They are just some of the ones ive seen. There are plenty around the internet on non affiliated sites too.

 

[Arn Wheeler]

how can you become a qualified tiler in 2 weeks....its a joke:mad2: i spent 2 years on an apprenticeship to get my nvq level2, diploma level 2, and city & guilds in doing apprenticeship. nothing against you 'rab glasgow' but its comical

 

[Andrew Case]

I haven't seen anyone say you are a qualified tiler after 2 weeks?! I personally wouldn't call myself qualified unless I had an NVQ or many years experience. Are you saying that the only way anyone should ever tile is if you do an apprenticeship? As there are a major lack of apprenticeships and a lack of those taking them, in 40 years when most of the tilers now are retired, what happens?
Are you bitter that there are some people who can tile and have set up business after a course, as I have established in an earlier post, yet you chose to do a full apprenticeship etc? There are a lot of people on this forum including a lot of the moderators who are supportive of new ones wanting to learn and who realise not everyone can turn back the clock, stop their lives, and do an apprenticeship.

 

[Arn Wheeler]

ha ha joker ,,funny because there are courses where you can be a tiler in 2weeks to 8 weeks. and what im saying is work out yourself...how can you learn every unit that covers tiling in a few weeks. and more so all 2 years work in in a few weeks.its like you get these people that become a plumber in a few weeks and guess what over a number of times now ive been to jobs where the plumbing is shocking all because they are fast tracked and learn the basics mate.thats how it is.and if you write to local tilers and contractors and explain your interests in tiling im sure there are apprenticeships available because its cheap labour for them.look around and contact tiler.i am supportive of new tilers think its a great trade and down near me theres a lack of them but tbh im not complaining because thats more work for me

 

[Andrew Case]

You can't learn every unit. But most of the guys on here who have been tiling for years will admit they are still learning every day. Got to start somewhere. I can't do an apprenticeship as I have a mortgage, 2 kids etc etc. but I shouldn't be penalised and have the tiling police tell me not to try.
However, I'm different from some as I refuse to do a job that I can't do properly. If I only replace tiles and do simple splash backs while continually learning, that's fine. I'm doing a plastering course at gold trowel soon. No way will I be able to plaster as quick as a qualified guy, but again, if I can't do it well, I won't do it. I'll stick to small jobs and build from there. No one would be perfect after 2 weeks, but there are those who are crap after 4 years. Gotta try but be honest, reliable, work hard and ask questions.

 

[mz30]

I'm probaly gonna upset people now ,i served my time years ago and got some paperwork stating that i was a tiler(apparently now thats not worth a thing).
So apparently we all need an nvq now ,well i got mine in less than 30 minutes,an assesor came out took photos of my work asked me a few questions hey presto i got a level 2 nvq(certificate arrived yesterday)that shows that i am actually 6 months behind my apprentice who is starting his level 3 in september,go figure?

Tiling courses that last a few weeks will show basics only ,even the ones that last a couple of years still only deal with the basics according to my apprentice,but at the end of the day they are a stepping stone a lot of people forget that we all had to learn.

 

[Andrew Case]

Tiling courses that last a few weeks will show basics only ,even the ones that last a couple of years still only deal with the basics according to my apprentice,but at the end of the day they are a stepping stone a lot of people forget that we all had to learn.

exactly!