Now is the time of year, when all those young people who have not acquired a clutch of GCSEs are starting to panic. Some of them are probably in the position of Tim Cude from Kingskerswell, who left school without qualifications and with no idea what to do for a living. A home-improvements programme on the television set Tim on track: he knew then he wanted to be a plasterer. He struck lucky, for, with a supportive boss at Bovey Construction of Ashburton, he is now a qualified plasterer.

It was not straightforward for Tim, for, since leaving school, he had spent 15 years doing semi-skilled or unskilled work. So, when he approached Bovey Construction for a job, he did not have high expectations, but managing director, Neil Turner, liked his enthusiasm and took him on initially as a plasterer’s labourer. There, Tim slowly started to acquire the skills of his chosen trade from Pete Moore, a highly-skilled 62-year-old plasterer with, as Tim said, “endless patience”.

Tim wanted to be a qualified plasterer. For that, he needed an NVQ2, but a bad experience at school had sapped his confidence. So, what Bovey Construction set up for him, in partnership with South Devon College, was on-site assessment and training (OSAT), which enabled him to continue his training on site, under Pete’s supervision and with extra help from his site manager and Neil. Two years later, during which time he spent one evening a week at college, he had a portfolio of work and that all-important piece of paper.

How does it feel to be a qualified plasterer? “Over the moon,” said Tim. When I first started, I was very frustrated as it looks easy, but it’s anything but. My advice to anyone starting out is to just stick at it. It’s really satisfying – and it pays well. At the end of a project, when I’ve spent all that time and effort on my work, I simply stand back, take a deep breath and say, ‘I did that.’ ”

A job as a qualified craftsman is a job that brings real satisfaction. There are two ways of getting there. First, for people like Tim with some experience of the work, the OSAT route is a way of genuinely earning while you are learning, and a small, but increasing, number of construction firms, committed to training, offer this option.

For school leavers without any experience of their chosen career, an apprenticeship is still the best start, as Jamie Booth from Kingsteignton and Greg Kaminski from Chudleigh have found. Both these Bovey Construction apprentices have now achieved an NVQ2 in carpentry. They are now working towards an NVQ3 at no cost to them. In fact, they are earning while they are learning.

If you want advice about a career in construction, ring Neil
Turner at Bovey Construction, which was the only construction firm in the country to win a national Training Award in 2006, on 01626 821919. Alternatively, you can find out more from the CITB, the construction industry training board, on www.citb.co.uk.