Wall and Ceiling Liners (Plasterers) install and finish internal and external wall and ceiling systems in residential, commercial and industrial buildings. Their work includes determining plasterboard layouts, installing insulation and vapour barriers, and measuring, cutting and fixing plasterboard panels to walls, ceilings and battens. They also prepare and fix corner beads, cornices and other plaster fittings, cover joins and fastenings, and apply, level and finish plaster, cement and render to create smooth or decorative surfaces. Wall and Ceiling Liners may also apply acoustic, insulating and fire-rating systems, ensuring structures meet performance, safety and aesthetic requirements.

TAFE SA offers Certificate III in Wall and Ceiling Lining relevant to this occupation.
For more details on apprenticeships, see Traineeship & Apprenticeship Services Website at http://www.skills.sa.gov.au/apprenticeships-traineeships or phone the Freecall number 1800 673 097.

Most qualified wall and ceiling liners are self-employed or work as contractors and sub-contractors (subject to licensing requirements). Others work for Wall and ceiling companies or industrial and commercial firms. The majority of jobs are in metropolitan areas, with over half of the wall and ceiling industry workers in the state work in residential building and construction and the rest in the commercial sector on larger projects the need for training is ever increasing. It is an expanding occupation and competition for apprenticeship places is strong, and most employers look for either past experience or training in Certificate I in General Construction in Wall and Ceiling Lining or similar as a benchmark.

Technological changes have significantly impacted on the residential sectors with the use of flushing boxes, sheet lifters and sanding machine used extensively in the workforce. The demand for wall and ceiling liners is an expanding industry in a skills shortage area. It is still is influenced by the levels of business activity, amount of new homes and additions approved and the number of large commercial project going ahead. The construction industry in the state projected to remain steady in the medium term.

The wall and ceiling lining industry is a challenging physical construction career that starts with lifting heavy things and can lead to running your own business with a full builder's and contractor's licence (with additional studies and subject to licensing where appropriate). Typically the workers are on building sites ranging from small residential house and additions to Multi-storey commercial projects.

They can be in remote areas or the metropolitan area, the work includes communicating with other trades to ensure the scheduling of lining walls and ceilings is completed after all other services and trades have finished. Construction of non-load bearing walls, arches and direct fixing of plasterboard and compressed fibre cement board, suspended screw up or grid ceilings, safe handling of materials, fitting metal angle or trims, mixing of flushing compounds, flushing of all joints, fitting both ornate and paper faced cornices and other plaster mouldings. The wall and ceiling liner has the job of finishing the walls and ceilings to an agreed industry standard ready for sealing and painting.

It is a varied trade with opportunities to be self employed in an expanding skills area, that can give a feeling of satisfaction when you walk around a building you have finished and see it really taking shape.

Residential and or Commercial building sites in all areas of Adelaide and across the state, though wall and ceiling liners work inside mostly and so are protected from the weather, except in extreme cases. They can be dusty hazardous places for untrained workers and we usually work in association with many different trade to coordinate the lining of the walls and ceilings. In the residential sector workers usually only stay on one site for a relatively short period and then move on to the next job. The commercial workers can have much longer stays on each project up to a year on very large projects, hospitals, hotels and large nursing homes.