As part of my transition from the Royal Navy back to civilian life, I completed a Building Heroes resettlement course in building and construction multi-skills in November 2025. The course was hands-on and practical, covering core trade techniques while working in my own bay space at the centre.
What I covered
Across the course I trained in:
- Bricklaying and mortar work: mixing mortar, laying techniques, where each approach is used, and how to recognise good practice on real jobs
- Rendering: mixing render, applying a scratch coat, and building consistent coverage
- Plasterboarding and dry lining: boarding, forming and repairing damage, then prepping surfaces ready for finish
- Plastering: a trade with real skill and precision that I genuinely enjoyed learning
- Tiling: measuring, planning layouts, keeping lines level and central, and placing cuts where they look right
- Carpentry: architrave and skirting finishing, fitting door furniture, and improving accuracy through practice
- Painting and decorating: fresh plaster and woodwork, wallpaper hanging, and fitting coving
- Basic installations: completing the bay with elements like guttering and a radiator
- Plumbing: soldering fittings, pipe bending, practice builds, and a final pressure-tested piece
Quality and assessment
Every part of the course was assessed to a standard, not just “good enough”. That included visual finish, measurement tolerances, plumb and level accuracy, avoiding damage marks in timber, smooth plaster coats, and neat final decoration.
The bigger takeaway
The biggest takeaway for me was understanding realistic job timeframes and typical day rates across trades. That knowledge helps me plan renovations properly and, more importantly, pay tradespeople fairly for the work they do. It’s not just labour you’re paying for, it’s experience, training, accreditation, overheads, and the reliability that comes with a professional doing the job right. It also helps me build strong relationships with good local trades so I can recommend them and support their businesses.
