Painter & Decorator Apprenticeship

This Painter and Decorator apprenticeship is suitable if you want to start a career or develop your existing skills in painting and decorating.  

As an apprentice Painter and Decorator, you will gain the practical hand skills and technical knowledge required to work in domestic and commercial properties, undertaking the decoration and protection of buildings.  Depending on your employer, you may work on projects ranging from re-decorating homes and commercial buildings (using paint, varnish and/or wallpaper) to applying heavy-duty finishes to large structures, like bridges. 

View our apprenticeship vacancies

You will use painting and decorating tools and equipment to prepare surfaces, remove and apply paints and wallcoverings, whilst working in a safe and efficient manner.

As an apprentice, you will acquire and develop the appropriate skills, knowledge and behaviours required to be a professional painter and decorator. This will include how to:

• Use a range of materials including paint and wallpaper to enhance and protect surfaces
• Apply various oil/water based paints to different surfaces
• Wallpaper using techniques for the hanging of lining paper, standard papers, digital print and wide width
• Apply specialist decorative finishes
• Remove previous coatings and wallcoverings using hand tools, power tools and chemicals
• Identify and rectify common surface coating and wall covering  problems
• Work safely and efficiently

You will be expected to work with limited supervision and take responsibility for the outcomes of your work, with support from your employer and City College as the training provider.

More detailed information can be found on the apprenticeship standard website (new window).

As an apprentice, you can expect to undertake work-based learning with an employer and be paid a wage.

You will attend college on a block release basis to ensure you get the support you need to succeed.  The rest of the training will take place in the workplace with in-house training provided by the employer.  You will be assigned an assessor who will help guide you through the entire apprenticeship.

City College’s construction workshops provide a fantastic learning environment with industry-standard equipment, where you can learn everything you need for you to begin your Painting and Decorating career. 

We also have industry expert tutors, who will be on hand to teach and guide you through and answer any questions you may have.

Candidates will typically have a minimum of GCSEs at grade 3/D or above (or equivalent) which must include English and maths. Evidence of this will need to be provided prior to starting your apprenticeship. Candidates without GCSE grade 4/C or above in English and maths (or level 2 functional skills) will need to take the tests for this level prior to taking their End Point Assessment (EPA).

To start an apprenticeship you will need an employer who is willing to take you on as an apprentice. If you already have an employer please contact us. If you don't have an employer already, view our current apprenticeship vacancies.

You will be required to attend a College interview prior to enrolling onto an apprenticeship.

You must be eligible to work in the United Kingdom.

Information for Employers

Off-the-job training

Each apprenticeship must include 20% off-the-job training, which amounts to 20% of the apprentice’s contracted employment hours across the whole apprenticeship.  Off-the-job training is any learning undertaken outside of the normal day-to-day working environment and leads towards the achievement of the apprenticeship.  Examples of this would be toolbox talks, external courses etc.

End Point Assessment

Each apprentice will need to undertake an End Point Assessment (EPA) at the end of their apprenticeship.  It measures the skills, knowledge and behaviours each apprentice has developed.  

An apprentice can only take this assessment once all other aspects of the apprenticeship have been completed.  An apprentice needs to be completely ready to take this assessment and the employer and assessor will decide when the time is right.  A declaration will be signed by both the employer, apprentice and assessor.  If the apprentice fails the assessment, then there will be a re-sit charge, which is generally paid by the employer.

The EPA Consists of 3 distinct assessment methods:

1)     Knowledge Test - multiple choice test, consisting of 50 questions. Test is 90 mins                                           

2)     Skills Test - Practical observation, assessed over 3 consecutive days. This will include questioning to assess related underpinning knowledge                                                                  

3)     Professional Discussion (underpinned by portfolio). Will last for 60 mins and consist of 15 questions.