Paul Nightingale, V&D’s contracts manager and head trainer, said: "We know there is a serious shortage in skilled labour in the industry and wanted to do something about it.

"Plastering is such an important skill and we don't want it to be lost so we have to address the skills shortage. We have come to a point where there's no new blood coming through with the skills.”

The apprenticeship, which is backed by Saint-Gobain British Gypsum and run in collaboration with SBC Training, has already carried out a successful trial of the programme, with five students passing the course and two coming out with distinctions.

The plan is for the apprenticeships to run twice-yearly in May and September as a way of encouraging local people into plastering at the same time as tackling the skilled-labour shortage in the area.

Paul said: "We purchased a building in 2019 which has three separate units and there was always the belief and driving ambition to use a unit as an academy and training centre.

"We now have the facility to get our ambitions up and running and hopefully we can work with apprentices, moving forward, and hopefully they will come through and start a career with us or go on to do their own thing.

"We have realised we need to pass on the experience of our staff. I have been in the industry for 40 years and I still get a buzz out of plastering a wall. You feel like you have achieved something at the end of it.

"I want to give new apprentices the passion and pride to do the job and the knowledge to learn the job.

"We have an amazing facility, which we believe is the best in the drylining and plastering industry and is endorsed by lead plastering and drylining manufacturers."

For more information or to apply for an apprenticeship visit www.vd-interiors.co.uk/apprenticeships/