City accepting applications for plasterers at over $56/hr

The city is accepting applications through Dec. 23 for the civil service exam to become a plasterer. The current minimum salary is $56.10 per hour for a 40-hour work week. This rate is subject to change.

The job

Plasterers, under supervision, prepare and direct the mixing of plastering materials; apply plastering materials to walls, ceilings, piers and columns, using a hawk and trowel; plaster partition walls and patch plaster walls with limited areas of damage; tape sheet rock and repair damaged sheet rock walls; set up and work on scaffolds; do work in accordance with plans and specifications; keep records; supervise assigned personnel; and may operate a motor vehicle. All Plasterers perform related work.

Plasterers may be required to work various shifts including nights, Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays.

Some of the physical activities performed by Plasterers and environmental conditions experienced are: walking to and from job sites and material storage areas; standing for extended periods of time; standing upright with neck and head extended backward when applying plaster to ceilings; working from scaffolds; communicating orally with helpers; walking over surfaces littered with fallen plaster and debris; working in areas that have plaster dust in the air; and lifting bags weighing up to 80 pounds. All Plasterers perform related work.

Requirements

1. Three years of full-time satisfactory experience performing plasterering work; or

2. At least one and half years of full-time satisfactory experience performing plasterering work, plus sufficient full-time experience as a plasterer's apprentice, or training of a relevant nature acquired in an approved trade or vocational school, to make up the equivalent of three years of acceptable experience. Six months of acceptable experience will be credited for each year of apprentice experience or approved trade or vocational high school training.

The trade or vocational high school must be approved by a State's Department of Education or a recognized accrediting organization. If you were educated outside the United States, you must have your foreign education evaluated to determine its equivalence to education obtained in the United States. This is required only if you need credit for your foreign education in this examination. For more information see the Foreign Education Evaluation

During the Education and Experience Exam (EEE), you may answer questions about your experience. If your experience was on a part-time basis working less than 35 hours per week, you will need to convert your part-time experience to full-time experience using the formula below. Once you have determined your full-time experience equivalent, use this amount to answer questions about your experience. (number of hours worked per week/35) x (number of months worked) For example, if you worked at a job for 21 hours per week for 12 months, you would make the following calculation: 21/35 x 12 = 7.2 months.

You may be given the test before we verify your qualifications. You are responsible for determining whether or not you meet the education and experience requirements for this examination prior to submitting your application. If you are found "Not Qualified," your application fee will not be refunded and you will not receive an Admission Notice or score.

The exam

The multiple-choice test will be given at a computer terminal. Your score on this test will be used to determine your place on an eligible list. You must achieve a score of at least 70% to pass the test. The multiple-choice test is designed to assess the extent to which candidates have certain knowledge and abilities determined to be important to the performance of the tasks of a Plasterer. Task areas to be tested are as follows: work preparation and layout; plastering; tiling; reporting and record keeping; work site safety; and supervision of staff.

The test may include questions on standards of proper employee ethical conduct; and other related areas. The test may also include questions requiring the use of any of the following abilities:

Written Comprehension: understanding written sentences and paragraphs. Example: A Plasterer might use this ability when reviewing written work orders.

Written Expression: using English words or sentences in writing so that others will understand. Example: A Plasterer might use this ability when describing work completed.

Number Facility: adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing quickly and correctly. Example: A Plasterer might use this ability when determining the length and width of a wall in order to lay tiles.

Information Ordering: correctly following a rule or set of rules or actions in a certain order. The rule or set of rules must be given. The things or actions to be put in order can include numbers, letters, words, pictures, procedures, sentences, and mathematical or logical operations. Example: A Plasterer might use this ability when following specific procedures when repairing or replacing a damaged wall.

Problem Sensitivity: being able to tell when something is wrong or likely to go wrong. Example: A Plasterer might use this ability when assigned to repair or replace part of a wall and he/she sees that the entire wall must be replaced.

Certain questions may need to be answered on the basis of documents or other information supplied to the candidates on the date of the multiple-choice exam. There will also be a qualifying practical test that will assess the candidate’s ability to prepare plastering materials and apply such materials to interior surfaces. Only those candidates who pass the multiple-choice test and meet the qualification requirements will be scheduled to take the practical test. A score of at least 70 percent is required to pass the qualifying practical test.

For complete information on the position, including on testing and on how to apply, go to https://cityjobs.nyc.gov/job/plasterer-in-brooklyn-jid-38540.