Competitive pay
Apprentice Painter & Decorator
Course title: Painting and Decorating (Level 2)
Location: Spennymoor
Contract Type: Fixed Term Apprenticeship
Salary:
Age 16–18: £7.96 per hour — 40 hours per week (including time at college)
Age 19–20: £11.06 per hour — 42.5 hours per week (including time at college)
Age 21+: £12.21 per hour (rising to £12.71 in April) — 42.5 hours per week (including time at college)
Training provider: New College Durham
You will join Mears Group in the week commencing 03/08/2026, and your apprenticeship course will begin in the week commencing 07/09/2026. The programme has an expected duration of approximately 24 months
About apprenticeships at Mears Group:
Apprenticeships are an underpinning part of Mears’ philosophy; we are committed to developing the next generation of our workforce, many of our most senior people started their working life as an apprentice.
Whether you are fresh out of school or college or looking for a complete career change, Mears can offer you a great foundation to your future career and beyond.
All our Apprentices are paid above the national minimum wage, and you’ll be paid for your normal working hours plus your attendance at college, with the opportunity to get real life experiences such as working in people’s homes, getting involved in community projects and improving people’s lives by being customer focused.
What does a life as a Painter & Decorator look like?
As a Painter and Decorator, you will have the skills and knowledge to work out what materials are needed for a particular project by taking measurements and looking at job specifications and drawings. You will be responsible for removing old paint and paper, preparing surfaces by fixing woodwork, filling, and sealing holes, cracks and joints and applying wallpaper, paints, stains, and varnishes using brushes, rollers and spraying equipment.
The apprenticeship course will cover the following: -
1. Preparing internal and external untreated surfaces ready to receive finishing systems for example: trowelled finishes plaster or render, plasterboard, timber and timber sheet materials; metals (ferrous and non-ferrous)
2. Preparing internal and external previously coated surfaces ready to receive finishing systems for example trowelled finishes plaster or render, plasterboard, timber and timber sheet materials
3. Preparing and applying surface coatings to untreated external surfaces for example brick, stone, render, wood, metal using a brush and roller.