Carpentry and Joinery Apprentice

Profile of Craft Core Skills

Carpentry & Joinery Construction

The Trade of Carpentry & Joinery is very wide and varied, it encompasses most of the skills required by the Wood Trades. These skills required of the Carpenter & Joiner are not confined to those required to work in wood but include skills in the use of metals, plastics and fabrics. The Carpenter & Joiner is also required to work in a cross section of domains within the overall trade. The following are some examples:

Joinery Shop:

This section of the occupation requires the Carpenter & Joiner to engage in setting out, production and assembling items of joinery which include stairs, doors, windows and built-in furniture.

Site Work:

Site work is the construction of buildings or houses which require 1st fixing, formwork roofs and 2nd fixing. This section is split into two categories, constructing/civil engineering contracts.

Maintenance:

Maintenance work requires the Carpenter & Joiner to carry out a variety of tasks in general maintenance and upkeep of public and private buildings, e.g. shops and factories.

There are other areas associated with the trade which include: renovating buildings, shopfitting, exhibition/display work.

At the end of the apprenticeship, the craftsperson will be able to demonstrate competence in the following skills:

• Construction of upper floors

• Construction of flat roofs

• Construction of pitched roofs

• Construction of hip roofs

• Construction of pitching roofs (trussed)

• Construction of load and non-load bearing partitions

• Fabrication and erection of formwork for walls, columns, floors, stairs

• Construction and hanging of the following:

• Framed and sheeted doors

• Panelled doors

• Flush doors

• Construction and installation of internal and external door frames

• Construction and installation of windows

• Carrying out 1st and 2nd fixing on buildings

• Operation of the following powered hand tools:

• Saw, planer, drill, router, screwdriver, ballistic gun, router, sander, jig saw

Generic Skills

• Construction of moulds

• Construction of centres for arches

• Construction of specialist type joinery

• Construction of fittings

• Setting out buildings

• Site levelling

Specialist Skills

• Communications

• Customer relations

• Adaptability

• Ability to work as a team member

• Ability to work independently

• Initiative

• Problem solving

• Planning

• Information gathering

• Quality systems

• Safety

Personal Skills

• Use and care of hand tools

• Interpreting drawings

• Measurement

• Setting out

• Marking out

• Planning (production)

• Calculations

• Work practice

• Use of manufactured boards

• Fixings

• Ironmongery

• Basic wood joints

• K/D fittings

• Setting up and operation of machines for specific operations