Carpentry and Joinery

There’s a huge number of employment opportunities within the trade skills arena of building trades; Andrew Stevens, Trade Skills Training Limited (TST), looks at just one of the areas that shows potential for future careers

If you are good with your hands, carpentry and joinery may well for you. With many different roles to consider, you have a number of routes from which to choose. It could be working in the ever-growing construction industry, helping to build roofs on the thousands of new housing estates and fitting out the rooms inside; or working in the commercial sector, shop-fitting and constructing display material. Perhaps self-employment within the commercial or domestic sectors, where variety and flexibility are key and you will have to provide solutions for diverse requirements, or taking your time to create fine works of art in the form of furniture and decorative pieces.

Before you follow your dreams, though, there is a need to start somewhere; basic carpentry and joinery skills form the basis of all core wood-working practices and are essential to allow you to progress in whatever route you decide on. There are many training courses to start you on your way, but you must understand that one of the main elements you will need to progress within the industry – or any service industry for that matter – are people skills: the ability to get on with people. These include being polite, friendly, understandable and easy to communicate with – skills that the majority of Service leavers will already have, thanks to their time and training in the military.

Obviously, training and qualifications are the main factors involved in actually getting you a job and allowing you to get your foot in an employer’s door, or providing you with the confidence and ability needed to start your own business.

City & Guilds and CITB-ConstructionSkills (the old Construction Industry Training Board) are the main awarding bodies providing the qualifications that count – namely C&G 6135 and construction industry awards. But other qualifications, such as the BTEC range, are helpful to prove your skills and commitment to a potential employer.

NVQs are also a must if you wish to become a fully and professionally qualified carpenter and joiner. However, as these can only be achieved when in employment, it is highly recommended that you first gain City & Guilds and construction industry awards to make you employable. These qualifications, and a proactive approach, will make you far more attractive than someone with no evidence of skills and/or commitment.

Some short courses give an overview of the required skills, but may not provide sufficient practical experience to allow you to get to grips with these highly important competences. They are also unlikely to offer industry-recognised qualifications. However, if you are a fast learner who is not just aiming for qualifications, they may provide a good start.

Longer courses, which are of course more expensive, delve deep into both theory and practice, allowing you to really get to grips with and understand your subject. Being longer and more comprehensive you not only have the chance to build your own confidence, you will also gain vital, industry-recognised qualifications that will help you start your new career.

It is also wise to research local job opportunities; information on larger contracts can be obtained from the Internet, local papers, JobCentre Plus and through training providers, many of whom have facts and figures available on their websites. With regard to smaller contracts, it is worth researching and contacting local companies directly for an informal chat about opportunities. This will also allow you to gain information about their employment status and possible opportunities.

Current employment prospects for those entering the carpentry and joinery industry, especially within the construction sector, are excellent. Carpentry is one of the trades most in demand; in a survey of all eight mainland UK regions, all had a pressing need for carpenters and joiners. In addition, in a Federation of Master Builders survey, 32 per cent of employers said that they had difficulty in obtaining people skilled in carpentry and joinery. As an example, the company running the Terminal 5 project at Heathrow, which is due in service in 2008, is already posting the need for carpenters as one of the key skill requirements.

Salary depends on location. However, as there are no hard-and-fast rules concerning national pay scales, the average salary for a fully qualified carpenter and joiner can be £30,000 or more. Obviously, while hard work, determination and ambition influence remuneration, as in any career, this is an attractive proposition. So, with the right skills, qualifications and attitude, there is ample opportunity for you to build a highly successful and lucrative career.

Contact details

If you would like further information on carpentry and joinery or other construction skills training, call TST on 0845 345 3581 or visit its website at www.tradeskills-training.co.uk