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Carpenters make, install and repair wooden items like wall panels, flooring, door and window frames, roof rafters, staircases, cabinets and furniture.
You could work: evenings / weekends; occasionally
As a carpenter, you could:
You may need to wear protective clothing.
You could work in a workshop, on a construction site, at a client's business or at a client's home.
Your working environment may be dusty, at height and you'll travel often.
You can get into this job through:
You could take a college course like:
Courses like these would teach you some of the skills and knowledge you need to find a trainee position with a company.
Entry requirements for these courses vary.
You could apply to do a:
You could also do a Wood Product Manufacturing Operative Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship, producing goods used in the furniture making and construction industries.
These apprenticeships can take around 2 years to complete. They combine on-the-job training and time spent with a college or training provider.
To get onto an apprenticeship, you'll find it useful to have:
If you're thinking of changing career to carpentry, look out for short or part-time 'taster' courses at your local college. These are designed to help you find out if carpentry is for you.
You can find out more about becoming a carpenter from Go Construct and House Building Careers.
With experience, you could become a site supervisor or construction project manager.
You could also move into:construction estimating; contracts management; specialist areas like set building for stage and screen, or heritage restoration; facilities maintenance in a large organisation, like a hospital or housing association; training apprentices on site
You may wish to start your own business or teach in a further education college.
You can find out more about becoming a carpenter from Go Construct and House Building Careers.