Advanced Carpentry and Joinery
Careers Explorer:
A skilled craftsman – carpenters and joiners make and install wooden fixtures and fittings as part of construction projects.
Overview
A career in advanced carpentry and joinery will see you create and install building components – and you’ll be responsible for managing other people’s work as well as your own.
Primarily you’ll work with timber to make and install wooden fixtures and fittings as part of wider construction projects.
From staircases and doors to supporting frames for bridges and dams, you’ll use your skills to carry out complex and non-standard work including curved products, irregular joins and bespoke work.
You could work in new builds or in the renovation, restoration and alteration of existing buildings and structures.
Top 5 Tasks
- Measure, mark, cut, shape, fit and finish timber – either by hand or with power tools
- Install floor joists, floorboards, roof trusses and wall partitions
- Work on a construction site or in a workshop to create complex components
- Use and understand technical drawings and have an excellent understanding of different types of wood and their uses
- Manage your own and other people’s work.
Salary
You can expect to earn around £35,000, however senior, chartered or master carpenters can earn up to £45,000.
Salaries typically depend on location, employer and level of responsibility.
Am I Suited?
- Team player
- Good leadership skills
- Keen eye for detail
- Likes working outside
- Practical
Carpenters and joiners play a key role in the restoration of historical buildings as part of interesting heritage projects.
Qualifications
You don’t need to hold particular qualifications, however GCSEs or their equivalent in English, maths and science would be beneficial.
Employers like to see people with some experience of building sites. A construction apprenticeship with a carpentry or building firm is a good way in. Some colleges and training providers help by introducing potential apprentices to interested employers.
