Course Details

Course Duration: 24 months (not including EPA period)

Delivery method: 1 day a week at our Training centre and site visits from our assessors. Access to an online portfolio.

Assessment methods: A combination of observations, centre based practical and onsite assessments, professional discussions, written and oral questioning, online and paper-based tests and portfolio evidence gathering. A final End Point Assessment.

Entry requirements: No prior experience is required; however, learners must be working in the construction/carpentry industry. Entry will be based on initial assessments and an interview.

Apprentices without level 1 English and Maths (or equivalent) will need to achieve this level and apprentices without level 2 English and Maths (or equivalent) will need to take the tests for this level prior to taking the end-point assessment. This will be incorporated into your Apprenticeship.

Apprenticeship Profile

The broad purpose of the occupation is working with building materials (most often wood) to create and install building components.  This typically involves shaping and cutting materials, installing finished materials like partitions, doors, staircases, window frames, mouldings, timber floor coverings and erecting structural components such as floor joists and roofs. All work needs to be carried out safely, using the appropriate tools and to the quality specified.

Topics Covered

• Health, safety and welfare
• Current legislation and official guidance
• Control equipment and PPE
• Interpret and produce relevant information from drawings, specifications and work instructions
• Effective communication
• Timber characteristics, qualities, uses, sustainability, limitations and defects.
• Hand tools/power tools

Skills Developed

• Identify and apply safe working practices
• Plan and undertake work practices productively
• Estimate resource quantities to carry out work eg quantity of fixings, length of timber
• Demonstrate a range of fundamental skills including measuring, marking out, fitting, cutting, splicing, mitring, scribing, horizontal and vertical levelling (including laser levelling), finishing, positioning and securing.
• Adaptability
• Time management
• Logical thinking

In addition to the core skills and knowledge requirements, this occupation includes two different options and people must choose to undertake one of the following specialisms:

Site Carpenter:

A Site Carpenter will work on a construction site or in a workshop and will prepare and install basic building components e.g. doors, straight staircases, wall and floor units and erecting structural carpentry and roof structures on a building site or in domestic and commercial premises. The topics covered and skills developed include:

• Carry out first fixing work including install timber frames and linings, coverings, flat roof decking, install straight flights of stairs and erect timber stud partitions. Install handrails and spindles to straight flights of stairs.
• Carry out second fixing work including install service encasement, cladding, wall and floor units and fitments, side hung doors, ironmongery and timber mouldings.
• Carry out timber stud partition work.
• Erect trussed rafter roofs, construct gables, verge and eaves.
• Install floor joists and coverings.

Architectural Joiner:

An Architectural Joiner will work in a workshop and will produce building components by setting out, marking out and manufacturing basic architectural products, including doors, windows, straight staircases and associated ironmongery. The topics covered and skills developed include:

• Inspect, prepare and operate fixed machinery including narrow bandsaw, crosscut saw, re-saw, surface planer, thicknesser, morticer.
• Form connections including mark out connection points, select and use hand tools and materials to produce connection points, form products using different connection methods including joints, nails, screws, dowels, biscuit, staples, adhesives.
• Produce setting out details including interpret information for setting out doors, door frames and linings, windows with opening lights, fittings and straight stairs.
• Mark out including interpret information for marking out doors, door frames and linings, windows with opening lights, straight stairs and fitting parts.
• Manufacture routine architectural joinery products including interpret information, prepare for production and produce door, windows with opening lights, straight stairs and fitting parts.
• Install a range of common ironmongery components for doors, windows and units using a range of hand and power tools.