Work Placement Carpentry Jobs

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Helping you find a career in the carpentry industry

If you like the idea of making a house a home, then carpentry is the industry for you. Carpenters and joiners carefully build furniture, flooring and structural joints out of wood. Carpenters don't only work on houses, you could also find yourself working on offices and building sites. Anywhere that needs woodwork is a carpenter's place of business.

If you're creative, carpentry offers you plenty of ways to channel that creativity. If you don't mind getting your hands dirty, carpentry could be for you!

Carpentry involves interacting with with customers, so make sure your people skills are up to scratch. If you'd prefer a less customer facing role within carpentry, wood machinists prepare wood for shops and furniture manufacturing and tend to spend more time in sawmills than on-site with customers.

Carpenters tend to work on contracts, meaning that you'll be hired for particular projects. Consequently, most carpenters are freelancers, but carpenters are always in high demand so you're unlikely be short of work.

Entry-level carpentry will involve working under a supervisor who will oversee the project. As you gain more experience and rise through the ranks, you'll start managing teams, taking on larger projects and maybe even setting up your own business!

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FAQs

FAQs

Which skills are needed for a career in carpentry?

Carpentry is a physical job, so you'll need to carry out physical labour over long hours. Teamwork and communication are also vital skills as you'll rarely be working alone. Carpentry can also involve working with power tools, which can be dangerous, so you'll need to be highly safety conscious, communication can be crucial to ensure everyone is safe and happy.

Some carpentry positions will require experience, but this can be gained either through work experience programmes, apprenticeships and qualifications received from technical colleges.

How do I get a carpentry work experience?

You can start your career in carpentry by diving straight in as a joiner's “mate” or an on-site labourer. This will give you the necessary experience to take on more demanding and specific roles within carpentry. Some carpentry companies will train you on the job so you can take on more responsibility.

You can also start out as an apprentice, which is a great way to get a foot in the door of the industry as well as familiarising you with the workdays of carpenters.

You'll also need some basic maths and literacy skills to follow plans and schematics.

Many larger construction firms will offer work experience programmes via their websites, or they might advertise at your school, college or university. Check with your careers advisor to find out about opportunities, or you may need to take the initiative and apply directly via companies' websites. It's a good idea to apply for work experience with more than one firm at a time as it can be quite competitive.