Carpentry education trains you to work with wood and other similar materials. As a professional carpenter, you will be involved in the completion of a variety of construction projects. For most of them, you must possess certain skills. Those include knowing:
- How to read blueprints
- About the process of wood cutting
- The right way of assembling different materials
Moreover, the job can be taxing since carpenters often have to work overtime. Also, there are building standards that you must maintain while working on projects. Other than that, this occupation can be physically demanding. For instance, lifting hefty equipment, climbing ladders, and working in all weather conditions are also the norms for this industry.
However, if all those requirements don’t faze you, keep reading. Below is the information that should assist you in becoming a professional carpenter.
Satisfying the Requirements of a Carpentry Education Program
As an aspiring carpenter, you must submit a high school completion certificate. If you don’t have that, show proof that you cleared the GED. Vocational schools offering carpentry education options can have varying minimum GPA/SAT/ACT test requirements. Aside from that, choosing certain carpentry careers might require additional certifications too.
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Carpentry Education Degree Types
You’ll have many choices in this regard. For instance, some students obtain diplomas after less than a year of studying. Others might want a degree, instead. In the latter case, you can enroll for an associate’s degree. Usually, it takes two years to complete. Or, you can go for a bachelor’s, which will last for 4 years.
Furthermore, should you opt for even more advanced studies, more years get tacked on. For example, a master’s takes 1-3 years. For doctorate, you must have 4 years on paper.
Some details about the various courses follow:
Certifications in Carpentry
A carpentry certificate program allows you to acquire valuable skills. Once that happens, you’ll be ready for entry-level jobs in the trade. In some certificate courses, students also have another option. They can switch to a journeyman apprenticeship.
Generally, diplomas or certifications design carpentry education courses around:
- Blueprint reading
- Cabinet making
- Framing and interior finishing
- Estimating and safety
- Construction methods and materials
Associate’s Degree in Carpentry
Some students could opt to enroll into an associate program. In that case, prepare to have classes on technical skills and general courses. In the former, you will learn about things like:
- Carpentry techniques
- Workplace safety
- Construction theories
- Business principles
Additionally, courses on the latter subject will be about technical math, writing, and computers.
Advanced Carpentry Education
In this case, you will attend classes that delve deeper into the science of carpentry.
For students who prefer welding over carpentry, this article will be helpful Vocational Welding Education: Everything You’d Need to Know.
Additional Certifications in Carpentry Education
When carpenters complete formal apprenticeship programs, they become certified journeymen. That’s when many professional trade organizations open other educational opportunities to them. Those include:
- Home Builders Institute
- Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc.
- Associated General Contractors of America
Another relevant certification in carpentry education is LEED. After completing your LEED Certification, you will become an expert on green building and sustainability technology. For that, you must clear an exam.
Future Prospects
Fortunately, your industry will see a growth rate 8% faster than the others in the coming years. BLS also indicated that carpenters were earning $48,330 annually in 2019.
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Popular Career Options
As a practicing carpenter, you may choose a specialized role, such as that of a framer or finish carpenter. Alternatively, you can also work in general carpentry. The following job outcomes will be available to you once you complete your education:
- Cabinet maker
- Residential building construction
- Apprentice carpenter
- Construction foreman
- Assistant construction manager
- Nonresidential building construction
- Assistant site manager
- Building superintendent
- Assistant superintendent
Career Advancement
In this field, the quality of carpentry education you receive will matter for advancement. In addition, your skills and training could land a better paying job. And, your employers would want to hand you more responsibility too. For example, both these are true if you get a promotion to become the general construction supervisor.
But if you don’t want to be the employee in a large construction firm, there are other options. For instance, you can work as an independent contractor.
Carpentry Specialties
Specialties refer to when professionals focus on different areas within the field of carpentry. For instance, some will choose to go towards restoration carpentry. On the other hand, others will gravitate to framing. So, if you want to find your specialty segment, peruse this list:
Finish Carpentry
Usually, professionals in this area have the carpentry education and skills for jobs in:
- Cabinetry
- Fine woodworking
- Furniture-making
- Model-building
- Parquetry
- Instrument-making
- Joinery
Framing
Briefly, carpentry professionals who know how to construct a building’s skeletal structure/wooden framework are a part of this field.
Scenic Carpentry
As a scenic carpenter, you could be working for the theater, in television, or movies. Specifically, your job will entail dismantling sets and creating them.
Green Carpentry
This is an environmentally-friendly brand of carpentry. Moreover, specialists in the field know which construction materials are energy-efficient too. Also, they use only sustainable sources for their construction projects.
In conclusion, ensure that you enroll in a high quality vocational school for carpentry education. Because the lectures, shop exercises, demonstrations, and campus work projects there will transform you. When you walk out, you do so ready for employment in the construction industry. Such programs produce professional journeyman carpenters, excellent job site foremen, talented construction superintendent, and others. Even so, carpentry may not be what you see in your future. In that case, read Vocational Careers: 6 of the Best in 2020 that Pay Well and Won’t Bore You!