Carpenters and joiners make and install the wooden fixtures and fittings found in domestic and commercial construction projects. These can include floorboards, kitchen and bathroom units, window frames and doors, roof trusses and wall partitions.

Their work normally falls into one of the categories below, and they may use their craft skills across the whole range, or specialise in just one or two:

• formwork - building temporary wooden shuttering to support and shape setting concrete, for example on motorway bridge supports or foundation pillars
• machining - cutting and shaping timber for floorboards, skirting boards and window frames (see the Wood Machinist profile)
• bench joinery - making and assembling doors, window frames, staircases and fitted furniture
• first fixing (site work) - fitting the wooden structures of a building, such as floor and roof joists, roof timbers, staircases, partition walls, and door and window frames
• second fixing (site work) - installing skirting boards, door surrounds, doors, cupboards and shelving, as well as door handles and locks
• shopfitting - making and fitting interiors for shops, hotels, banks, offices and public buildings (see the Shopfitter profile).

Carpenters and joiners also work in other industries. For more details, see the profiles for Marine Craftsperson, TV/Film/Theatre Set Designer, Prop Maker and Furniture Restorer.

Hours and Environment

Carpenters and joiners work between 39 and 45 hours a week, Monday to Friday. Overtime at weekends or evenings may be available.

Your working conditions will depend on which job you do. Site work and formwork means working outdoors in all weathers, climbing ladders and working on scaffolding or roofs. Bench joiners and shopfitters work indoors where conditions can get dusty. You will use protective equipment on all jobs, which includes safety helmets, boots and ear defenders.

As a carpenter and joiner, you normally travel between sites and you may have to work away from home for periods on some jobs.

Skills and Interests

To be a carpenter or joiner you need:

• good practical skills
• a methodical approach to work
• the ability to pay attention to detail
• the ability to follow technical drawings and plans
• good numerical skills for measuring and working out angles
• a reasonable level of fitness
• the ability to work as part of a team and alone
• an awareness of health and safety.

Entry

You do not need any formal qualifications to become a carpenter or joiner, but employers tend to want people with some on-site experience. If you have not worked in construction before, then you could work as a joiner's mate or labourer to gain site experience. Once working, your employer may be willing to offer you training in carpentry and joinery.

You may be able to get into this job through an apprenticeship scheme. To be eligible, you may need some GCSEs/S grades in subjects such as maths, English and design and technology, or vocational qualifications such as Edexcel Introductory Certificate or Diploma in Construction, which contains joinery options.

Funding for apprenticeships is available for 16-24 year olds and some over-25s. To find out more, visit www.apprenticeships.org.uk. For information about apprenticeships in other parts of the UK, see Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

You can also take college courses in carpentry and joinery, which are open to all ages. These can teach you some of the skills needed for the job but employers may still want to some experience.

College courses include:

• Edexcel (BTEC) First Diploma in Construction with carpentry options
• City & Guilds Basic Construction Skills award: Carpentry and Joinery (6214)
• Foundation/Intermediate/Advanced Construction Award (Wood Occupations).

Check with ConstructionSkills and your local colleges for details.

ConstructionSkills has information on construction careers and qualifications in Further Information; and the Equal Opportunities Commission is promoting the construction trades as a career option for women through its Know Your Place campaign.

Training

Once working as a carpenter or joiner, you take on-the-job training leading to NVQ/SVQ qualifications, such as Wood Occupations levels 1 to 3. This award contains several options, which include:

• Bench Work – marking, setting out and producing joinery products
• Site Work – installing first and second fixings and structural components
• Shopfitting – manufacturing and installing internal and external frames, shop fronts, fixtures and finishings
• Timber Frame Erection – putting up timber frame walls, laying floors and fixing roof structures
• Wheelwrighting – marking out, making and assembling carriage joinery products.

The Institute of Carpenters (IOC) also offers various craft awards for carpenters and joiners looking to enhance their range of skills and qualifications. For details, contact IOC below.

Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS)
By 2010, workers within the construction sector must hold a CSCS card or register with an affiliated scheme. Many construction firms and their clients already insist that workers hold a relevant card to work on site. To receive a card, you must hold an NVQ/SVQ or acceptable equivalent and pass a health and safety assessment.

Your card will be graded according to your qualifications and experience. If you are an experienced worker without formal qualifications, you can use On-Site Assessment and Training (OSAT) or Experienced Worker Practical Assessment (EWPA) to get your card.

For details about the CSCS scheme, gradings, equivalent qualifications and applications, contact CSCS or SkillsDirect. Check the ConstructionSkills website for more information about the health and safety test, training providers, OSAT and EWPA.

Opportunities

Skilled carpenters and joiners are in demand with a number of organisations. Some of these include:

• construction companies
• local authorities
• public organisations
• boat yards
• theatre, television and stage design companies 
• shopfitting firms.

The construction industry has the biggest demand and it anticipates a need for around 12,500 new recruits into the wood occupations each year between now and 2011. 

If you are an experienced carpenter or joiner, you can progress to site supervision, clerk of works and construction management jobs, or move into a specialised area of work such building restoration or prop making. You can also work in kitchen and bathroom fitting, or move into self-employment.

Annual Income

Figures are intended as a guideline only.

Starting salaries are between £13,500 and £16,000.
Qualified joiners can earn between £17,000 and £23,000 a year.
Experienced joiners can earn up to £28,000.

Overtime and shift allowances will supplement income. Self-employed carpenters and joiners negotiate their own rates.

Further information

Tel: 0870 8505262 c/o The Building Crafts College
Kennard Road
Stratford
London
E15 1AH Tel: 0870 417 8777 Bircham Newton
King's Lynn
Norfolk
PE31 6RH
Tel: 01485 577577