Other names for Carpenter: 

• Bridge / Construction / Wharf Carpenter 
• Carpenter Contractor 
• Carpenter Maintenance 
• Fixing Carpenter 
• Formwork Carpenter 
• Mine Carpenter Rough Carpentry 
• Prop and Scenery Maker 
• Shutterhand
  

CLICK HERE

Youtube clip – Watch Carpenters at Work

For training options in South Africa – scroll down

What is a Carpenter?

Carpenters are in demand!

A Carpenter is a skilled craftsperson who works with wood.  A Carpenter makes, fixes and installs furniture and other wooden objects.  Experienced Carpenters can also design items and make custom-designed furniture. 

Some Carpenters work on building sites – hanging doors, making specialised window frames and pergolas, cupboards, wall unites etc.  This kind of work is manual labour.  Some Carpenters work indoors and outdoors.

Carpentry work can be divided into two categories:

• rough carpentry
• finished carpentry

Carpentry is a skill is gained through experience and study of wood work.

What does a Carpenter do?

• liaises with clients or builders with regard to their requirements
• quotes and sources materials
• makes cupboards, wall units, roof trusses, pergolas, special window frames and doors etc
• remodels
• makes furniture
• manages staff
  
• checks quality control

Are you … ?

• passionate about wood and wooden items?
• good with your hands?
• creative?
• practical?
• able to read and write?
• able to do standard grade mathematics?
• analytical?
• knowledgeable of equipment, materials and building techniques?
• able to understand verbal and written instructions?
• able to organize assigned tasks for yourself and or a team?
• happy and comfortable with doing heavy labour?

How do I become a Carpenter?

You can choose one of these career pathways:

PATH 1

• Apprenticeship (training at a TVET college with practical training under a qualified artisan)
• Trade Test

PATH 2

• Learnership – Construction Carpenter (Manufacturing Products from Wood) Level 2, 3 and 4
• Trade Test

PATH 3

• National Certificate (Engineering Studies) N1, N2 and N3
• Trade Test

PATH 4

• Artisan Internship
• Trade Test

PATH 5

• RPL (Recognised Prior Learning) for Artisans: CLICK HERE
• If you have already been working a long time as a Carpenter without qualifications, you may be able to get your qualification through RPL
• Trade Test

TRAINING:

• CLICK HERE to check for a training institution near you to see what they offer.
• Make sure you understand their entry requirements for each course.
• To avoid scams, make sure your institution is registered with the Department of Higher Education. 
• CLICK HERE to check accredited Private Higher Education Institutions. 

OTHER CAREERS TO CONSIDER: Furniture Polisher, Set Designer … or … Saw Operator

Is becoming a Carpenter the right career choice for me?

Other names for Joiner:

What is a Joiner?

Joinery is one of the oldest professions, dating back to medieval times.

A Joiner is like a craftman-carpenter. 

The difference between a Carpenter and a Joiner is that a Carpenter usually joins pieces of wood together with nails and screws, while a Joiner cuts the various pieces of wood in a special way so that they form inter-locking joints.

A Joiner is usually found in furniture making, or in construction – specialising in creative window frames, fireplace surrounds, staircases etc and may even be a specialist kitchen cabinet maker.

What does a Joiner do?

• discusses project with client or project manager
• takes measurements
• recommends the right wood for the job
• orders the wood
• creates templates
• measures, marks and saws
• creates item required
• sands and treats wood

Are you … ?

• good with your hands?
• practical?
• creative?
• able to think and work in 3D?
• mathematically inclined to take measurements?
• detail orientated?

How do I become a Joiner?

You can choose one of these career pathways:

PATH 1

• Apprenticeship (training at a TVET college with practical training under a qualified artisan)
• Trade Test

PATH 2

• Learnership – Construction Carpenter (Manufacturing Products from Wood) Level 2, 3 and 4
• Trade Test

PATH 3

• Learnership – Construction (Carpenter NCCA) NQF 2, 3 and 4
• Trade Test

PATH 4

• National Certificate (Engineering Studies) N1, N2 and N3
• Trade Test

PATH 5

• Artisan Internship
• Trade Test

PATH 6

• RPL (Recognised Prior Learning) for Artisans: CLICK HERE
• If you have already been working a long time as a Joiner without qualifications, you may be able to get your qualification through RPL
• Trade Test

TRAINING:

• CLICK HERE to check for a training institution near you to see what they offer.
• Make sure you understand their entry requirements for each course.
• To avoid scams, make sure your institution is registered with the Department of Higher Education. 
• CLICK HERE to check accredited Private Higher Education Institutions. 

OTHER CAREERS TO CONSIDER:  Carpenter, Set Designer … or … Musical Instrument Builder … or … Furniture Designer

Is becoming a Joiner the right career choice for me?

OFO No:

What is a Coffin Maker?

The job of a Coffin Maker is to make coffins and caskets.

CLICK HERE 

Youtube clip of an unusual coffin maker from Ghana.

The difference between a coffin and casket is:

• Coffin:  usually a shaped box that is narrower one end than the other:  6 – 8 sides
• Casket:  usually a simple box shaped with 4 sides

Coffin Makers may specialise in simple, low cost coffins and caskets while others may make extremely elaborate and expensive ones.  The expensive ones may be covered in carvings, jewels and other decorations and lined with very expensive silks and velvets.

Some Coffin Makers mass produce coffins for funeral homes while others specialise in one-of-a-kind coffins or caskets.

In countries, like Ghana, some of the Coffin Makers have become very famous for the ‘career-inspired’ coffins and caskets. 

These Coffin Makers design fun and sometimes, outrageous pieces that match the dead person’s career. 

For instance:

• If the person was a taxi driver – their coffin would be shaped like a taxi
• If the person was a fisherman – their coffin would be shaped like a large fish
• If the person was a pilot – their coffin would be shaped like giant aeroplane
• If the person was a chicken farmer – their coffin would be shaped like a big chicken!

Do yourself a favour and Google: Ghanian Coffins – and click on images to see photographs of these coffins!

This is a new market which has not been explored in South Africa.  Maybe a young, South African entrepreneur, who is good with their hands might consider a career as a job-themed Coffin Maker!

What does a Coffin Maker do?

• discusses requirements with dead person’s family and friends
• designs the coffin or casket
• quotes
• orders the right materials: wood, fabric, screws, glue, paint etc
• saws, glues, sands, paints the coffin
• invoices the client
  
• works to deadlines

Are you . . . ?

• good with your hands?
• passionate about working with wood?
• a person who was considering becoming a carpenter?
• creative?
• compassionate?
• a people’s person?
• detail orientated?
• good with colour?
• hard worker?
• deadline driven?

How do I become a Coffin Maker?

• SA COFFIN TRAINING

• TRIMO COFFINS AND CASKETS

• COFFIN MANUALS

Offers courses and manuals on how to make coffins and caskets.

Another way to become a Coffin Maker is to approach a coffin making or funeral company directly.  They may offer in-house training. 

If you start at the bottom of the company and show that you are hard-working and dedicated, the company may send you on a training course for you to become a Coffin Maker or … you may get the chance to work alongside an already trained Coffin Maker as an apprentice.

OTHER CAREERS TO CONSIDER:  Upholsterer … or … Carpenter

Is becoming a Coffin Maker the right career choice for me?

OFO No: 682303

Other names for Wood Machinist:

CLICK HERE

Youtube clip – A Day in the Life of a Wood Machinist

For training options in South Africa – scroll down

What is a Wood Machinist?

A Wood Machinist is a trained artisan who saws and prepares wood to sell.

Buyers of the wood could be:

• Builder suppliers like Penny Pinchers
• DIY stores like Builders Warehouse
• Furniture Makers
• Construction companies

Common wood pieces which are prepared could include:

• Doors and door frames
• Window frames
• Floorboards
• Wood for cabinet/cupboard makers
• Fence strips etc

What does a Wood Machinist do?

• selects the right wood for the job
• takes accurate measurements
• marks off where the wood is to be cut
• checks that the measurements are correct before going ahead
• saws the wood
• meets the clients requirements
• keeps records

Are you … ?

• technical?
• able to understand technical drawings?
• passionate about wood?
• able to operate electrical saws and other machinery?
• willing to clean and maintain your own machinery?
• accurate?
• responsible?
• good at measuring? (maths)

How do I become a Wood Machinist?

You could start your career as a Wood Machinist by working in a timber yard. 

By working your way through the company you could learn the skills on-the-job to becoming a Wood Machinist.  You would train alongside a qualified Wood Machinist.  You would be an apprentice.

PATH 1

• Apprenticeship
• Trade Test

PATH 2

• Learnership – CNC Production Machining NQF Level 2, 3 and 4
• Trade Test

PATH 3

• Learnership – Furniture Production: Wood Machining NQF Level 2, 3 and 4
• Trade Test

PATH 4

• National Certificate: Engineering Studies: N1, N2 and N3
• These can be done at many TVET (FET) colleges
  
• Trade Test

PATH 5

• Artisan Internship
• Trade Test

PATH 6

• RPL (Recognised Prior Learning) for Artisans: CLICK HERE
• If you have already been working a long time as a Wood Machinist without qualifications, you may be able to get your qualification through RPL
• Trade Test

TRAINING:

• CLICK HERE to check for a training institution near you to see what they offer.
• Make sure you understand their entry requirements for each course.
• To avoid scams, make sure your institution is registered with the Department of Higher Education. 
• CLICK HERE to check accredited Private Higher Education Institutions. 

OTHER CAREERS TO CONSIDER:  Carpenter … or … Furniture Designer

Is becoming a Wood Machinist the right career choice for me?

OFO No: 682304

Other names for Wood Turner:

What is a Wood Turner?

Woodturning is a specialised form of woodworking.  Wooden pieces are ‘turned’ on a lathe.  This lathe spins and while doing so, removes unwanted wood, leaving behind a beautiful shape like a chair leg.

There are 2 kinds of woodturning:

• Spindle
• Faceplate

Spindle turning means the piece of wood is fixed at both ends before the lathe is turned on.

Examples of spindle turning items: chair and table legs, baseball bats, chess pieces etc

The Faceplate method the piece of wood is screwed down to a faceplate. 

Examples of faceplate turning: bowls, platters etc

What does a Wood Turner do?

• chooses appropriate woods for the various jobs
• works out designs to ‘turn’
• makes sure wood is securely fastened on the lathe
• monitors the ‘turning’ so that the right amount of wood is removed for the design
• sands
• polishes

Are you … ?

• passionate about wood?
• good with your hands?
• artistically inclined?
• observant?
• patient?
• accurate?

How do I become a Wood Turner?

PATH 1

• Apprenticeship
• Trade Test

PATH 2

• Learnership – Furniture Production: Wood Machining NQF Level 2, 3 and 4
• Trade Test

PATH 3

• Learnership – Wood Products Processing: Charcoal Manufacturing NQF Level 2, 3 and 4
• Trade Test

PATH 4

• Learnership – Wood Products Processing: Fibreboard and Chipboard Manufacturing NQF Level 2, 3 and 4
• Trade Test

PATH 5

• Learnership – Wood Products Processing: Match Manufacturing (Board Processing and Packaging) NQF Level 2, 3 and 4
• Trade Test

PATH 6

• Learnership – Wood Products Processing: Tannin Extraction NQF Level 2, 3 and 4
• Trade Test

PATH 7

• RPL (Recognised Prior Learning) for Artisans: CLICK HERE
• If you have already been working a long time as a Wood Turner without qualifications, you may be able to get your qualification through RPL
• Trade Test

TRAINING:

• CLICK HERE to check for a training institution near you to see what they offer.
• Make sure you understand their entry requirements for each course.
• To avoid scams, make sure your institution is registered with the Department of Higher Education. 
• CLICK HERE to check accredited Private Higher Education Institutions. 

Here are some private places you can do short courses:

• STRAND HARDWARE: (Port Elizabeth)

Offers short, certificate courses in woodturning and other carpentry-related skills.

OTHER CAREERS TO CONSIDER:  Carpenter … or … Set Designer 

Is becoming a Wood Turner the right career choice for me?

OFO No: 682201

Other names for Cabinet Maker:

• Antique Furniture Reproducer 
• Antique Furniture Restorer 
• Cabinetmaker (Including Chairmaking and Framemakin 
• Cabinetmaker (Including Veneering) 
• Chair and Couch Maker 
• Coffin Maker 
• Frame Maker (Including Chairmaking) 
• Furniture Maker Wood 
• Wheelwright 
• Wood Bender

CLICK HERE

Youtube clip – Job Description – Cabinet Maker

For training options in South Africa – scroll down

What is a Cabinet Maker?

A Cabinet Maker is a specialised carpenter who makes and builds fine furniture, cupboards, cabinets and furniture.

A Cabinet Maker works with different woods, in different styles and the items they make are usually custom built.

They work for themselves doing contract work or find themselves working for:

• furniture manufacturers
• aeroplane and airline companies
• shipbuilders
• kitchen or interior design companies
• shopfitters
• film industry etc

What does a Cabinet Maker do?

• measures up the clients requirements
• quotes on the job
• makes detailed drawings
• suggests and selects the best wood for the job
• marks out the job
• saws, cuts, sands, screws, glues, nails etc the pieces together
• installs the item/s
• hangs doors – getting them straight and even requires a lot of skill

Are you … ?

• passionate about wood?
• good with your hands?
• good at measurements and mathematics?
• a person with an eye for detail?
• a person who takes pride in their work?
• artistically inclined?
• neat?

How do I become a Cabinet Maker?

Please note that all ‘artisan / trade’ jobs under revision. New qualifications will be registered soon under the QCTO (Quality Council for Trades and Occupations).

REGULATIONS: 

• All artisans are regulated by the DHET (Dept of Higher Education).
  

• To become a qualified Cabinet Maker, you will have to pass at Trade Test at a National Trade Test Centre. All centres are quality assurd and recommended for accredition by the NAMB. 

PATH 1

• Apprenticeship
• Trade Test

PATH 2

• Learnership – Furniture Making: Wood: Wood Finishing Level 2 and 3
• Learnership – Furniture Making Level 4
• Trade Test

PATH 3

• Learnership – Wood Machining and Cabinet Making Level 2 and 3
• Learnership – Furniture Making Level 4
• Trade Test

PATH 4

• Learnership – Furniture Making: Wood: Cabinet Making Level 2 and 3
• Learnership – Furniture Making Level 4
• Trade Test

PATH 5

• Artisan Internship
• Trade Test

PATH 6

• RPL (Recognised Prior Learning) for Artisans: CLICK HERE
• If you have already been working a long time as a Cabinet Maker without qualifications, you may be able to get your qualification through RPL
• Trade Test

TRAINING:

• CLICK HERE to check for a training institution near you to see what they offer.
• Make sure you understand their entry requirements for each course.
• To avoid scams, make sure your institution is registered with the Department of Higher Education. 
• CLICK HERE to check accredited Private Higher Education Institutions. 

OTHER CAREERS TO CONSIDER:  Carpenter … or … Set Designer

Is becoming a Cabinet Maker the right career choice for me?

OFO No:

CLICK HERE

Youtube clip –  Meeting a Cooper / Wine Barrel Maker

For training options in South Africa – scroll down

What is a Cooper?

The art of coopering is an ancient skill and dates back centuries.

A Cooper is a kind of woodcrafts person who specialises in making casks or barrels for wine, brandies and other alcoholic beverages.

This particular job requires a lot of skill.

Unfortunately coopering is a dying art as a lot of modern wineries are now converting to stainless steel containers.

• CLICK HERE for a Youtube clip of a Cooper at work.
  

What does a Cooper do?

• researches and finds the appropriate woods needed
• uses broadaxes, planes and other tools to shape the staves/slats (the long, curved pieces of wood to make the barrels)
• heats the wood to curve it
• cuts grooves into the staves for tight fit
• makes the hoops to keep the staves together
• makes sure the barrel is water-tight

Are you … ?

• passionate about wine and working with wood?
• good with your hands?
• accurate?
• patient?
• careful?
• strong and healthy?
• a person who takes pride in their work?

How do I become a Cooper?

Because coopering is a dying profession – the only way to learn the trade is from an already experienced Cooper.  You would have to try and find one and then approach them to ask if they would share and teach their skills with you.  Unfortunately Coopers are very rare these days.

OTHER CAREERS TO CONSIDER:  Carpenter … or … Wine Steward/Sommelier

Is becoming a Cooper the right career choice for me?

OFO No:

What is a Woodcarver?

A Woodcarver carves beautiful images and designs into selected pieces of wood or furniture.

They will, for example, design and carve intricate patterns and shapes into:

• backs of chairs
• carved feet for tables and chairs
• drawer fronts
• around frames of mirrors
• sculptured figurines on banisters
• ‘aprons’ on tables
• carved designs for the surround of fire places etc
• wood sculptures for art galleries

The Woodcarver marks with chalk those pieces of wood which must be cut away. They must work carefully so that they do not cut away too much wood. Once it’s cut, it’s gone forever! 

They will lay the article on a workbench or clamp it firmly in a bench vice and slowly begin to carve away with a chisel.  After carving, the article is sanded, then stained or varnished.

What does a Woodcarver do?

• meets with clients to discuss their requirements
• advises clients on choice of woods to be used
• prepares quotations
• orders the wood
• researches in magazines, books and internet for inspiration
• draws out design, marks wood
• sharpens tools before carving
• carves carefully
• sands, stains or varnishes finished product
• prepares invoices

Are you …. ?

• extremely artistic?
• a sculptor?
• a person who can visualise in 3-d?
• creative?
• a person with good hand-eye co-ordination?
• detail orientated?
• accurate and neat?

How do I become a Woodcarver?

Many Woodcarvers are naturally gifted and can carve almost anything out of wood.  This usually starts from a very young age. 

For those who have not started early, they can get training while on-the-job, learning from an experienced Woodcarver.

Another route is to do furniture-making courses and/or carpentry courses to get familiar with the different types of wood and to learn all the tools and techniques there are with regard to wood carving.

• FURNTECH

Offers various furniture-making courses (at NQF Levels 2 and 3), including:

• Skills Programmes
• Short Courses
• Learnerships / Apprenticeships

OTHER CAREERS TO CONSIDER:  Carpenter or Wood Turner

Is becoming a Woodcarver the right career choice for me?