What Does a Carpenter Do?
Carpenters work mainly with wood, wood-substitutes, or other material such as drywall, plaster, steel, copper or tiles. Carpenters may construct, erect, install, maintain or repair various structures and be responsible for framing and forming or finishing cabinets, doors, stairs and other major wooden structures.
Job -Related Skills, Interests and Values
Reading and interpreting blueprints and drawings Planning the most effective way to complete a project Using knowledge of the qualities of wood (grain, density, flexibility) to select the best material for the job Laying out, measuring, cutting assembling and joining various materials Using a variety of hand and power tools safely and effectively
What Preparation and Training Do You Need?
To become a Carpenter, you should preferably have a secondary school diploma (although Grade 10 is the minimum educational entry requirement in Ontario under the TQA) before entering and completing an apprenticeship program of 7200 hours.
What’s Your Future as a Carpenter?
Most Carpenters work full-time, usually with building construction firms or residential/commercial building developers, but a significant number are self-employed. Technological changes in the field will mean that carpenters will need to become computer literate in order to work with computer based drawing, estimating and cost reporting systems.
Examples of typical employers include:
Interior and Finishing construction companies Residential Building Developers Commercial Building Developers Building Construction firms Self-employed Wage Rate
An Apprentice generally makes significantly less than a journeyperson A Carpenter’s wage increases as he/she gains more experience and skills As skills and knowledge increase, wages do as well; a general Carpenter can make from $25-$40./hr depending on the quality of their work
Self-Rating
Ask Yourself: Is Working as a Carpenter For You?
Can you stand for long periods of time, carry and lift heavy material? Can you communicate effectively with co-workers and customers? Do you enjoy planning a job from start to finish? Do you enjoy keeping up with new technology and new materials? shape or form? Can you look at a blueprint or diagram and visualize how things come together? Do you enjoy working with numbers and performing calculations? Are you good at working independently or as part of a team to accomplish a task?
If you answered Yes to most of these questions, a career as a Carpenter may be for you!
You may also want to explore other careers that require similar interests and skills, such as:
Machinist Plumber Industrial Woodworker Tool & Die Maker Electrician
Source: www.apprenticesearch.com
