Joinery/Cabinetmaking - North Island CollegeCabinetmaking Education in CanadaCarpentry and Woodworking Programs -- Community College Programs
PROGRAM WEBSITE
Joinery/Cabinetmaking - North Island College Cabinetmaking, sometimes called joinery, primarily involves assembling, constructing, designing, finishing, refinishing, repairing, and/or restoring products made of wood, wood substances, or wood substitutes such as cabinets, furniture, interior finishes, millwork, stairs, and various fixtures, among others. Cabinetmaking is a skill in which practitioners must possess precision, particularly in measuring and cutting, and strong mathematics and problem-solving abilities and work habits. Professions related to Cabinetmaking include Carpentry, Millwork, Planermill, Refinishing, and Wood Products and Manufacturing, and Woodworking. The 10-month Joinery/Cabinetmaking Entry Level Trades Training (ELTT) program at North Island College is designed to prepare students for 'work as an apprentice Joiner, or as an entry-level worker in' the trade or related industry such as carpentry, millwork, planermill, refinishing, wood products and manufacturing, and woodworking. Among the major topics to be covered are cabinetmaking-related drafting and wood finishing, machining products design, and technology, First Aid (Level 1), and Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS). The latter two may not be required for those 'having current, valid First Aid and WHMIS certification.' The Program will also have 'a one-week work experience' component which takes place in March, Graduates may pursue employment and/or further educational opportunities in cabinetmaking or related professions. Cabinetmakers are most often employed indoors in various aspects of the construction, wood, and wood products manufacturing industries. Employers of cabinetmakers may include, for example, by companies, contractors, custom or repair shops, hardware stores, interior designers, lumber yards, manufacturers, and/or private individuals. Some cabinetmakers may pursue self employment options. Among the numerous areas in which cabinetmakers may work include design operations, designing, installing, and/or manufacturing wooden cabinets, furniture, and various fixtures, interior finishing and design, repair, restoration, renovation, and/or sales. Cabinetmakers can work up to 40 hours per week or more, depending upon demand for their services and products, and it is not unusual for them to labour in a shop environment in which they are exposed to high levels of noise, various dust particles, and chemicals, especially from paint. Individuals who aspire to advance their careers in cabinetmaking may be interested in pursuing further educational opportunities to refine and enhance their abilities, particularly via an apprenticeship. The latter is a method of learning a trade through a combination of periods of in-class, technical/theoretical education and periods of paid, on-the-job training. During the latter portions of an apprenticeship, the student (apprentice) will work under the direction of a certified, journeyperson member of the trade one is learning for a specified amount of time. A journeyperson is an individual who has earned the standards of practice of his/her trade, typically via the completion of an apprenticeship. The graduate of the Joinery/Cabinetmaking may qualify for advanced credits towards an apprenticeship. The advantage of completing an apprenticeship is not only that one acquires in-depth knowledge and skills in a trade but also that, within the latter, one's career opportunities and salary potential are normally increased. Furthermore, once an individual has obtained journeyperson status, he/she may be eligible to have his/her certification as such endorsed by the Interprovincial Standards Red Seal Program (Red Seal). The latter enables the journeyperson to practice his/her trade throughout Canada, provided the trade is designated in that locale, without undergoing further examinations. Moreover, cabinetmakers who earn journeyperson status may, after obtaining several years of experience beyond an apprenticeship, become educators, supervisors, and/or trainers of their trade. To be eligible for admission to the Joinery/Cabinetmaking program, applicants must have completed English 10 and Principles of Math 10, or equivalents, with at least a C grade or pass the College's 'assessment testing in English and Math.' Moreover, the Colleges advises the prospective student 'to arrange an informal interview with the instructor' in order to meet the latter and associated faculty and discuss the program and 'the applicantĘs interest in the trade and intended career path.'
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