Carpentry and Woodworking - Assiniboine Community CollegeCarpentry Education in CanadaCarpentry and Woodworking Programs -- Community College Programs
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Carpentry and Woodworking - Assiniboine Community College Assiniboine Community College's Carpentry and Woodworking Certificate is an interprovincially 'accredited and recognized' 10-month program which will expose students to pre-employment skills 'in 18 course areas of study within the carpentry trade.' The Program, which includes a 3-week work experience component, aims 'to produce graduates who can understand and implement techniques of quality craftsmanship.' The Program typically starts in September, following Labour Day, and concludes in early May and requires that the student 'successfully complete 73.5 academic credits and 3 practical credits.' The latter may be obtained through a Practicum, Student-Initiated Project, and Work Experience (available through Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition only). According to the Conference Board of Canada, a 'critical shortages' of skilled labourers in numerous sectors, including those in which carpenters are typically employed, exists, particularly in Alberta and Manitoba. As a result, job prospects for graduates are positive. Career-wise, carpenters are most often employed in the construction industry working on various commercial/industrial, maintenance, and/or residential projects. Common employers include construction companies, furniture and cabinet manufacturers, general contractors, and residential and ICI sectors. Some carpenters may prefer to become self-employed and/or establish their own companies. The precise work a carpenter performs on any given project is determined by the specific requirements of that project. Some carpenters, though, specialize in one or a limited number of tasks demanded of their craft. For example, some carpenters may focus on basement cribbing, exterior and/or interior finishing, flooring, form and/or frame construction, or stair construction, among others. Woodworkers are most often employed indoors in various aspects of the construction, wood, and wood products manufacturing industries. Employers of woodworkers may include, for example, by companies, contractors, custom or repair shops, hardware stores, interior designers, lumberyards, manufacturers, and/or private individuals. Some woodworkers may pursue self-employment options. Among the numerous areas in which woodworkers 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. Woodworkers 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 as carpenters or woodworkers 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. Graduates of the Carpentry and Woodworking Certificate may be eligible 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, journeypersons may, after obtaining several years of experience beyond an apprenticeship, become educators, supervisors, and/or trainers of their respective trades. Applicants for the Carpentry and Woodworking Certificate should have completed Manitoba Senior 4 (Grade 12) including 'Pre-Calculus, Applied or Consumer Mathematics 40S or equivalent or equivalent standing in an adult education program.' An applicant who has not completed these requirements but who is interested in entering the Program should contact the Assiniboine Community College Adult Collegiate because he/she may still be able apply via special admissions status. Through the latter process, the applicant's academic skills and 'education and relevant experience' will be taken in consideration in lieu of the aforementioned prerequisites. The College may require that an applicant applying through special admissions undergo academic upgrading before being accepted into the Program. Students will be eligible for a variety of financial awards, bursaries, and scholarships that will help them defray the costs of tuition. Moreover, an applicant possessing substantial 'industry-related experience' or who has 'taken high school vocational programs may be eligible for credits in this program.' To apply for credits, an applicant must 'attach a request for credits to' his/her 'application, and include information outlining' his/her 'previous experience and education.' Although not required for the Program, students should be aware that carpentry is a mentally and physically taxing trade. Carpenters should typically be able to balance on scaffolds, crouch, kneel, and stand for prolonged periods of time, have manual dexterity and mental nimbleness, lift in excess of 25 kilograms, and work both indoors and outdoors in all types of weather.
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