Carpentry Framing and Forming - British Columbia Institute of TechnologyCarpentry Education in CanadaCarpentry and Woodworking Programs -- Community College Programs
PROGRAM WEBSITE
Carpentry Framing and Forming - British Columbia Institute of Technology British Columbia Institute of Technology's (BCIT's) Carpentry Framing and Forming is a 23-week Certificate of Trades Training program designed to prepare 'students for entry-level employment in the carpentry trade.' Through a combination of basic theoretical and technical education and practical learning, the Program will expose students to the fundamental knowledge and skills enabling them to perform the most rudimentary of carpentry duties. To successfully graduate from the Program, students must achieve at least a 70 percent grade point average (GPA) with a minimum of 50 percent 'on any individual course' and a further 70 percent or higher 'on the Year 1 and Year 2 apprenticeship exams.' Upon successful completion of the Program, graduates may pursue employment and/or further education in carpentry. 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. Individuals who aspire to advance their careers as cabinetmakers 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 Framing and Forming program are eligible for advanced credits of up to 2 years of technical training towards a carpentry 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. Furthermore, carpenters who earn journeyperson status may, after accruing several years of work experience beyond an apprenticeship, may become educators, trainers, and/or supervisors of their trade. Potential applicants to the Carpentry Framing and Forming program may apply for admission in one of three ways. Firstly, applicants who have completed high school and successfully completed Communications 12 or English 12 or English-language proficiency, Grade 10 Mathematics (Accounting 11 is not accepted) may apply for direct entry into the Program. A BCIT pretest, English and Math assessment tests or Trades Pretest, is acceptable in lieu of the aforementioned requirements. BCIT reserves the right to have an applicant undergo a Chief Instructor interview before rendering a final decision regarding his/her application. Commencing in August 2007, applicants will no longer need to write the final examinations for Grade 12 Mathematics and Science courses for admission to programs that require those classes. However, final exam marks will still be needed for Grade 12 Communications, English, and Professional Communications courses. Secondly, students are eligible for entry into the Program via the Fresh Start Program. The latter 'is a full-time technical literacy program' providing students aspiring 'to enter a trades/technical program at BCIT' with the necessary 'academic upgrading in an applied setting' to do so. Thirdly, female students may apply to the Program through the Trades Discovery and Trades Discovery for Women. The latter 'are full-time programs designed to prepare participants to successfully enter and complete a Trades Training program.' Entrance Requirements Due to the demanding nature, both mentally and physically, of the carpentry trade, BCIT advises that individuals who may have 'medical or physical difficulties' to contact the Disability Resource Centre to arrange an interview (telephone interview if out of town) with the Institute's rehabilitation specialist at 604-451-6963' before applying to the Program.
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