Carpentry/Building Construction - Kwantlen University CollegeCarpentry Education in CanadaCarpentry and Woodworking Programs -- Community College Programs
PROGRAM WEBSITE
Carpentry/Building Construction - Kwantlen University College Kwantlen University College's Certificate in Carpentry/Building Construction is an Entry Level Trades Training (ELTT) program designed to provide students aspiring to a career in building construction with the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in the industry. The Program, which takes place Monday to Friday and has continuous intake, 'is organized into modules to ensure maximum flexibility for individualized learning.' With an emphasis on practical and hands-on learning, the Program will revolve 'around the individual needs of students' which will, in turn, 'determine the actual length of instruction.' As such, students with previous relevant education, training, and/or work experience may receive 'credit and/or advancement' in the Program provided they can 'demonstrate learned skills plus theoretical knowledge.' Among the major topics to be covered are air nailers and staplers, asphalt shingles, basic estimating, basic leveling (builders level), basic manual and power tools, blueprint reading, cabinets and plastic laminates, cedar shakes wood and vinyl siding, concrete forms, concrete quantity calculating, doors, drywall installation, floor and wall framing, powder actuated tools, ramsets, roof framing, safe work practices, spraytex, stair calculating and building, and taping and filling. Students must wear proper safety gear as mandated by the WorkersÆ Compensation Board regulations. Carpenters are most often employed in various areas of 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, flooring, or stair construction, among others. Individuals who aspire to advance their careers in carpentry 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, in an indentured capacity, under the direction of a certified, journeyperson member of the trade one is learning, for a specific period of time. A journeyperson is an individual who has earned the standards of practice of his/her trade. Graduates of the Certificate in Carpentry/Building Construction 'are eligible for credit for first year apprenticeship technical training.' 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, carpenters 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 Certificate program, applicants will usually need to have completed English 12 with a C grade or higher, or the equivalent or, if 19 years of age or over, apply under mature student status. Applicants who are under 19 years old must 'be a high school graduate, or missing one course (not English) for graduation.' Moreover, applicants must have 'adequate reading comprehension and math skills as assessed by Kwantlen' and may be required to undergo an interview with the instructor and show proof of 'satisfactory physical health.' The College advises that the completion of secondary 'school shop courses would be an asset' and may make applicants 'eligible for course credits upon verification of a Certification for Advanced Standing issued by the applicantÆs high school instructor.'
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