Construction Techniques - Niagara CollegeCarpentry Education in CanadaCarpentry and Woodworking Programs -- Community College Programs
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Construction Techniques - Niagara College Carpentry is the profession dealing with the assembly, construction, installation, maintenance, repair, restoration, and/or renovation of architectures, components, forms, and/or structures created primarily from wood or wood-substitutes. 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. Both cabinetmaking and carpentry are skills in which practitioners must possess precision, particularly in measuring and cutting, and strong mathematics and problem-solving abilities and work habits. Professions related to Carpentry and Cabinetmaking include Millwork, Planermill, Refinishing, Wood Products and Manufacturing, and Woodworking. Niagara College's 1-year Construction Techniques, Ontario College Certificate 'program will expose students to the knowledge and skills of various of various trades relating to the construction industry, with a focus on carpentry and cabinetmaking. Among the major topics to be covered are blueprint reading, building construction (exteriors, finishes, floors, foundations, trims, and walls), building codes, communications, computer applications, construction materials, tools, and techniques, drafting, layout, surveying, trade-related mathematics, and health and safety. Graduates of the Program may pursue employment and/or further educational opportunities in carpentry and cabinetmaking, or related professions, particularly in the construction industry. The outlook for careers in the latter is positive as it is experiencing a 'chronic shortage of skilled trade workers.' 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 basements, exterior and/or interior finishing, flooring, form and/or frame construction, or stair construction, among others. Individuals who aspire to advance their careers in cabinetmaking, carpentry, or a related profession may be interested in pursuing further educational opportunities to refine and enhance their abilities. In fact, the College has numerous Articulation Agreements with numerous post-secondary institutions enabling graduates of the Construction Techniques program to transfer into various programs with advanced credits. Many graduates opt to further their training 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 Construction Techniques program 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. Individuals who earn journeyperson status may, after obtaining several years of experience beyond an apprenticeship, become educators, supervisors, and/or trainers of their respective trades. To be eligible for the Construction Techniques program, applicants must have at least an Ontario Secondary School Diploma with the majority of the senior level courses at the College (C), University (U) or University/College (M) levels, Grade 12 Equivalency, or apply under mature student status. Applicants must also have successfully completed Grade 12 English (C), (U) or (O) or Grade 12 English (minimum General Level). Applicants with some (E) level courses will still be considered for admission subject to 'either an interview or transcript evaluation by the co-ordinator.' Although not mandatory, the College recommends that prospective students take Construction Technology-Grade 11 or Grade 12 (C) and/or Technological Design-Grade 11 or 12 (M) as the skills learned in these courses may contribute to students' chances of success in the Program. Applicants will be ranked according to 'academic performance in required courses only using the most senior final grade level available at the time of selection. (If Grade 12 final grades are not available for required courses in progress, applicants will be evaluated based on Grade 11 final grades)' and/or 'testing or other supplemental evaluation' as required. Applicants should not that 'grades from co-op courses and half credit courses are not considered for ranking purposes.'
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