Residential Construction - Okanagan CollegeCarpentry Education in CanadaCarpentry and Woodworking Programs -- Community College Programs
PROGRAM WEBSITE
Residential Construction - Okanagan College Okanagan College's 30-week Residential Construction program provides students with the knowledge and skills to pursue entry-level employment and/or an apprenticeship in carpentry. The Program is particularly geared towards equipping 'students with the necessary theoretical and practical knowledge to seek employment as an apprentice carpenter in the residential construction industry.' Students will also engage in 'the construction of an actual house,' which will give them 'the opportunity to work' and gain familiarity 'with a variety of materials used by carpenters including lumber, panel products, concrete, fasteners and hardware.' To graduate, students must earn at least 70 percent on each component of the Program. Upon graduation, graduates will be awarded 'technical training credit for level one' of a Carpentry apprenticeship program. An apprenticeship 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. 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. Carpenters who earn journeyperson status may, after obtaining several years of experience beyond an apprenticeship, become educators, supervisors, and/or trainers of their trade. Carpenters can also further their respective training in specific aspects of their trade. Career-wise, carpenters are usually employed in various aspects of the construction industry often working on commercial/industrial, maintenance, or residential projects. Some may also pursue jobs in the wood and wood products manufacturing industries. Common employers include construction companies, furniture and cabinet manufacturers, general contractors, and residential and ICI sectors. Some carpenters may prefer to become self-employment 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. To be eligible for admission to the Residential Construction program, applicants must either possess a high school diploma, or equivalent, or qualify to apply via mature student status. Mature applicants must be at least '19 years of age and out of full time high school for at least one year prior to the start of classes.' All prospective students must attain 'satisfactory standing in basic mathematics and reading tests.'
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