Industrial Woodworking Technician - Humber College Institute of Technology and Advanced LearningWoodworking Education in CanadaCarpentry and Woodworking Programs -- Community College Programs
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Industrial Woodworking Technician - Humber College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning Woodworking 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. Woodworking is a skill in which practitioners must possess precision, particularly in measuring and cutting, and strong mathematics and problem-solving abilities and work habits. Professions related to Woodworking include Cabinetmaking (Joinery), Carpentry, Millwork, Planermill, Refinishing, and Wood Products and Manufacturing. Humber College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning's 3-semester Industrial Woodworking Technician (IWWT) diploma program, held at the Humber North Campus, will provide students with 'the knowledge and skills to construct cabinets and fine furniture using both recognized, traditional trade practices and new technologies.' The focal point of the Program is on hands-on projects that will be completed by 'using various types of woodworking joints produced by hand tools, portable power tools, and machine tools.' To graduate, learners 'must complete a project from each of the modules' with each of the latter focussing on 'different techniques and/or woodworking machines.' Once the student has 'completed the required number of projects,' he/she will 'design and build a final project.' In addition to the projects, the Program will also develop students' business, communication, computer, critical thinking, interpersonal and teamwork, mathematics, and problem solving abilities. Graduates 'will be able to lay out, calculate, cut, machine, assemble, and finish a cabinet or a piece of fine furniture' utilizing the trade's various 'woodworking production equipment and hand tools.' If students cannot or do not want to complete the IWWT program, they may 'switch over into the Cabinet Making program and complete only the core woodworking courses.' Furthermore, IWWT graduates are 'eligible to apply their academic credits toward further study at many postsecondary institutions. According to the Wood Manufacturing Council of Canada, the employment outlook for wood products manufacturing and cabinetmaking is positive as the industry is in need of educated and skilled individuals for various aspects of the trade both domestically and internationally. Career-wise, woodworkers are most often employed indoors in various aspects of the construction, wood, and wood products manufacturing industries and are often employed in cabinetmaking, design operations, furniture or wood products manufacturing, interior finishing, restoration, and/or sales, among many other areas. The most common employers of woodworkers include construction firms, furniture manufacturers, repairers, retailers, and stores and millwork companies. Some woodworkers also pursue self-employment opportunities. Employers often contact the College regarding employment opportunities for woodworkers and job listings 'are posted in the lab.' On average, the starting wage 'for a student after one year of schooling is approximately $12 to $15 per hour.' It is not unusual for woodworkers to labour in a shop environment in which they are exposed to high levels of noise, various dust particles, and chemicals, especially from paint. Professions related to cabinet making include carpentry, millwork, planermill, refinishing, wood products and manufacturing, and woodworking. Graduates who aspire to advance their careers in cabinetmaking may be interested in pursuing further educational opportunities to refine and enhance their abilities, particularly via 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. Cabinetmakers who earn journeyperson status can, after obtaining years of several experience beyond an apprenticeship, become supervisors, trainers, and/or educators of their trade. IWWT graduates may qualify for advanced credits towards an apprenticeship. To be eligible for the IWWT program, applicants must have an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD), including College (C), University/ College (M), University (U) courses, or an 'OSSD at or above the general level, or equivalent, or mature student status.' Applicants must also have taken Grade 12 English at or above the general level or ENG4C or ENG4U and Grade 12 Mathematics MTT-4G or MAT-4A at or above the general level or MAP4C, MCT4C, MCB4U, MGA4U, or MDM4U. If an applicant is 'enrolled in Grade 12 required subjects (as indicated above), in the second semester (February to June), Grade 11 marks will be used.' Furthermore, applicants must also possess 'proficiency with word processing and spreadsheet applications;' if such skills are lacking, applicants may still be accepted but are 'required to take a computer course at their own expense' prior to the commencement of the second semester. Applicants may be subject to an interview before a final decision regarding acceptance by the College is made. Applicants whose primary language of education has not been English will need to demonstrate that they possess the level of English language abilities required to succeed at the College. The latter may be done either by taking relevant courses, programs, like the Humber English for Academic Purposes (EAP) program, or writing an English language proficiency test such as the Canadian Academic English Language (CAEL) Assessment, Michigan Test of English Language Proficiency (MELAB), or Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
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