Wood Occupations

The job: Wood remains one of the key materials used in construction today, and working with it can provide a rewarding living. Overall, woodworkers will need to enjoy using their hands, as well as a variety of hand and power tools. Good handeye coordination is essential for working in wood  occupations, as are accurate measuring skills. Being organised and able to work in a team really  helps. Many jobs involve working inside and out, so you’re not always stuck in the same place.

Bench Joiner

The job: Bench joiners use their skills to manufacture goods out of wood, which includes preparing and putting together.
They prepare and put together doors, windows, staircases and fitted furniture, using woodworking  tools and specialist machinery. Usually based in a workshop, bench joiners sometimes travel out to construction sites.

Carpenter and Joiner

The job: Carpenters and joiners prepare and put into place most of the wooden parts of buildings – from floorboards and roof trusses to expertly crafted windows and doors. They use very specialized woodworking tools and work with many different kinds of wood.

Wood Machinist The job: Wood  machinists prepare and shape timber for use in making floorboards,  skirting boards and window frames. Most of the work is carried out in a machine shop with  specialist equipment. In fact, a large part of the job involves setting up, maintaining and operating machines safely, so it helps to be mechanically minded.

For a Fact Sheet on Carpenter and Joinery, click here

Formworker

The job: Formworkers make temporary wood or metal structures, used like a mould into which wet  concrete is poured. Once the concrete is set, the form is removed to reveal perfectly shaped pieces  of concrete.
Formwork is used in the construction of anything made from concrete, including bridges, foundations, suspended floors, beams and staircases.

Shopfitter

The job: Next time you go round the shops, take a look at the different styles of decoration and types of materials used to fit them out. The people who are responsible for this are skilledshopfitters. Working from designers’ plans, they choose, cut and shape the materials that transform an empty room into a sophisticated interior that makes you want to spend your cash. Once the shops are shut, shopfitters often need to work through the night to get the job done. This  is an indoor job for people who are looking for variety and the opportunity to work with different skills and materials.

For a Fact Sheet on Carpentering and Joinery, click here