Whether you’re a complete beginner or considering it as your next career move, carpentry and joinery are rewarding and varied; you’ll get to work with your hands rather than being stuck staring at a desk in a windowless office. A craftsperson among trades, the work of a carpenter and joiner takes satisfaction from the creation of something practical and an appreciation for the skill of turning raw materials into a sophisticated structure.
This comprehensive guide to carpentry and joinery courses will take you through the two different yet similar trades, discuss various training pathways, as well as practical skills and career prospects.
The work of carpenters and joiners
What does a carpenter do?
A carpenter primarily works with wood, creating structures using timber and other materials as part of wider construction projects. In new builds, a carpenter’s work can be enlisted at various stages of the construction. They’ll be needed to erect timber frames for stud walling, fit staircases, floor struts and ceiling rafters. Once the construction is completed, carpenters are needed again to fit skirting boards, build door frames, and fit kitchens and wooden bath panels.
What does a joiner do?
Joiners on the other hand tend not to be based on-site. Instead, the work keeps them in a workshop where they join (and make) things out of wood. This could be items like bookshelves, cabinets or complete staircases that are then taken to their final location for fitting. This work is better suited to workshop setting as joiners need to use workshop tools like a mitre saw, sanding wheel or a lathe.
What are the similarities and the key differences between carpentry and joinery?
The trades obviously dovetail with each other; they both work with and make things from wood. Because of that, they have many shared skills from working with the same materials – knowledge of the different timbers (hard wood, soft wood), different cutting and fixing techniques, and different joints (such as dovetail, butt, mortise & tenon).
It’s not easy to define exactly where the work of a joiner becomes the work of carpenter, so in some ways it makes sense to be able to do both and have the knowledge, skills, experience and qualifications to work seamlessly.
In practice, many site carpenters draw on joinery skills, and many joiners understand site carpentry, making the combination highly valuable to employers.
If you need to sum up a key difference, a joiner makes things out of wood (components like fitted furniture and cabinetry), a carpenter builds with wood (frames and structures as part of installations).
How to become a carpenter
For simplicity, let’s look at carpentry as an umbrella term referring to both carpentry and joinery.
As with all trades, there are a few defined routes for new entrants to carpentry. With it being a craft trade, an apprenticeship is obvious; it provides a well-known pathway with an opportunity to earn while you learn and work towards the professional qualification.
In Further Education, some colleges run general woodworking courses as well as more specific Level 2 Diplomas in carpentry and joinery within their Construction and the Built Environment subject areas.
Private providers offering construction trade courses are an alternative route. They offer a variety of courses, including beginners’ carpentry courses and carpentry qualifications that can be completed over a period of weeks rather than being rigidly tied into term times or years on an apprentice’s wage. These courses combine practical and classroom learning, and depending on the course, can result in holding a ready-to-work qualification.
What are the best carpentry and joinery courses?
Regardless of why you’re learning carpentry, if you look for City & Guilds carpentry courses, you can be assured of their standard and industry applicability. City & Guilds is one of the UK’s most recognised training and educational institutes. A training centre or a course that carries the City & Guilds logo is recognised throughout the industry for maintaining high standards, meeting the strict benchmarks of not only teaching and assessment, but centre management and administrative processes.
Beginner carpentry courses
If you don’t know your plane from your chisel or saw from square, a beginner’s carpentry course will give you a thorough introduction to the trade, so you can cover the basics of tools, timbers, and techniques in a short period of time. Doing an introduction to carpentry course as a first step, means you can get a taste for the trade before committing to a professional qualification.
“I did the ‘introduction to carpentry’ week long course and recently started as a carpenters apprentice.” – Extract from Trustpilot review.
At Able Skills, even the introductory courses are City & Guilds approved. If you decide to pursue a longer course, the week’s block of learning can transfer over.
Professional carpentry and joinery: NVQ qualification route
To be fully prepared for the realities of site carpentry and joinery, consider a course that provides NVQ-ready training.
The Carpentry & Joinery Course with Training for NVQ Level 2 at Able Skills does exactly that.
You’ll learn carpentry and joinery and gain an accredited City & Guilds qualification, allowing you to build the relevant skills and experience that reflect exactly what it’s like to work on-site as a carpenter or joiner. You’ll learn about using hand tools and power tools, different woodworking techniques, health and safety and crucially the different aspects of carpentry and joinery.
This ready-to-work qualification takes 10 weeks as a full-time course, though you can choose to do it part time at weekends as well. When you finish, you’ll not only understand the demands of site carpentry and joinery but be ready to register for your NVQ.
Why should I do this course? If you want to work on site, you’ll need a CSCS card. If you want a CSCS Skilled Worker card, you’ll need to hold an appropriate Level 2 NVQ or equivalent occupational qualification. To achieve an NVQ, this course will fully prepare you for the process. When can I start?
A career in carpentry
Once you have the foundations in place – professional qualification, suitable experience – there are opportunities to take a carpentry career into different directions. As is common across all trades, the prospects for self-employment or running your own business create a well-trodden path. Likewise, moving into site supervision and management is a natural progression. With experience, it’s possible to specialise and a few areas to consider are set design, heritage restoration or shop fitting.
FAQs about carpentry and joinery courses
What are the entry requirements for carpentry and joinery courses?
Enrolling on a carpentry and joinery course at a private construction training provider at Level 1 or Level 2 has no entry requirements. If you were considering a Level 3 course, then a Level 2 may be required first.
How do I find carpentry training near me?
When looking for any woodworking courses, look for a provider of construction trade courses that’s approved by City & Guilds. If you can visit the centre to have a look round, this is an ideal opportunity to see what it’s like and to ask any questions about the practicality of carpentry training and what carpentry and joinery qualifications you need and are best suited to your circumstances and end goal.
What are the joinery qualifications UK?
In joinery, the qualifications that are discussed are ‘Wood occupations – architectural joinery’, but people refer to it as ‘bench joinery’ as well.
Does the term “carpentry” often refer to carpentry and joinery?
In day-to-day language, the term “carpenter” is synonymous with woodworking and is generally accepted as an all-encompassing umbrella term for someone who does the work of both. In the industry though, if you’re talking to professionals, that’s where you’d need to make the distinction.
Is there much demand for carpenters in the UK?
As with all trades, the industry is seeing a demand for skilled workers. Even if we disregard the current skills shortages, it’s an essential trade in housing, retrofitting, refurbishing, renovating, restoring and more.
How to get started
Carpentry and joinery courses at Able Skills
“I’ve just completed my NVQ Level 2 Carpentry & Joinery course at Able Skills, and I can honestly say it’s been an outstanding experience….
“Their passion for carpentry really shows in the way they teach, and their hands-on knowledge is second to none. The depth of experience between them gives you real confidence that you’re learning the right techniques, the right way.” – Review via Trustpilot.
As a City & Guilds approved training centre, Able Skills holds a mark of excellence in carpentry and joinery training. All students, whether they’re here for professional training or personal DIY skills, can be sure of industry-standard instruction from time-served instructors delivered in purpose-built workshops that reflect the reality of real-world work.
Whether you're looking for a new career, want recognised qualifications, or simply want to learn practical woodworking skills, our City & Guilds-approved carpentry and joinery courses provide a structured route from complete beginner through to industry-ready training.
If you’d like to find out more, contact our team today by phone or email.
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