<p>Carpentry is an exciting trade, which is in high demand! It is a very skilled trade, with carpenters using natural materials (wood/timber) to cut, shape and install wooden structures, fittings and furniture.</p>

<p>In the UK there are more than 5,000 organisations who recruit carpenters, with an estimated turnover of nearly £4 billion.</p>

<p>With so much demand, you might be wondering how to become a carpenter? Well, you’ve come to the right place!</p>

<p>There are several different routes you can take to become a carpenter or joiner. You might be someone that is looking to earn while they learn, and the good news is, you can do this through an apprenticeship. Or you might be someone that wants to complete a course to learn some skills before entering the carpentry – whether this be full-time or part-time with evening courses.</p>

<p>Let’s look at the options in a little bit more detail.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Apprenticeships</strong></h2>

<p>An apprenticeship is a fantastic way of entering the industry, and can be a great way to get your foot in the door with a local organisation that is looking to grow and develop their workforce.</p>

<p>Apprenticeships are open to anyone over the age of 16, so you could be a school leaver, or someone that wants to turn their passion into a career. As an apprentice you will be employed by the company, and complete training at college – you will be expected to work at least 30 hours a week, with the rest of your hours being training.</p>

<p>You can complete apprenticeships at a number of Levels, depending on your experience and skill level. At Weston College, we offer several different carpentry apprenticeships, click the course below to find out more:</p>

<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-adults/carpentry/carp… and Joinery Level 2</a> – 14 months</li>
<li><a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-adults/carpentry/site… Carpentry Level 2</a> – 14 months</li>
<li><a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-adults/construction/c… and Joinery Level 3</a> – 12 months</li>
<li><a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-adults/construction/s… Carpentry Level 3</a> – 12 months</li>
</ul>

<p>Once you have completed your apprenticeship, you can either further your development by studying the next level, or go into full-time work.</p>

<p>Before you work on a construction site, you will need a Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) card.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>College Courses</strong></h2>

<p>If you would prefer to study at College, there are a range of options available, from full-time courses to shorter part-time courses.</p>

<p>We offer courses for <a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/i-wan… 1, Level 2 and Level 3</a>, which all aim to develop your skills and prepare you for life as a carpenter.</p>

<p>On our full-time courses you will be part of our Construction Career Excellence Hub, which means that you will get unrivalled access to employers, with opportunities for work experience, master classes and hearing from industry insiders. Our construction courses are all endorsed by organisations from industry.</p>

<p>We also offer <a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-adults/construction/s… adult courses in Carpentry</a>, which allow you to sharpen your skills and are a great opportunity to change careers.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>If you'd like to find out more about a career in carpentry, <a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/news-and-events/events?utm_source=main-menu&am… along to one of our open evenings</a> and chat to the team, they will be more than happy to help!</p>

<p>On Monday, 9th January, participants of the Plant Training Skills Bootcamp were joined at the <a href="https://www.construction-training-centre.co.uk/">Construction Training Centre</a> by Kier Infrastructure and Utilities, Milestones Trust (Part of the M-Group) and Hays Recruitment who are actively recruiting Plant Machine Operators in utilities, construction and infrastructure sectors.&nbsp; Skills Bootcamps are DFE funded short training programmes, no longer than 12 weeks in duration purely for adults 19+.&nbsp; Skills Bootcamps have been designed with employers with a view to close skills gaps.</p>

<p>Each employer gave a presentation providing explanation about their business, live vacancies, salary, benefits, and opportunities for future progression.&nbsp; Following presentation each employer offered initial ‘speed interviews’ with each Bootcamp participant for live vacancies.</p>

<p>The speed interviews allowed Bootcamp participants (who are proactively seeking employment in this field as a direct result of their Bootcamp training) to ask questions and assess suitability before being invited for a formal second round interview.&nbsp; &nbsp;</p>

<p>It was a highly successful day, with many of the learners asking questions to find out more about their potential future careers, as well as lots of very engaged conversations about the logistics of working on site.</p>

<p>A learner currently training to be 360 excavator certified, spoke about why he wanted to the chance to chat to the employers: "I didn't want to be a labourer anymore - it was too wet and cold for me, so I wanted to upskill to increase employability. This is the perfect opportunity to find out what's out there, and be able to discuss with multiple employers what my best route would be."</p>

<p>Louise Greene, Business Growth and Employer Partnership Manger commented on the day, saying: "We're thrilled to be able to &nbsp;introduce newly skilled talent with our partner employers who are navigating skills shortages making impact on the closing of regional skills gaps in industry. learners about their future careers is amazing</p>

<p>The Construction Training Centre, located just off the M5, is a commercial training centre that supports training, refresher training upskilling, and funded training opportunities such as the Skills Bootcamps allowing individuals to access employment in the construction, utilities or warehousing and logistics.&nbsp; As an approved CITB ATO (Accredited Training Organisation) the centre offers CSCS touch screen testing, CITB Health and Safety Courses inclusive of SMSTS and SSSTS, plant training at NPORS and CPCS standards as well as scaffolding and driver training.</p>

<p>Weston College Law learners celebrated their achievements at the Bristol Law Society Awards, which took place at the Bristol Marriott City Centre Hotel on the 3rd November.</p>

<p>The awards were a huge success, with over 200 attendees from across the legal sector in attendance.</p>

<p>From a Weston College point of view, several of our CILEx learners made the final shortlist, which was a fantastic achievement in such a competitive award show.</p>

<p>We also celebrated the amazing achievement of Charlotte, who recently completed her Level 6 Diploma in Law and Practice, and won Support Team Member of the Year.</p>

<p>Charlotte, said: "It’s great to have so many alternative routes into law nowadays - the profession is accessible to such a wide demographic of people. CILEx helps diversify the fabric of our law system and I’m proud to say that I’ve qualified through this route."</p>

<p>Dean of Faculty for Professional Studies, Access to HE and Animal Science, Helen George, said: “We are so proud of our Law students, and it was brilliant to see so many people who trained at Weston College, at the Bristol Law Society Awards.</p>

<p>“We were particularly proud of two learners: Gemma who was a finalist for the Law Student of the Year, and Charlotte, who won Support Team Member of the Year. They have both shown a determination to succeed and have blown us away with their attitude to learning. Well done to them both.”</p>

<p><a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-adults/course-finder?… can find out more about our Law offer, by clicking here.</a></p>