The Training Required to Become a Carpenter - How to Join a Carpentry Apprenticeship

A high school education is not mandatory for a career as a carpenter, but most contractors and developers prefer applicants with a diploma or a GED. A good high school background for prospective carpenters would include carpentry and woodworking courses as well as other shop classes; applied mathematics; mechanical drawing; and blueprint reading.

As an aspiring carpenter, you can acquire the skills of your trade through formal training programs and through informal on-the-job training. An apprenticeship is considered the best way to learn carpentry, as apprenticeships provide firsthand experience that lays a good foundation for a career. However, opportunities for apprenticeships are limited in number, so consider a formal training program if you cannot find an apprenticeship.

You can also pick up skills informally on the job while you work as a carpenter's helper-and many carpenters enter the field this way. You'll begin with little or no training and gradually learn as you work under the supervision of experienced carpenters. The skills that you'll develop as a helper will depend on the jobs that your employers contract to do.

Working for a small contracting company, a beginner may learn about relatively few kinds of carpentry tasks. On the other hand, a large contracting company may offer a wider variety of learning opportunities. Becoming a skilled carpenter by this method can take much longer than an apprenticeship, and the completeness of the training varies. While waiting for an apprenticeship, some individuals work as helpers to gain experience in the field.

Some people first learn about carpentry while serving in a branch of the military. Others learn skills in vocational educational pro-grams offered in trade schools and through correspondence courses. Vocational programs can be very good, especially as a supplement to other practical training. But without additional hands-on instruction, vocational school graduates may not be adequately prepared for a job because some programs do not provide sufficient opportunity for carpentry practice.

Apprenticeships usually last four years. They are administered by employer groups and by local chapters of labor unions that organize carpenters. Applicants must meet the specific requirements of local apprenticeship committees. Typically, you must be at least 17 years old, have a high school diploma, and be able to show that you have some aptitude for carpentry.

Apprenticeships combine on-the-job work experience with classroom instruction in a planned, systematic program. Initially, you will work at such simple tasks as building concrete forms, doing rough framing, and nailing subflooring. Toward the end of your training, you may work on finishing trimwork, fitting hardware, hanging doors, and building stairs. In the course of this experience, you'll become familiar with the tools, materials, techniques, and equipment of the trade, and you'll learn how to do layout, framing, finishing, and other basic carpentry jobs.

The work experience segment of an apprenticeship is supplemented by about 144 hours of classroom instruction per year. Some of this instruction concerns the correct use and maintenance of tools, safety practices, first aid, building code requirements, and the properties of different construction materials. Other subjects you'll study include the principles of layout, blueprint reading, shop mathematics, and sketching. Both on the job and in the classroom, you'll learn how to work effectively with members of other skilled building trades.