The first question most aspiring carpenters ask is how do I find a carpentry apprenticeship?

Unfortunately that’s not an easy question to answer as a great deal is dependant on which country you live in and sometimes even which city or region of that country you live in. Firstly different countries have different standards, regulations and qualifications for carpenters. In some countries a carpenter will need to pass an approved qualification whereas in others a suitable qualification may be desireable but not a necessity. Different regions can also have different training systems and funding too.

We hope to be able to bring you more comprehensive information about finding a carpentry apprenticeship specific to your own location in the coming months but here are some great tips to help you get started in carpentry.

 

Contact local colleges or training centres

Local colleges or construction training centres are usually a good place to start. They’re the ones most likely to know the carpentry apprenticeship situation in your local area and be able to advise you on qualifications, grants and training available. Even if a college course is not suitable or available colleges are usually more than willing to help you with information on how to find courses or work placements.

 

Contact local carpenters and carpentry and woodworking companies

Now some companies might be too busy to talk to you or reply to your letters or email but don’t take that negatively. It’s nothing personal and if you keep on contacting local carpenters some will be willing to give you some help and guidance.

Always remember when you contact anyone to be as professional as you can. Every possible contact is a potential employer so alway be polite and conduct yourself as you would for a job interview. Appear enthusiastic, interested, hardworking and reliable – even if a company doesn’t have any vacancies today they may in the future and if you’ve left a good impression of yourself (and your contact details!) they may come back to you in future.

Another option if there aren’t any carpentry apprenticeships available at the moment is to offer to help out at a carpentry company or a local carpenter free of charge for a while. Now working for nothing isn’t great – worse than carpentry apprenticeship wages and you might get the dirty, tough or boring jobs but it will get you what every employers likes to see – experience! Gaining work experience this way in invaluable and shows your commitment to learning and getting employment and can even get you valuable references to show to potential employers and make contacts in the trade and might even hear of potential apprenticeship vacancies.

Above all don’t give up – there might not be a lot of apprenticeships in your area and there might be a high demand for them so do whatever you can to show that you’re willing to learn, adaptable and determined to succeed to make yourself stand out from the crowd!