Bespoke furniture maker
Level 3 · AdvancedCreative and design 2 yr typical
About this apprenticeship
What it involves
The Bespoke Furniture Maker apprenticeship develops the craft skills to design and make high-quality one-off and small-batch furniture pieces by hand using traditional and contemporary techniques. Apprentices work with solid wood, veneers and other materials to produce items built to precise client specifications. It can lead to independent maker, workshop manager or furniture designer roles.
On the job
What you’ll learn
Properties of hardwoods, softwoods, sheet materials and veneers
Hand tool skills including chiselling, planing and sawing
Machine woodworking including routing, thicknessing and sawing
Joinery techniques including mortise and tenon, dovetail
Finishing methods such as oiling, waxing and lacquering
Design drawing and workshop calculations
Safe working practices in a woodworking environment
On the job
What you’ll do day to day
Interpret client briefs and produce working drawings
Select and mark out timber to minimise waste
Cut, plane and shape components by hand and machine
Cut and assemble traditional joints to a precise fit
Glue up and clamp assemblies accurately
Sand and prepare surfaces for finishing
Apply stains, oils, waxes or lacquers to complete pieces
The deal
How this apprenticeship works
You earn a wage from day one. You are a paid employee, not a student. There are no tuition fees - the training is funded by your employer and the government.
About 20% is “off-the-job” training. Roughly a day a week is spent learning away from your normal duties - at a college, training provider, or online - working towards a recognised qualification.
It ends with an end-point assessment (EPA). Near the end, an independent assessor checks you can do the job to the national standard - through tests, a project, a portfolio or an interview. Pass it and you are fully qualified.
How to get there
What you need to start
Level 3 (Advanced) - roughly A-level level. Employers usually look for some GCSEs (often English & maths around grade 4/C) or a Level 2 apprenticeship first. English & maths can sometimes be finished during training.
What’s next: Can lead to a Level 4/5 (Higher) apprenticeship, or straight into the role.
Entry requirements are set by each employer and can vary - always check the specific vacancy.
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What it’s really like
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