Carpentry Foundation - Certificate
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Students engage in a variety of classroom and shop activities. Theoretical principles of construction are learned in the classroom, while the majority of the time is spent in the shop where students learn and gain mastery of practical carpentry skills. Early activities include the fabrication of small projects where students learn safe practices, proper tool use and fundamental construction techniques. Gradually, students build structures of increased complexity that simulate real-world construction scenarios. Students learn to lay out buildings and to construct concrete formwork, floors, walls, roofs, and stairs in compliance with BC Building Code standards.
Educational Benefits
- Theoretical principles of carpentry
- Practical in-shop training
- 450 work-based hours (towards your “on-the-job apprenticeship component”)
- Credit for your level one technical training
- Knowledge of provincial and national codes
This 24-week program prepares learners for entry level positions as apprentice carpenters with home builders or building contracting companies involved in residential, commercial, or industrial construction. Students earn credit for the Level One technical training component of the carpentry apprenticeship as well as advance credit for 450 work-based hours of the practical on-the-job component of an apprenticeship.
Job Duties
- Concrete, wood and metal frame construction
- Installation of interior and exterior finishing
- Residential, commercial and industrial projects
- Conforming to plans, specifications and local building codes
Graduates of the Carpentry Foundation Program at Selkirk College typically find employment as apprentice carpenters engaged in the construction of wood, metal and concrete structures in residential, commercial, institutional and industrial settings. You'll get practical experience and detailed in-class training so you’ll know how to create buildings from the ground-up and deliver the results employers want.
Youth Train in Trades
The Youth Train in Trades program is designed to help secondary school students get a head start on careers in the trades while earning credit towards their high school graduation. Learn more online at Skilled Trades BC.
For more information, speak with your high school guidance counsellor or get in touch with Selkirk College’s Industry and Trades administrative assistant.