Builds, repairs and installs fixtures and furniture made from wood or wood substitutes
Wage Rate: $17.50 (Construction minimum wage, not including benefits)
Do you like working with wood? Are you good with your hands? Could you visualize a finished product by looking at drawings or blueprints? Then, you could become a Cabinetmaker!
Cabinetmakers build and repair fixtures (like kitchen cupboards) and furniture made of wood or wood substitutes. If you'd like to produce custom-made pieces, you'd discuss projects with customers, draw up plans, price and select materials, and measure, shape, assemble and install your work. If you're interested in cutting-edge technology, computers are frequently used in the design process and larger cabinet shops use computer-driven tools.
You can get a jump-start on your future career in the construction trades by checking out construction courses offered at colleges and high schools. These hands-on courses are designed to help you build the basic skills you will use in the construction industry.
While you're still in high school, you can begin an apprenticeship program in the Cabinetmaker trade as a Senior Years Apprentice and earn both high school and apprenticeship credits at the same time. After high school graduation, many Senior Years apprentices continue in regular, full-time apprenticeship programs.
To enter the Cabinetmaker apprenticeship program full-time, you must be at least 16 years old. You should also be a Senior 4 graduate, or, as a mature student, have an equivalent academic standing.
4 levels, including four in-school sessions.
You must have a qualified employer who is willing to train you as an apprentice. To register in the apprenticeship program, you and your employer complete an application form together and submit it to the Apprenticeship Branch. Once the application is approved, apprenticeship training begins under the supervision of a certified journeyperson.
The apprenticeship consists of four levels of both on-the-job practical experience and some in-school technical training. (Work hours and school time must total at least 1600 hours per level.) If you have successfully completed related courses of study or work experience you may be eligible for advanced standing in the apprenticeship program.
The Apprenticeship Branch arranges your classroom technical training. When you go to school, you pay a small portion of the tuition and are responsible for the cost of any required books and supplies. Most apprentices are eligible for employment insurance (EI) when they go to school.
When you successfully complete all levels of training, and score at least 70 % on your final examination, you receive an interprovincial Certificate of Qualification confirming your status as a certified journeyperson. The "Red Seal" endorsement on your certificate means that your trade qualifications are generally recognized throughout most of Canada.
For more detailed information on apprenticeship training in this trade, check the Apprenticeship web site at : http://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/aet/apprent/index.htm
Wage Rate: $17.50 (Construction minimum wage, not including benefits).
Employers provide holiday and vacation pay and may also have other benefits such as group insurance for health, dental and vision care, retirement packages, and training benefits. The value of the benefits can range from 20 % to 30% over and above the basic hourly pay rate.
Many Cabinetmakers work on residential, commercial, institutional and industrial construction projects as well as at renovation jobsites. Others work in custom or production shops that supply cabinetry, furniture and architectural millwork to a variety of companies.
Chances are good you could advance to a supervisory position. With further training, Cabinetmakers can become certified carpenters.