carpentry careers

Carpentry Careers Begin With Framing the Field
As skilled construction workers, carpenters are exposed to the entire construction process. Those in carpentry professionals construct, erect, install, and repair structures and fixtures made from wood and other materials. Carpentry careers encompass everything from the building of highways and bridges to the installation of kitchen cabinets.

If you're seeking carpentry careers with small home builders or remodeling companies, you'll need to know how to build a house, which includes framing walls and partitions, putting in doors and windows, building stairs, installing cabinets and molding, and much more. If you'd rather become a carpenter for a large construction or specialty contractor, you may only be asked to perform carpentry tasks such as framing walls, constructing wooden forms for pouring concrete, or erecting scaffolding.

Outside the construction industry, you may elect to receive carpentry training at carpentry schools for installation and maintenance work. For these carpentry careers, you'll learn how to replace panes of glass, ceiling tiles, and doors; repair desks, cabinets, and other furniture; install partitions, doors, and windows; and change locks.

Installing Constructive Components
If you want to become a carpenter, prepare yourself with high school courses in English, Spanish, algebra, geometry, physics, mechanical drawing, blueprint reading, and general shop. Be sure to hone your communication skills in both English and Spanish, since Spanish-speaking workers make up a large part of the construction workforce in many areas.

With formal carpentry training at carpentry schools, you'll receive classroom instruction in safety, first aid, blueprint reading, freehand sketching, basic math, and various carpentry techniques. Currently, there are more than 500 carpentry training/assessment facilities accredited by the National Center for Construction Education and Research. Once you've been trained, you can take the National Construction Career Tests, a set of standardized achievement tests that include both carpentry knowledge and skills demonstration.

In carpentry careers, you'll gain invaluable insight into structural design, and you'll become familiar with common carpentry tasks such as layout, form building, rough framing, and outside and inside finishing. You'll also learn to use the tools, machines, equipment, and materials of the trade.

Carpentry Careers: Putting It All Together
In May 2004, median hourly earnings of carpenters were $16.78, with the highest 10 percent earning more than $28.65.

Carpenters held about 1.3 million jobs that same year, making up the largest building trades occupation. And, job opportunities for those desiring carpentry careers should continue to be excellent. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of carpenters is expected to increase 9 to 17 percent through 2014.

Become a carpenter via carpentry schools; education constructs dream carpentry careers.

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