Advanced furniture making courses

[AidanB]

Hi,
I'm currently about 6 months away from finishing my cabinet making apprenticeship in Ireland and would be very interested in doing some futher education when I'm done.
I'd like to get invloved in making very high quality commisioned pieces, I know its not an easy market but its what I'd love to do.
Does anybody know of or has anybody taken part in any advanced furniture making courses?
Or possibly a work placement with a real master craftsman be just as good?
I'm willing to travel to other countries to do this because I want to do it in the best place possible if I'm going to do it at all.

Any advice is well recieved

 

[joiner_sim]

My advice to you now, would be to gain some real experience in a workshop making things for money. Once completing an apprenticeship, getting out there and working is the best way to learn! And, maybe one day do a further advanced course to better yourself, who knows, your employer may even pay a subsidy for it too!

Anyway, you say you're happy to go and work anywhere to work on high quality comissioned pieces. I saw this company in Rugby, Warickshire a while ago when I was looking for work. If it were closer to where I live I'd apply to join them myself. Their website claims to that they take work for the royals! http://www.nejstevenson.co.uk/vacancies.htm

However, I would do a search for something more local to yourself. Get your foot in the door somewhere and get that experience Good Luck!

 

[AidanB]

I'm not sure the way apprenticeship work in England but I have been working since I started it.
I did 3 years working for an antique restoration company which included one 6 months and two 3 month blocks of college as a part of the apprenticeship, now I'm working for a different company and I just have the few months left to do working for my employer to complete it.
Thanks for the link will have a look at it now

 

[joiner_sim]

Apprentiship work pretty much the same here. However, the real work experience starts once the college time's over. Thats what I found anyway.

 

[woodbloke]

I'd have a look in the back pages of F&C...lots of small ads there for jobs etc - Rob

 

[tomatwark]

The market place you are wanting to get into can be a very hard place to find work in, but there are always jobs out there.

I agree with the other answers here that experience is more often than not what an employer is looking for and while a qualification in fine furniture would probably help, it is what you can do with your hands that counts and also how quickly you can do it.

I have seen lots of people over the years who have done a course and start at companies I have run and worked for, turn up with a lovely portfolio of work they have made at college, only to find that their work rate is so slow they can not justify the wages paid and are let go at the end of a trial period.

I do not currently employ anyone but if I decide to in the future it is experience that I will look for over qualifications, as at the end of the day although I love what I do I am in this to make money.

That is not to say there are not some very good courses out there, just make sure if you go on one they will push you hard enough to keep your work rate at a commercial level.

I would look around find some companies you like the look of and contact them as alot of the time jobs are not advertised in the industry and a good CV and phone call will have results.

I have only applied for 3 jobs in my years making furniture including my first, one every other has either been from word of mouth, contacting firms or being asked to go and work there.

Hope this helps

Tom

 

[woodbloke]

I have seen lots of people over the years who have done a course and start at companies I have run and worked for, turn up with a lovely portfolio of work they have made at college, only to find that their work rate is so slow they can not justify the wages paid and are let go at the end of a trial period.

Tom

Spot on. Working at the professional end of the game is far more about doing the job in the hours allocated, the actual woodwork becomes secondary. If you're too slow, don't even bother applying - Rob

 

[g_iles]

Hi Aidan / everyone,

I am also in Ireland (Belfast) and am trying to get into furniture/cabinet making. I am 26 and have been looking for an apprenticeship opportunity for the last year and a half or so. I believed this was the best way into the industry as i did not have the money to attend expensive courses. Since then i have saved a little money and am now considering attending a college to complete a city and guilds (seems the most affordable) furniture course. I am more interested in a practical "hands on" rather than design based course.

As there are so few opportunities here i am willing to re-locate internationally in order to get into the industry either through study, an internship or both. I have good basic knowledge of hand and power tools and have completed evening courses in furniture restoration and woodworking. I also volunteer at a furniture restoration center in my spare time.

Although there are relatively few opportunities available at the moment i hope after training for the next few years this may change. I would be interested to hear which college in Ireland you study in Aidan, i've heard GMIT in letterfrack is one of the best. I would also be interested to hear from anyone who knows of good international colleges perhaps in Europe or Canada.

sorry for the long post but any information would be appreciated greatly.

cheers

 

[contemporist]

A couple of years ago I did a 12 week course at Robinson House Studio in Newhaven.

It was brilliant, I learned how to make furniture with a much higher level of accuracy to what I was used to. I also did an apprenticeship but this course taught me more in 12 weeks than college did in 3 years!

Check out their video on youtube as well, you get a good idea of the sort of work they do

 

[phil4lav]

hey can anyone help me, i am not fast enough as yet to start working for a cabinet makers company and so was thinking in terms of an apprenticeship does anyone know of any companies who are taking on any, because i am more of an advanced apprentice since i have done a BA in furniture design and a diploma in fine woodwork but need the industry speed experience. ive tried applying for roles but not really got anywhere.