Furniture Manufacturer (General Furniture Manufacturer pathway) L2 Apprenticeship

COURSE OVERVIEW

The Furniture, Furnishings and Interiors industry is of significant importance to the UK economy, particularly in the supply of end products for residential and commercial living and work places. The industry has an annual turnover well in excess of £12 billion. The ability to work to agreed targets in terms of output and quality standards is essential. Workplaces can be wide – ranging from small workshops to large factories. Furniture Manufacturers must be dexterous, have a good work ethic and able to demonstrate their ability to work individually and as part of a team.

Each apprentice will take the occupational route that is best suited to the business they work in. They will complete all the core requirements set out below and then the set number of requirements for the chosen route.

Each business, depending on size, market position and skills needs, will require a different combination of the optional requirements detailed within each occupational area. This apprenticeship is designed to allow the business and the apprentice to agree which of these options are most valuable to the apprentice and organisation. The number of requirements is set for each occupational area as being the minimum needed to ensure competence and transferability but any employer is free to train their apprentice in additional requirements outside of the apprenticeship and at their own cost.

Furniture Manufacturers are skilled craftsmen/women who make pieces of furniture. They may work in a small, independent shop that produces custom furniture or in a factory that mass-produces pieces of furniture. They will manufacture furniture such as:

• Domestic -; kitchens, bedrooms, living room and other items for the home
• Office – desk, seating, tables and other items for the office environment
• Contract – furniture for public areas such as hospitals, schools, hotels and airports
• Manufacture of high quality wooden components

In order to ensure sufficient flexibility to meet the needs of the industry whilst maintaining the rigour of every single apprenticeship within it, Furniture Manufacturers will need to undertake six of the following requirements, at least three must be Group A.

A Furniture Wood Machinist produces components for furniture using a wide range of wood working machinery. This includes setting up, operating and maintaining wood working machines such as saws, planers, moulders, lathes, routers and CNC/NC machines. Wood Machinists will take raw materials and produce components to a given specification to be used in the manufacture of furniture. They will often be working individually so being able to motivate themselves and work on their own initiative is essential. Having a keen eye for detail, apprentices will work in environments from small workshops to large scale factories. Following this route will allow an apprentice to develop a wide range of skills across different types of wood working machines.

In order to ensure sufficient flexibility to meet the needs of the industry whilst maintaining the rigour of every single apprenticeship within it, Wood Machinists will be able to undertake all the mandatory requirements and four of the optional requirements.