WAFMA - Careers

GET STARTED IN
FURNITURE MAKING!

Work experience

Interested in our industry? Have a passion for furniture? Want to know if you’d enjoy the job?

Before beginning an apprenticeship in Furniture Making it is recommended to complete some form of work experience. This may be a number of weeks with a certain employer or a few different weeks with several different employers to explore your options, confirm your interests and get excited for what lies ahead.

You can organise work experience by emailing us your details and interests, from which we can point you in the right direction of an employer to speak further with. Alternatively to expedite the process, if there is a member company you like the look of, give them a call and have a chat about the possibilities of joining the team for some work experience.

School students

Speak to your careers advisor or VET coordinator about organising work experience and/or speak with someone at your local Jobs and skills centre: Jobs and Skills WA

Apprenticeships

There are various options for apprenticeships in furniture making, depending on your interests. These apprenticeships take approximately 3-4 years to complete and the training combines practical experience at work, together with complementary off-the-job training with a Registered Training Organisation (RTO).

Certificate II in Furniture Making (Cabinet Making/Furniture Making Pre-Apprenticeship)

When you complete the Certificate II in Furniture Making (Cabinet Making/Furniture Making Pre-Apprenticeship) you'll be what employers are looking for in an apprentice furniture maker or cabinet maker.

Cabinet makers work from plans or drawings to make home and office furniture, including built-in cupboards and fixtures for new homes and shops. Furniture making concentrates on the production of solid and free standing furniture.

Certificate III in Upholstery

This course will give you the skills and knowledge to carry out upholstery work, including
dismantling and reassembling furniture.

Certificate III in Cabinet Making

In this course you will gain the knowledge and skills to work effectively in the furnishing industry, learning to create furniture using hand and power tools, industrial machinery and CNC processing centres.

Certificate III in Timber and Composites Machining

This course will provide you with the opportunity to develop the skills and knowledge to perform timber and composites machining for the manufacture of furniture, built in and freestanding cabinetry and
other timber components.

Note: The workplace and employer you partake your apprenticeship with, will determine other skills learnt during this time as some businesses manufacture the furniture from beginning to end. This will expose you to additional skills and ways to express your creativity.

4 steps to get started

Think about what apprenticeship you'd prefer

Upholstery or
Cabinet Making

Undertake some
work experience

Recommended but
not essential

Find an employer offering an apprenticeship opportunity