Construction and the built environment

Craft carpentry and joinery - Craft Architectural Joiner

Working with building materials (most often wood) to create and install building components.

Summary

This occupation is found in both the new build and refurbishment construction sector. The construction industry is central to creating the homes, schools, hospitals, energy and transport infrastructure society needs. There is growing demand for carpenters and joiners to help meet the need for the transition to modern methods of construction, heritage projects and sustainability.

The broad purpose of the occupation is working with wood-based materials and associated products to create and install complex building components. This typically involves shaping and cutting materials, installing finished materials like complex or decorative components. All work needs to be carried out safely, using the appropriate tools and to the quality specified.

This occupation includes two different options and people will either work on a construction site as an Advanced Site Carpenter or in a workshop as an Advanced Architectural Joiner.

Advanced Site Carpenters work on building sites in the construction of domestic and commercial properties, preparing and installing complex and bespoke building components. They prepare, construct and erect irregular and complex roof structures.

Advanced Architectural Joiners are employed in a workshop creating complex building components by setting out, marking out and create assembled products requiring advanced skilled work including the full range of woodworking machines. There will often be a need for refurbishment or repair work of bespoke pieces.

In their daily work, an employee in this occupation liaises with other construction roles such as bricklayers, plasterers and plumbers, supervisors, site management, architects, designers, contractors and customers.

An employee in this occupation will be responsible for working in a team, lead others, using machinery and tools to create, refurbish or repair structures or components. Having attained this level of competence, they could progress further in the industry as team leaders, trade forepersons, contract or works managers.

Typical job titles include

Knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs)

K1:

Awareness of health, safety and welfare regulations, standards, and guidance and impact on role of the team and other construction trades . Employer and employee responsibilities. Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (CoSHH). Fire safety and Fire door legislation. Health and Safety at Work Act. Asbestos awareness. Manual handling. Signage and notices. Fire extinguishers. Situational awareness. Slips, trips, and falls. Working in confined spaces. Working at height. Electrical safety. Reporting injuries, diseases and dangerous occurrences regulations (RIDDOR), Provision and use of work equipment regulations (PUWER) & near miss reporting.

K2:

Types incidents - accidents, near misses. Mitigation methods. Incident management techniques.

K3:

Safe systems of work, control measure implementation and monitoring techniques.

K4:

Safety Control equipment and safety techniques: Personal protective equipment (PPE), respiratory protective equipment (RPE) and local exhaust ventilation (LEV).

K5:

Environmental management systems and standards. Environmental Protection Act, types of pollution and control measures: water, noise, air pollution, smells, spills, waste and disposal of hazardous waste.

K6:

The principles of building construction: Fire safety, fire doors and linings, fire stopping, water ingress. Staircases, security requirements for external doors and windows. Vapour barriers, breathable membranes and sound proofing.

K7:

Methods of interpreting information from drawings, specifications, the production plan and producing work instructions, utilising traditional and digital methods.

K8:

Resource quantity calculation techniques, costing, wastage and recycling allowance.

K9:

The importance and considerations of the environment: U values, R Values, thermal bridging, airtightness, acoustic performance and thermal performance requirements of carpentry and joinery components.

K10:

Standards and regulations associated with carpentry and joinery: British standards, building regulations, warranty provider standards.

K11:

Written communication techniques. Plain English principles.

K12:

Documentation methods and requirements - digital and paper based.

K13:

Different energy efficiencies of insulation products and common construction methods sustainable principles associated with timber, manufactured timber-based products and associated materials.

K14:

Purpose and use of digital design and modelling systems in carpentry and joinery.

K15:

The principles of heritage building, considerations, like for like replacement and other techniques applicable to the carpenter and joiner.

K16:

Planning, work scheduling, and time management techniques for self and others.

K17:

Quality assurance requirements and monitoring techniques.

K18:

Stock, material stock and considerations: Availability, stock lead times. Correct handling to prevent damage. Stock value. Faulty stock and returns process, stock rotation and quality control.

K19:

Well-being: Mental and physical health considerations in self and others and how to access support.

K20:

Inclusion, equity and diversity in the workplace.

K21:

Hand and portable power tools for non-standard and angled carpentry and joinery work.

K29:

CAJ: Computer numerically controlled (CNC) machinery: Setting up and operating method and techniques.

K30:

CAJ: Manufacture and assembly techniques for bespoke windows with shaped joints, curves and non standard (non – 90 degree) window bars.

K31:

CAJ: Manufacture and assembly techniques for complex timber second fix products: 1. fire doors 2. shaped, non-standard doors 3. bespoke wall and floor units (commissioned order with features or like for like replacement).

K32:

CAJ: Manufacture and assembly techniques for complex timber first fix products: 1. staircases with turns 2. fire door linings, 3. bespoke windows with non standard (non-90 degree) angles, 4. shaped non standard door linings.

K33:

CAJ: Techniques to create shaped work using specialist jigs and fixed machinery.

K34:

CAJ: Techniques for forming shaped woodworking joints.

Technical Educational Products

Reference:
OCC0263A
Status:
Approved occupation imageApproved occupation
Average (median) salary:
£30,509 per year
SOC 2020 code:
5316 Carpenters and joiners
  • SOC 2020 sub unit groups:
    • 5316/02 Carpenters
    • 5316/03 Joiners
    • 5316/99 Carpenters and joiners n.e.c.
    • 5330/01 Carpenter and joinery supervisors
S1:

Comply with health and safety regulations, standards, and guidance.

S2:

Identify and use safety control equipment including RPE, dust suppression, PPE and LEV.

S3:

Implement and monitor safe systems of work and control measures.

S4:

Interpret and extract information using paper based or digital techniques from drawings, specifications and provide work instructions.

S5:

Calculate resource and cost quantities from site measurements.

S6:

Apply environmental and sustainable principles in compliance with regulations, standards and systems for example segregate resources for reuse, recycling and disposal.

S7:

Apply planning, work scheduling and time management techniques to identify and agree production plan targets.

S8:

Apply quality assurance procedures.

S9:

Select, check and use hand and power tools.

S10:

Complete documentation - paper based or digital. For example, job sheets, time sheets, risk assessments, method statements, equipment service records, handover documents, work sheets, checklists, incident reports, requisition sheets, quality records.

S11:

Communicate and report in written form any issues against the production plan and contribute to the solutions.

S12:

Obtain, monitor and rotate stock and supplies.

S20:

CAJ: Set out, mark out and form curved joinery products.

S21:

CAJ: Form shaped wood working joints.

S22:

CAJ: Set up and use CNC machinery to produce joinery products.

S23:

CAJ: Apply craft architectural joinery techniques to manufacture and assemble a window frame with, curved head and non-standard (non–90 degree) window bars.

S24:

CAJ: Apply craft architectural joinery techniques and practices to manufacture and assemble complex timber second fix products: 1. fire doors 2. shaped , non-standard doors 3. bespoke wall and floor units (commissioned order with features or like for like replacement).

S25:

CAJ: Apply craft architectural joinery techniques and practices to manufacture and assemble complex timber first fix products: 1. staircases with turns 2. fire door linings, 3. bespoke windows with non-standard (non–90 degree) angles, 4. shaped, non-standard door linings.

S26:

CAJ: Apply craft architectural techniques to create shaped work using specialist jigs and fixed machinery.

Technical Educational Products

Reference:
OCC0263A
Status:
Approved occupation imageApproved occupation
Average (median) salary:
£30,509 per year
SOC 2020 code:
5316 Carpenters and joiners
  • SOC 2020 sub unit groups:
    • 5316/02 Carpenters
    • 5316/03 Joiners
    • 5316/99 Carpenters and joiners n.e.c.
    • 5330/01 Carpenter and joinery supervisors
B1:

Take personal responsibility for their own health and safety.

B2:

Support an inclusive culture.

B3:

Take responsibility for the quality of work and encourage others to work to high standards.

B4:

Collaborate and promote teamwork across disciplines and external stakeholders.

B5:

Committed to continued professional development (CPD) to maintain and enhance competence in their own area of practice.

B6:

Promotes health, safety, environment and sustainability principles to others.

Technical Educational Products

Reference:
OCC0263A
Status:
Approved occupation imageApproved occupation
Average (median) salary:
£30,509 per year
SOC 2020 code:
5316 Carpenters and joiners
  • SOC 2020 sub unit groups:
    • 5316/02 Carpenters
    • 5316/03 Joiners
    • 5316/99 Carpenters and joiners n.e.c.
    • 5330/01 Carpenter and joinery supervisors