How to further develop your carpentry skills and experience

9/04/2021

So you’ve taken up carpentry and want to further develop your skills.

Being passionate about your job is great. It means you will learn faster and go further in your career.

The more skills and experience you get, the easier it will be for you to find a job or do further studies. With this added confidence and track record, you’ll gain a competitive edge against other people in the jobs market.   

If you’re already studying carpentry through a Certificate III in Carpentry and doing an apprenticeship, you might like to do a bit of study on the side.

In this blog, we show you how to supplement your learnings by getting even more skills and experience.

Certificate III in Carpentry

Before we discuss some other ways to go even further in your carpentry skills, let’s start with the basics.

If you want to become any type of construction professional from a chippy to a project construction manager, then the  Certificate III in Carpentry (CPC30220) is a great place to start.

In this course, you’ll get hands on experience while doing your apprenticeship. You’ll learn from your employer and trainers while putting your learning into practice. Nothing beats on-the-job training for carpentry.

At the same time, you’ll do a few hours every week of self-paced study. This involves a bit of reading, watching videos, and doing assignments. But the good news is you can do it when and where it suits you.

Even though this certificate will teach you everything you need to be a qualified and confident chippy, you might like to speed up your learning or perhaps gain a bit more practice at the tricky bits. If so, here are a few carpentry tips and tricks.

Carpentry YouTube videos

Carpentry YouTube videos are both educational and fun to watch.

If you want to add to your skills and experience, check out some of these popular channels.  

Perkins Builder Brothers are a couple of American blokes who show you the ropes while they build things like houses.

And Scott Brown Carpentry is a channel created by a Kiwi guy who creates relatable and easy to follow videos around his own home.

If you’re working as a tradie, you probably spend a lot of time at Bunnings Warehouse. This classic Aussie hardware megastore even has a great YouTube channel with heaps of carpentry tips and tricks.

The best way to watch YouTube is by creating your own account, so you can save your favourite videos and subscribe to your favourite channels. This way you’ll get all the latest updates in the industry.

Carpentry books

While YouTube videos are great, sometimes you just need a good book to explain all the finer details. If you’re looking for a good quality read, here are a couple of carpentry books that we recommend.

Advanced Building and Joinery Skills teaches you a lot of the skills that you’ll need on your jobs as a carpenter or joiner. It’s very up-to-date and comprehensive.

The Australian House Building Manual is another one that’s great for apprentices in training. But you’ll find yourself using it for many years, even if you want to become a builder or manager!

Certificate IV in Carpentry

If you’re in the middle of your Certificate III in Carpentry or coming close to finishing, you might be wondering, what’s next?

You can either dive into working on the tools, or you could consider studying more to become a builder or project manager.

If you want to become a builder, project manager, or construction manager, you could do the Certificate IV in Building and Construction (Building) (CPC40120).

The cert 4 teaches you everything you need to know to own your run business, to get your building licence, and to get a higher paying job as a supervisor or manager.

Even though it’s a couple of extra years of training, it could be worth it if you want a higher salary or to get off the tools.

Developing your carpentry skills and experience

As a skilled trade, carpentry takes many years of training and practice to master. But if you’ve begun your Certificate III in Carpentry, you’re definitely on your way.

Consider going beyond your certificate and apprenticeship by growing your skills and knowledge in your own time.

Whether you prefer to watch carpentry YouTube videos or read carpentry books, you can learn faster and get a competitive edge in the jobs market.Thinking of doing a CPC30220 Certificate III in Carpentry (CPC30220) or Certificate IV in Building and Construction (Building) (CPC40120)? Get in touch to ask questions and confirm your eligibility for government funding on 1300 534 363 (LEGEND) or request a callback.