General Furniture Manufacturers are skilled craftsmen/women who make pieces of furniture. They may work in a small, independent workshops 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

A Modern Upholsterer is a skilled and methodical individual capable of creating ergonomic and comfortable furniture using both traditional and modern techniques, materials and fabrics to produce aesthetically pleasing and fit for purpose consumer products.

A Furniture Finisher will prepare and treat a wide range of timbers and man-made boards, using a range of techniques. Items to be finished could range from tables, chairs, lounge suites, cabinets, chests of drawers, kitchen units and shop fittings. They may also work on fitted items such as staircases, wall panels and doors, and on musical instruments like pianos. Most furniture finishing is done by pressure spray application, but hand polishing & other machine applications can be used. This is a skilled occupation with a need to be creative, organised, have a good eye for colour and show attention to detail. Learners who master this skill see the finished furniture items come to life.

A Fitted Furniture Installer is responsible for preparing and installing furniture including kitchens, bedrooms, bathrooms and offices, shops, exhibitions and boat interiors. This is onsite at the customer’s commercial or domestic premises. Learners taking this route will experience a wide variety of projects and interface closely with customers.

Furniture restorers are involved in the conservation and restoration of antique and modern furniture by using practical and scientific restoration techniques. A furniture restorer should have an interest in furniture history, a desire to fix things, practical skills, an eye for detail and good observational and co-ordination skills with a patient and organised approach. The programme is designed to give a wide range of skills appropriate to restoration and repair.

Modern Furniture Service Repairers fix a wide range of problems, including damage to furniture, upholstery, beds, mattresses, mechanisms and fittings. They visit customers’ premises to inspect items, assess requirements and carry out repairs.

A Modern Furniture Service Repairer should have a hands-on approach, with good practical skills, excellent communication skills, an eye for detail and good observational and co-ordination skills. They should have a patient and organised approach, good listening skills and be an ambassador for your company.

The programme is designed to give a wide range of skills appropriate to Modern Furniture Service Repair and will lead to a lifelong trade.

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.

A Furniture CNC Specialist produces components for furniture using CNC machines. This includes setting up, operating and maintaining CNC machines and saws to cut, plane, shape and sand all types of wood and man-made wood components. They have an interest in computers and machines. They need to be able to work using their own initiative and motivate themselves. Furniture CNC Specialists work in environments where an ability to work to targets in terms of output and quality standards is essential. These can be wide ranging from small workshops to large scale factories. This programme is designed to give an excellent grounding for anyone who wants a career working with CNC machines.

Bed Manufacturers work in factory environments where the ability to work to agreed targets in terms of output and quality standards is essential. Manufacturers often work shift systems and the seasonality of the industry, plus peaks and troughs in orders, often demands overtime working.

A Foam Convertor and Upholstery Cushion Interior Manufacturer produces cushioning products using a wide range of conversion equipment. This includes setting up, operating and maintaining processing and cutting equipment. This equipment can range from small manually operated machines to large automated CNC profiling and shaping equipment. They are involved in the conversion of large polyurethane blocks and other filling materials into padding and cushioning components for the production of upholstered furniture and bedding.