Carpenters

Work Description
Carpentry includes a wide variety of work including building layout, concrete forming, wood and metal framing of walls, floors and roofs, window and door installation and a wide variety of interior and exterior applications.
Other crafts included in the carpenter trade are cabinetmakers, piledrivers, millwrights, lathers, floor coverers,  insulators, and interior systems work such as acoustical gypsum products, computer flooring, and trim.
Job supervisors and foremen usually have a carpentry background.

Working conditions
Physically demanding, indoor and outdoor work with variable weather conditions.

Qualifications
18 years old and high school diploma or GED
Physically capable of performing the trade
Possess valid driver's license or means of transportation
Recommended high school courses: general math, algebra, geometry, shop courses, drafting, print, reading, sciences, English

Application Process
Apply to Joint Apprenticeship Committee
Submit high school transcript or GED
Submit driver's license or plan of travel
Pass aptitude test (testing 1st Tuesday, each month) Application deadline, one week before test.
Interview with Joint Apprenticeship Committee.
Receive letter of introduction to present to prospective employers
The Carpenters test on the first Monday of each month.  The applications must be turned in by the Monday before the test.  Applications can be picked up at the apprenticeship  office; 2522 Fish Hatchery Rd. or call (608) 258-8867 and the director will mail one to you

Terms of Apprenticeship
4 year program
Combined 6,240 hours on-the-job training and classroom instruction (paid)
Previous experience can shorten apprenticeship with committee approval
Wage increases at 6 month intervals.

Carpenter Apprentice Study Guide

For More Information
Southern Wisconsin Carpentry Joint
Apprenticeship Committee
% Apprenticeship Coordinator
James Greer, Training Coordinator
2522 Fish Hatchery Road
Madison, WI 53713
608-258-8867

CABINETMAKERS
Cabinetmakers cut, shape and assemble wood products, including moldings, panels and furniture. They also fabricate store fixtures which includes the use of metal, plastics and glass. many work on exhibits and display cases. Cabinetmakers operate a number of machines including power saws, planers, joiners and shapers. Milling and joining finish casework usually is performed in a shop environment

PILE DRIVERS
Pile drivers drive metal sheet piling to hold back the dirt during excavations. They drive concrete and metal piling as part of the foundation system upon which skyscrapers are built, and they drive wood and concrete piling to hold up docks, wharfs and bridges. In some cases they work on off-shore oil rigs and as commercial divers involved in underwater construction. Pile drivers are also required to install heavy timbers and weld or cut large metal beams.

MILLWRIGHTS
Millwrights install conveyor systems, escalators, giant electrical turbines and generators. Millwirghts install and do maintenance on machinery in factories and do precision work in nuclear power plants.

LATHERS
Lathers use tie wire, screws, nails, clips and staples to fasten metal studs, metal lath and drywall. The framework built by lathers is eventually covered by plaster, drywall materials or other finished surfaces.

FLOOR COVERERS
HARDWOOD/CARPET
Floor coverers cut, fit and install hardwood flooring and various types of underlayment to ensure smooth, level surfaces for the finished floor. They also scribe, cut, fit, layout and seam tile and "sheet shock" in a variety of patterns. They are skillful in cutting, binding, sewing and installing carpet. They work from specifications of architects and interior designers, and must be good at estimating materials and doing layout.

Copy provided by Construction Labor-Management Council

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