There are many job roles in the furniture making industry, ranging from small companies making bespoke furniture, using traditional hand-finished methods, to larger companies mass producing furniture. Past trainees have worked in areas such as boat yards, furniture restoring and shop fitting environments.

NVQ Level 1

For individuals whose role involves:

• Working safely in an engineering environment
• Developing yourself and working with people on engineering activities
• Making components from wood-based materials
• Finishing surfaces by applying coatings or treatments

NVQ Level 2>

For routine, non-complex tasks, with some supervision. Once you have completed your training and gained your qualification, you could progress to a supervisor or manager or become self employed and even start your own business.

Candidates must achieve both mandatory units and three or more optional units. These must be either one unit from Group A (which must be different from any units taken at Level 1) and two units from Group B or three units from Group B.

Mandatory units:

• Ensure your own actions reduce risks to health and safety in the workplace
• Work effectively in a commercial environment

Optional Group A units:

• Supporting manufacturing operations in furniture/furnishing and interiors industry
• Maintain tools used in furniture making
• Prepare resources for use in making hand-crafted furniture
• Strip down items of furniture

Optional Group B units:

• Prepare to make furniture assemblies
• Make furniture assemblies
• Produce sheet veneers
• Lay production veneers
• Attach fittings to production furniture
• Prepare to apply finishing processes to production furniture
• Apply finishing processes to production furniture
• Operate computer controlled furniture production plant
• Assist with the operation furniture production machinery
• Prepare to upholster standard items of modern furniture
• Upholster standard items of modern furniture
• Prepare fabrics and components for use in soft furnishings and/or upholstery
• Cut fabrics and components for use in soft furnishings and/or upholstery
• Produce simple seamed components by hand and machine
• Produce standard window treatments
• Produce workshop equipment
• Make wooded components of hand-crafted furniture
• Cut and assemble veneers
• Lay veneers by hand and press methods
• Apply stains, sealers and primers to hand-crafted furniture
• Prepare hand-crafted furniture for finishing
• Prepare location for assembly and placement of furniture
• Re-instate a location after assembly and placement of furniture
• Mattress assembly and tufting
• Mattress quilting operations
• Develop customer relationships
• Collect information to support furniture restoration and repair commissions
• Produce timber and timber-based products
• Construct upholstery foundations
• Produce complex seamed components 

In order to achieve an Apprenticeship, Key Skills (Communication and Application of Level 1, plus one of the following at Level 1: Information Technology, Working With Others, Problem Solving or Improving Own Learning and Performance) and a Technical Certificate (Certificate in Furniture Production Level 2) are required to be added to this NVQ.

This qualification is very flexible in its structure, enabling the organisation and individual to choose the optional units which best suit their work and job role. Though all units need to be achieved to gain the NVQ, each unit is a ‘mini qualification’ and can be separately accredited.

 Download PDF version

Mandatory units:

• Working safely in an engineering environment
• Using and communicating technical information
• Workin efficiently and effectively in engineering

Optional units (choose 2 from 3):

• Assembling mechanical components
• Carrying out routine servicing of mechanical equipment
• Aplying coatings or covering to finish surfaces

Foundry Press Operators
Materials Engineers
Mechanical Engineers
Metals Industry Production Operatives
Plater/Fabricators
Production Engineers

NVQ Level 2 is intended for individuals whose role involves:

Mandatory units:

• Complying with statutory regulations and organisational safety requirements
• Promoting effective working relationships
• Contributing to effective teamworking

Optional Set A (two units):

• Transferring materials
• Preparing for manufacturing operations
• Concluding manufacturing operations-
• Ensuring effective handover of manufacturing operations
• Receiving and checking incoming materials
• Controlling manufacturing operations
• Contributing to improving effectiveness in the workplace
• Analysing the results of inspection and confirming quality of production
• Recording and reporting inspection and test results 

Optional Set B (three units):

• Transferring materials
• Analysing the results of inspection and confirming quality of production
• Producing shaped products
• Producing products by assembly operations
• Producing joined products
• Producing products by processing
• Producing formed products
• Finishing products
• Producing moulded products
• Producing packaged products
• Making products using computer controlled equipment
• Manufacturing products using combined manufacturing operations
• Carrying out inspection and testing activities

In order to achieve an Apprenticeship (Communication Level 2 and application of Level 1 and a GOAL PMO Level 2 are required to be added to this NVQ.

This NVQ is intended for individuals whose role involves close supervision of basic carpentry.

• Working safely in an engineering environment
• Developing yourself and working with people on engineering activities
• Making components from wood-based materials

Finishing surfaces by applying coatings or treatments

Download course pdf

This is intended for individuals whose role involves non-complex, routine site carpentry. A candidate must complete six units in total.

Mandatory units:

• Store resources ready for use
• Erect and dismantle working platforms
• Contribute to efficient working practices

Plus either:

• Carpentry and joinery site work option:
• Install first fixing components
• Install second fixing components
• Erect structural carcassing components

Or

Carpentry and Joinery Bench work option:

• Produce joinery setting out details
• Mark out joinery from setting out details
• Manufacture joinery products

Or shop-fitting option:

• Manufacture shop fitting products 

Plus either:

• Install internal shop fitting frames, fitments and finishings
• Install external shop fronts and finishings

Or:

• Produce carriage joinery setting out details
• Mark out carriage joinery from setting out details
• Assemble carriage joinery products

Or timber frame erection option:

• Erect timber frame walls and floors
• Erect roof structures
• Install supplementary timber frame fixings and fixtures

Additional units:

• Maintain internal and external timber components
• Produce timber and timber-based products (circular saw)

In order to achieve an Apprenticeship, Key Skills (Communication and Application of Level 1) and a Technical Certificate (Certificate in Intermediate Construction Award Level 2) are required to be added to this NVQ.

Like all NVQs this qualification is competence based. This means that it is linked to the candidate’s ability to competently perform a range of tasks connected with their work. This qualification is very flexible in its structure enabling the organisation and individual to choose the optional units which best suit their work and job role. Although all units need to be achieved to gain the NVQ, each unit is a ‘mini qualification’ and can be separately accredited.