Train as a carpenter

Carpenters are usually the first tradesmen on a construction site and the last ones to leave. They're involved at every step of a building's construction: they build frames for foundations, install floor beams, lay sub-flooring and erect walls, stairs, and roofs. They also apply finishing touches and install doors, trim, molding, and hardware.

UFV's Carpentry program is designed to give you the skills you need to enter the trade. Once you successfully complete the program, you are prepared for employment opportunities in the construction industry and construction-related businesses such as building equipment, supply sales, shipping and delivery, building maintenance, renovations, and modular housing construction.

You also have the option of advanced placement in the UFV Carpentry Apprenticeship program to prepare you to earn your Red Seal certification, which opens the door to higher wages and better opportunities in the field.

The program provides you with a full overview of the trade, which may not be possible if you learned on the job. You get to practice what you learn in our well-equipped shop, where you are challenged to complete tasks patterned after real-life situations. Under the guidance of experienced instructors, you master the basics and progress to learn a variety of specialized carpentry skills.

The UFV Carpentry program exceeds the provincial standards of Entry Level Trades Training programs taught throughout B.C.

Career outlook

The Canadian Press reports that even if one in five students graduating from high school in B.C. for the next three years were to pursue a trade, there still wouldn’t be enough workers to fill shortages in the province’s construction industry. In fact, B.C. Construction Association has turned to skilled immigrants to fill in the gap.

Moreover, in Canada in the next decade, over 200,000 workers, or close to 25 percent of the construction workforce is slated to retire, increasing the odds that the demand for skilled carpenters and other construction workers will remain steady for the foreseeable future.

According to WorkBC, the need for carpentry contractors and supervisors is especially acute. With experience and additional training, carpenters can take on these roles and move into supervisory positions, such as foreman or construction superintendent.

Education Quality Assurance (EQA) designation