Furniture Making Operative Apprentice
COLLINS BESPOKE LIMITED
Ashford (TN26 3DL)
Closes on Monday 16 June 2025
Posted on 30 April 2025
Contents
Summary
A fantastic opportunity to join the team at Collin's Bespoke, a quality cabinetry making company, which includes designing kitchens and other interiors. Learning valuable skills from specialised craftsmen to lead on to a successful career in the carpentry industry.
- Wage
-
£15,704 for your first year, then could increase depending on your age
National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices
- Training course
- Furniture making operative (level 2)
- Hours
-
Working Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm.
40 hours a week
- Start date
-
Monday 30 June 2025
- Duration
-
1 year 9 months
- Positions available
-
1
Work
Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.
What you’ll do at work
Duties include:
- Understanding the cabinet design needs
- Learning about drawings and detailed plans for the design and construction of cabinets
- Selecting appropriate materials, such as wood and hardware to use for the construction of cabinets
- Operating machinery and tools, such as saws, drills, and lathes, to cut and shape parts for cabinets
- Assembling components to form the cabinet structure
- Applying finishes, such as paint or varnish, to completed cabinets
- Performing repair or maintenance work on existing cabinets
- Ensuring all work meets quality standards and adheres to design specifications
- Adhering to safety protocols and maintaining clean and organised workspaces
Where you’ll work
Unit 31, Old Surrenden Manor
Bethersden
Ashford
TN26 3DL
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
College or training organisation
EKC GROUP
Your training course
Furniture making operative (level 2)
Equal to GCSE
Course contents
- Read and interpret job specifications, technical drawings or information for furniture making activity.
- Plan furniture making activity including timescales for completion, and organise materials and resources.
- Prepare and maintain the work area.
- Apply safe systems of working including risk assessment.
- Follow health and safety regulations, standards, and guidance.
- Follow procedures in line with environmental and sustainability regulations, standards, and guidance. Segregate resources for reuse, recycling and disposal.
- Follow workplace operating procedures.
- Store tools and equipment.
- Select tools, equipment, and machinery for furniture making activity.
- Apply first line maintenance of, tools, equipment, and machinery. For example, checking tool condition, cleaning, lubrication, visual inspection, tool calibration.
- Set up and operate furniture making machinery.
- Identify and select materials used in furniture making.
- Apply preparation techniques to materials.
- Prepare and use jigs and templates used in the work activity. Check jigs and templates for damage.
- Measure and mark out materials including measurement tool calibration checks.
- Manufacture furniture components including cutting and shaping.
- Apply jointing techniques to produce furniture components.
- Assemble and secure furniture components in position, for example clamping and gluing techniques.
- Attach furniture fittings and fixtures.
- Carry out rectification, repair and rework of manufactured furniture.
- Follow quality assurance processes.
- Pack and store components and products.
- Record furniture making activity information - paper based or electronic.
- Apply basic continuous improvement techniques. For example, lean manufacturing, six sigma, 5S and KAIZEN.
- Apply team working principles.
- Apply escalation procedures in relation to faults or issues.
- Follow equity, diversity and inclusion rules.
- Communicate verbally with colleagues and supervisors.
- Communicate in writing with colleagues and supervisors using industry terminology electronically or paper based.
- Use information technology and digital systems. Comply with GDPR and cyber security regulations and policies.
- Undertake and record learning and development activities.
- Read and interpret job specifications, technical drawings or information for furniture making activity.
- Plan furniture making activity including timescales for completion, and organise materials and resources.
- Prepare and maintain the work area.
- Apply safe systems of working including risk assessment.
- Follow health and safety regulations, standards, and guidance.
- Follow procedures in line with environmental and sustainability regulations, standards, and guidance. Segregate resources for reuse, recycling and disposal.
- Follow workplace operating procedures.
- Store tools and equipment.
- Select tools, equipment, and machinery for furniture making activity.
- Apply first line maintenance of, tools, equipment, and machinery. For example, checking tool condition, cleaning, lubrication, visual inspection, tool calibration.
- Set up and operate furniture making machinery.
- Identify and select materials used in furniture making.
- Apply preparation techniques to materials.
- Prepare and use jigs and templates used in the work activity. Check jigs and templates for damage.
- Measure and mark out materials including measurement tool calibration checks.
- Manufacture furniture components including cutting and shaping.
- Apply jointing techniques to produce furniture components.
- Assemble and secure furniture components in position, for example clamping and gluing techniques.
- Attach furniture fittings and fixtures.
- Carry out rectification, repair and rework of manufactured furniture.
- Follow quality assurance processes.
- Pack and store components and products.
- Record furniture making activity information - paper based or electronic.
- Apply basic continuous improvement techniques. For example, lean manufacturing, six sigma, 5S and KAIZEN.
- Apply team working principles.
- Apply escalation procedures in relation to faults or issues.
- Follow equity, diversity and inclusion rules.
- Communicate verbally with colleagues and supervisors.
- Communicate in writing with colleagues and supervisors using industry terminology electronically or paper based.
- Use information technology and digital systems. Comply with GDPR and cyber security regulations and policies.
- Undertake and record learning and development activities.
Your training plan
- Furniture Making Operative Level 2
- Workshops are one day a week at Folkestone College
- Trainer visits the apprentice at the workplace once every 6-8 weeks
Requirements
Desirable qualifications
GCSE in:
- Maths and English (grade 4/C/Level 2 Functional Skills)
Let the company know about other relevant qualifications and industry experience you have. They can adjust the apprenticeship to reflect what you already know.
Skills
- Attention to detail
- Problem solving skills
- Number skills
- Analytical skills
- Logical
- Team working
- Creative
- Initiative
About this company
For nearly 30 years, Nick Collins has been designing and making bespoke cabinetry. Collins Bespoke was borne from Nick’s passion for bespoke interiors, and is where his craftsmanship has been nurtured, refined and shared. The Collins Bespoke team is an array of skilled crafts-people, mostly trained in-house: from designing, planning and templating; to finishing, assembling and installing. Headed by Nick, Director and Designer, and supported by Gemma, Director and Marketing Manager, driven by some pretty awesome designers, committed project managers and incredibly skilled workshop extraordinaires, the Collins Bespoke team is pretty great - we are proud of them all.
After this apprenticeship
This role could lead to progression and a permanent role.
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
EKC GROUP
Blue Vinall
blue.vinall@eastkent.ac.uk
01227 811315
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000318045.
Apply now
Closes on Monday 16 June 2025
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