Education · 1 of 4

The path

Almost everyone learns in a shop, not a classroom. A program helps you get the first job faster.

1. 1

   High school

   Grades 11 and 12

   Take every woodworking and shop class available. Build things at home and photograph them.

2. 2

   Get into a shop, or take a program

   0 to 2 years

   Either apply straight to a cabinet shop as a helper, or do a 1-year community college woodworking certificate first.

3. 3

   Learn the machines

   First year

   Table saw, panel saw, jointer, planer, edge bander, shaper. Safety first, speed much later.

4. 4

   Apprenticeship or credential

   2 to 4 years

   Registered apprenticeships in cabinetmaking combine paid work with classroom hours. The Woodwork Career Alliance credential records skills you can prove.

5. 5

   Cabinetmaker

   Year 3 onward

   Reading shop drawings, cutting your own lists, building complete units and fixing what goes wrong.