Furniture apprenticeships to provide bespoke training for next generation of craftspeople

The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education has announced two exciting new apprenticeships for the furniture industry.

The first is a bespoke furniture maker, gaining the skills to create tables, chairs, cabinets, and office, kitchen, and bedroom furniture to meet individual customers’ requirements. Apprentices will work with wood, metals, glass, plastics, fabric, finishes and other relevant materials.

The other new apprenticeship will train future furniture product developers. They work on the design and rollout of new lines of furniture with manufacturing managers, engineers, purchasers, suppliers and customers.

Institute chief executive, Sir Gerry Berragan, said: “I am delighted that the bespoke furniture maker and new furniture product developer apprenticeships are now ready to train people of all ages to the high standards required by this important industry.”

More than a quarter of a million jobs are dependent on the success of the UK’s furniture, bed and furnishings industry, with 118,000 jobs in manufacturing alone.

Jasper Heinrich, head of operations for British manufacturer of exquisite bespoke furniture, cabinetry and specialist joinery Bill Cleyndert & Company, was supportive of both new apprenticeships during their development process.

Jasper said: “These apprenticeships will play an important role in producing the next generation of furniture craftspeople. There is a long and noble tradition of furniture making in this country and these apprenticeships will not only help to ensure the craft continues, but also that the training the apprentices receive meets the needs of the industry.”

Other employers that helped develop these new apprenticeships, include DFS, Mills and Scott, Simpsons, Travis Perkins, and Silentnight.