Herzing College Skilled Trades
Carpentry Pre-Apprenticeship Training Program
Learn the woodworking, safety, blueprint, and building code skills you need to become a carpenter apprentice. Train with licensed instructors using industry-standard tools and safety gear. Get help finding a paid apprenticeship after graduation.
Carpentry Pre-Apprenticeship Training: Your First Step to Becoming a Licensed Carpenter
General carpenters construct, renovate, and repair structures made of wood, steel, concrete, and other materials. They work on residential, commercial, and industrial projects.
To earn a Certificate of Qualification (C of Q) as a general carpenter in Ontario, you must complete an apprenticeship. The process includes the following steps:
- Complete 720 hours of in-school carpentry training
- Complete 6,480 hours of work experience as a carpenter apprentice
- Pass the certification exam
Pre-apprenticeship carpentry training is your first step. Employers prefer to hire apprentices who already have hands-on skills and safety knowledge.
A quality carpentry program gives you a big advantage when competing for your first apprenticeship.
Herzing College Carpentry Pre-apprenticeship Training Program
The goal of this program is to get you hired as a carpenter apprentice so you can start on the path toward certification.
Herzing’s program teaches the theory and hands-on skills Ontario employers are looking for. And our partnerships with Ontario trades organizations and unions help our students get great apprenticeships after graduation.
- 18-week program
- Licensed instructors with years of industry experience
- State-of-the-art training facility that simulates a real work environment
- Multiple program start dates throughout the year
- Training grants, loans, and scholarships may be available for qualified students (our admissions team can help you apply)
Valuable Safety Certifications Included
Employers prefer to hire carpentry apprentices who already have training in job safety. Our carpentry pre-apprenticeship program includes the following safety certifications:
- WHMIS
- Working at Heights
- Elevating Work Platforms
- Lockout & Tag Safety
- Scaffold Users’ Hazard Awareness
- Confined Spaces Hazard Awareness
Career Outlook
Successful graduates of our Carpentry Pre-apprenticeship training program are qualified for jobs with:
- Construction companies
- Carpentry contractors
- Maintenance departments of factories, plants, and other establishments
Examples of possible job titles include:
- Carpenter
- Rough Carpenter
- Renovation Carpenter
- Metal Framer – Carpentry
- Finish Carpenter
- Maintenance Carpenter
Study Topics
The carpentry pre-apprenticeship training program teaches carpentry construction and installation methods, blueprint interpretation, the Ontario Building Code, and job safety.
In this program you will learn:
- Carpentry safety requirements of the Occupational Health and Safety Act
- The proper use of hand and power tools
- How to apply interior and exterior residential finishes
- How to construct footing, wall, column, pilaster, beam, and stair forms
- How to install suspended ceiling systems, steel stud and drywall systems, and accessories
- How to estimate material quantities from residential plans and specifications
- How to read blueprints and interpret construction drawings and sketches
- The Ontario Building Code
- How to write a professional resume and prepare for carpentry apprenticeship interviews
Click to see a detailed description of each course.
Students learn to interpret the carpentry safety requirements of the Occupational Health and Safety Act. Students will be able to identify unsafe work areas and apply essential safety procedures.
Students will be trained in the proper use of hand and power tools, as well as woodworking nomenclature, production methods and techniques. Students will learn interior and exterior residential finishes and apply selected finishes in the program. Students cover the fundamentals of describing and constructing footing, wall, column, pilaster, beam and stair forms. The program allows students to gain experience describing and installing suspended ceiling systems, steel stud and drywall systems, and accessories. It will teach students how to select and identify material used in residential and commercial construction.
Students will be able to identify types of residential foundations and building code requirements according to the Ontario Building Code, such as the layout and construction of various types of residential framing. Students will be able to estimate material quantities from residential plans and specifications.
In this course students will learn how to navigate through the Canadian Electrical Code book. They will learn how to interpret and apply the code in practical applications. They will understand that Code is law and that it must be followed.
Students will obtain knowledge in reading and interpreting, drawings and sketches of layouts to calculate the requirements according to the building code. Students will also gain experience in identifying various types of plans and specifications.
Resume Writing, Interview Skill Training, Customer Service Training, Communications Skills Training and Timesheet Skills Training.
Admission Requirements
What you need to get started.
- Have a minimum of a Canadian provincial high school diploma or equivalent, or be a mature student
- Pass an entrance test administered by Herzing College
- Be interviewed in detail regarding interest in the field
- Meet any additional program-specific entrance requirements
