careers in woodworking

[kyle.w]

do they have any colleges that are for woodworking? i would really love to have a job with woodworking but i have no idea what education i would need to be in this field of work. just thought that some of you guys could help me out.

thanks, kyle

[DUD]

Tennessee has some that give degrees in many different hand skills. The one's I'm familar with are in Eastern Tennessee, I can't spell the name, but I'll give it a shot. I believe it is The College of the Applachions. I have visited one campus and they impressed Me. Bill

[Russianwolf]

Tennessee has some that give degrees in many different hand skills. The one's I'm familar with are in Eastern Tennessee, I can't spell the name, but I'll give it a shot. I believe it is The College of the Applachions. I have visited one campus and they impressed Me. Bill

I bet it's Appalachians, after the mountain chain ya know.

[DUD]

Mike You are right. Bill

[LarryG]

Kyle, the short answer to the question you actually asked is: I don't really know, although I've heard of a few, such as the famous woodworking school James Krenov started at College Of The Redwoods, in California. Google may be your best bet in this case.

The longer answer(s) to the question(s) you didn't ask ... what sort of career in woodworking would you like to have? That's the place to start, by figuring that out.

Although I know very little about them, I think places like the Krenov school will teach you to be an "artist" woodworker, and the skills you learn there may not be of much use out in the real world. If you go looking for a job at a high-production, commercial millwork shop, your ability to cut perfect dovetails by hand isn't going to be of much interest to a boss who is looking for people to shove 4x8 panels through his 32mm system.

If you want to split the difference and build fine custom furniture, using a combination of hand- and power-tool skills, then you could probably do just as well by taking whatever courses your local community college offers and then attending a few of the short-term woodworking schools run by the guys who write a lot of the articles for the woodworking magazines. And, of course, by spending every spare minute you can scratch out in your own shop, learning by doing.

If you want to open your own shop someday, don't overlook the importance of a good, basic, liberal arts education. You'll need good math, writing, and communication skills to run your own business; I cannot tell you how many immensely talented people I have known in my life who were struggling hard and getting nowhere because they didn't have the ability to present their ideas or products to their potential customers. (Right or wrong, success in most fields largely comes down to salesmanship.)

Lastly, remember this: if you choose a career in which you work with your hands, building things, you will basically be selling your time. And since you only have so much time, you can only build so much. That in turns means you can only make so much money, because whatever time you have invested in a single piece can only be sold once, no matter how long it took you to build it. This is very different from certain other creative jobs, like writing ... a successful novelist might write a best-selling book that sells a million copies. It would have taken him just as long to write it as if he'd sold only one. But when it sells a million copies, he hits the big time. That cannot happen with something like woodworking. Even if you crank out whirly-gigs to sell at craft fairs, there's only so many of them you can make and the going market price will limit how much money you can earn.

(That last part above is NOT meant to discourage you. Everyone should be so lucky as to do what he loves as his job, and I wish all the best to you. But we all have to make a living. Just something to think about, okay?)

We sure do miss your grandpa around here. I know you miss him, too.

[Joe DeFazio]

As for high-end furniture design and a craftsman-level approach to all areas of woodworking, look into the North Bennett Street School in Boston, MA. I'm sure it's not easy to get into, and probably not cheap, but some of the finest woodworkers alive today have graduated from that school, or have taught at it, or both. From what I know, I would characterize it as more of a school for the "artist" type woodworker, not the journeyman. Many people at that school would have the ambition not just to master woodworking, but to make a change in the collective consciousness of woodworkers everywhere by their contributions to the craft, to the field of design, and to the expressive potential of woodworking.

It's my opinion that if you are really passionate about what you love to do, and are willing to work extremely hard at it, it really pays to go to the very best school you can.

Joe

[scmhogg]

Kyle,

I can't believe its been over a year since we lost Monte. I still miss his posts.

I am sure he would be very proud that you are considering a career in something that he loved so much. When you apply, be sure to tell them that you attended the "College of Monte" first.

Steve

[Brian G]

Kyle, I think Larry gave you some excellent advice.

The Art and Design Department at Northern Michigan has a 4-year program in Woodworking according to this link

There are a number of options for other trade schools and short-term programs listed here and here.

Good luck to you.

[Pappy]

look into any schools near you. Most colleges have degree programs dealing with woodworking and general construction.