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Hi Ya’ll….
I have just started an apprenticeship with a fantastic furniture designer/maker in Rhode Island. As this is an unpaid position I am looking for funding sources to help support myself during this 2 year period. I’m looking for leads on foundations, corporations, or other institutions that would be able to assist. Any suggestions?
Cheers, Quentin
Replies
A part time job nights.
Hello there and good day to you.
Have you ever thought about coming to England and enrolling onto a Carpentry & Joinery course at a local college?
Our basic C & J qualification for say a 16 year old Chippie (that's a nick name for a carpenter & joiner) starting out, would cover hand skills work, training and development in such areas as:- bench joinery, site work, levelling and setting out for a building, bricklaying/blocklaying, scaffolding, ceramic tiling, painting and decorating, decorative plaster finishes, glazing, shop fitting work and more with all the relevant theory work. This is normally a 36 week course.
From there you could progress onto an Intermediate level course, which works to further increase your hand skills in the following:-
- Bench joinery by you making windows, stairs, doors etc. from square stock material. Using hand tools, portable power tools and fixed machinery.
- Site work training i.e shooting doors in (no, not with M16's) that means planing them to fit, cutting in and fitting the butt hinges and hanging, scribing (coping) in skirting, architraves ( I believe you may call these moulding or casing to door frames ???), ground and upper flooring, roofing, fitting stairs, fitting kitchens, encasing services, stud walling, scaffolding, setting out for building, woodturning, staining and polishing and using the fixed woodworking machines etc.
This training and qualification then sets the young Chippie up for a good basic understanding of what is expected of him out on site or in the joinery shop. From here he/she could go into pattern making, shop (store) fitting, boat building etc. etc. A good trades person could earn a 'Bob' or two (money) over here as a Chippie and could be taking around £70,000 - £100,000 ($98,000- $140,000) for a 46 week year and we are screaming out for trades people, we just cant get enough youngsters trained quick enough.
Athough this isn't the answer you was looking for at least it might give some interest.
All the very best for your future.
Alan
Quentin, check out the Federal Government Grant Programs. I'm not sure where to start you but I have heard that there are several opportunities for assistance to persons desiring to work in the trades.
Steve - in Northern California
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