Who is a carpenter?
A carpenter is an artisan or a worker skilled in carpentry or closely related field. Carpentry is a skilled trade or occupation focused on design, construction and repair of wooden structures, (structures made of wood and its by-products). Carpenters design, construct and repair structures and other fixtures made from wood and other materials.

Other closely related title(s)

1. Joiner
2. Woodworker
3. Furniture maker
4. Cabinetmaker

What is the work environment?
Carpenters work both indoors and outdoors building and installing various wooden structures and other fixtures.

Some important skills to have
Carpenters need to have some important qualities & skills such as;

1. Physical stamina
2. Problem solving skills
3. Basic math’s skills
4. Keenness to minimize injuries
5. Detail oriented
6. Business skills for those self employed
7. Communication skills
8. Among others

What are some career opportunities?
Carpenters can find work in various places such as; construction companies, building maintenance contractors, interior design companies, furniture making companies, carpentry shops, real estate developers, businesses among other areas.

Carpenters can also use their creativity and start their own carpentry businesses.

Becoming a carpenter

 Admission requirements
To pursue a career as a carpenter right from high school, a Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) mean grade E is required.

Training & Study options
With a KCSE mean grade E, you can proceed to a Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) college and enroll for an appropriate artisan course. Artisan courses are also offered within Vocational Training Centers (VTCs) within your region.

So what artisan course(s) can you pursue in TVET colleges?

1. Trade Test III in Carpentry and Joinery
2. Artisan in Carpentry & Joinery
3. Or Similar/ related courses

Education Progression
After a successful completion of an artisan course, you can advance your education upward (in a relevant field)up to university level if that’s your goal. How is this possible?

1. Get artisan certificate
2. Advance to craft certificate, (in a relevant field)
3. Advance to diploma certificate, (in a relevant field)
4. Advance to degree certificate, (in a relevant field)

How to Join TVET College.
There are two ways you can follow to join training institution(s) in pursuit of your career of choice. The majority way is applying through the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (Kuccps). This is a state owned agency that admits/ places government sponsored students to TVET colleges and universities. One of the advantages of applying through Kuccps is that, upon successful placement, you will pay subsidized fee as a government sponsored student.

To be placed through Kuccps you must have attained a certain pass mark required for various education levels such as degrees, diplomas, certificates and artisan courses. For an artisan course, you need a KCSE mean grade E. For more details on placement criteria, visit Kuccps website. The second approach is applying directly to training institution of your choice. Students who opt to apply this way do not get government fee subsidy and are therefore self-sponsored.

How to fund your post-secondary education.
If you are a needy student, upon application, you can get education loan from Higher Education Loans Board (HELB), a state owned institution that gives education loans to students joining technical colleges and universities. You can also access education bursaries from your local Member of Parliament (MP) or the County Government among other sources.

Always remember this!
Information provided on this website is for career awareness only, and not for any other purpose.

We know career life will take a significant part of your life journey, and your career choice will greatly influence how that journey unfolds. Therefore, before you make any career choice, before you commit yourself to any career or study option, be sure of what you are doing. It is advisable to seek professional advice from career advisors to navigate this very important process.

Need more information? We can provide you with additional career and education related information to meet your individual needs.