Carpentry and joinery / Skills England

Key information

Reference: OCC0264-
Date updated: 13/01/2025
Level: 2
Route: Construction and the built environment
Regulated occupation: No

Details of the occupational standard

Occupation summary

This occupation is found in both the new build and refurbishment construction sector. The construction industry is central to creating the homes, schools, hospitals, energy and transport infrastructure society needs. There is growing demand for carpenters and joiners to help meet the need for the transition to modern methods of construction and sustainability.

The broad purpose of the occupation is working with wood-based materials and associated products to create and install building components. This typically involves shaping and cutting materials, installing finished materials like partitions, doors, staircases, window frames, mouldings, timber floor coverings and erecting structural components such as floor joists and roofs. All work needs to be carried out safely, using the appropriate tools and to the quality specified.

This occupation includes two different options and people will either work on a construction site as a Site Carpenter or in a workshop as an Architectural Joiner.

A Site Carpenter will prepare and install basic building components e.g. doors, straight staircases, wall and floor units and erecting structural carpentry and roof structures on a building site or in domestic and commercial premises.

An Architectural Joiner will create building components by setting out, marking out and manufacturing basic architectural products, including doors, windows, straight staircases and associated ironmongery.

In their daily work, an employee in this occupation interacts with other construction roles such as bricklayers, plasterers and plumbers, supervisors, site management, architects, designers, contractors and customers.

An employee in this occupation will be responsible for using machinery and tools under supervision to create structures or components from the designs, plans and specifications of architects and designers that meet the clients expectations. On site these could include roof structures, floors, partitions and second fix work such as door frames and skirting. As an architectural joiner, they could include doors, windows and stairs, including ironmongery.

Typical job titles include:

Architectural joiner Site carpenter

Core occupation duties

Duty	KSBs
Duty 1 Work in compliance with occupational health, safety and environmental requirements to ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of self and others at all times. Report in a timely manner any non-compliances against the construction programme to the appropriate person	K1 K2 K3 K7 K14 K15 K17 K19 K20 S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S9 S10 S11 S13 B1 B2 B3
Duty 2 Work to the construction programme, adapting to changes in schedule and requirements where necessary.	K5 K8 S1 S6 B1 B5
Duty 3 Prepare the work site or workshop ready for the work and select materials and tools appropriate to the project	K1 K2 K3 K5 K6 K8 K9 K10 K11 K12 K14 K16 S1 S2 S3 S7 S9 S12 B1
Duty 4 Use and maintain hand tools and power tools and associated equipment to complete task to industry standards	K14 K15 K16 K17 S1 S2 S9 S11 S12 B1
Duty 5 Collaborate with stakeholders including clients and other construction roles	K3 K5 K9 K13 K18 K19 K20 S8 S13 B1 B3 B5
Duty 6 Receive, unload, move and lift materials to site for installation following good handling practices preventing injury or damage	K1 K2 S1 S2 B1
Duty 7 Maintain a clear and safe worksite at all times, disposing of waste appropriately and sustainably	K1 K4 K5 S1 S3 S5 B1 B2
Duty 8 Carry out continuous professional development to maintain knowledge of current and future developments affecting the role	K12 K19 K20 K40 B1 B4

KSBs

Knowledge

K1: Awareness of health and safety regulations, standards, and guidance and impact on role. Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (CoSHH). Fire safety. Health and Safety at Work Act. Asbestos awareness. Manual handling. signage, fire extinguishers. Safety signage. Situational awareness. Slips, trips, and falls. Working in confined spaces. Working at height. Provision and use of work equipment regulations (PUWER) and Electrical safety. Back to Duty

K2: Safety control equipment and how to use personal protective equipment (PPE) respiratory protective equipment (RPE) and local exhaust ventilation (LEV). Back to Duty

K3: Safe systems of work: Site inductions, tool box talks, risk assessments, method statements and hazard identification in the work area. Back to Duty

K4: Impact of the sector on the environment: Efficient use of resources. Recycling, reuse, safe disposal of waste and sustainable forestry. Back to Duty

K5: Principles of building and modern methods of construction: Foundations, roofs, walls, damp proof courses, floors, timber frame, structurally insulated panels (SIPS) utilities and services, internal plaster finishes, insulation, fire protection, moisture and air protection and quality of materials. Back to Duty

K6: Basic principles of digital design and modelling systems. Back to Duty

K7: Standards and regulations associated with carpentry activities: British standards, building regulations and warranty provider standards. Back to Duty

K8: Methods of interpreting and extracting relevant information from drawings and specifications. Back to Duty

K9: Materials and their characteristics of home grown and imported timber and timber-based products. Natural timber products: Hardwood and softwood. Manufactured timber products: Board, laminated timber and carcassing. Back to Duty

K10: Timber decay and repair methods: Timber moisture content parameters for a range of timber and timber-based materials, wet rot and dry rot, and insect attack. Back to Duty

K11: Carpentry and joinery products and purpose: Mastics, preservatives, wood fillers, plastics and ironmongery. Back to Duty

K12: Basic material estimation techniques, calculating lengths of timber, fixing requirements and a cutting list production methods. Back to Duty

K13: Verbal communication techniques and construction terminology. Back to Duty

K14: Hand tool use and storage methods and techniques: Chisels, planes, hand saws, hammers, squares, tri-square, bevels, marking and mortise gauges, spirit levels. Back to Duty

K15: Hand tool maintenance and sharpening techniques. Back to Duty

K16: Jig production techniques. Back to Duty

K17: Power tools use and storage methods and techniques: Portable circular saws, drills, saws, planers, routers, sanders, multi-functional tools and nail guns. Back to Duty

K18: Principles of good team working. Back to Duty

K19: Inclusion, equity and diversity in the workplace. Back to Duty

K20: Well-being: Mental and physical health considerations in self and others and how to access support. Back to Duty

K40: Employment types (self employed and employed), small business start up principles and tax. Back to Duty

Skills

S1: Comply with health and safety regulations, standards, and guidance. Back to Duty

S2: Identify and use safety control equipment, for example, RPE, dust suppression, PPE and LEV. Back to Duty

S3: Comply with environmental and sustainability regulations, standards, and guidance. Segregate resources for reuse, recycling and disposal. Back to Duty

S4: Comply with industry regulations, standards, and guidance. Back to Duty

S5: Prepare and maintain a safe working area. Back to Duty

S6: Interpret and use information from drawings and specifications. Back to Duty

S7: Estimate required materials and produce a cutting list. Back to Duty

S8: Verbally communicate with others, applying construction terminology. Back to Duty

S9: Select, use and store hand tools. Back to Duty

S10: Select, use and store power tools. Back to Duty

S11: Maintain and sharpen hand tools. Back to Duty

S12: Produce jigs. Back to Duty

S13: Identifies well-being support available to self and others. Back to Duty

Behaviours

B1: Put health, safety and wellbeing first. Back to Duty

B2: Consider the environment when using resources and carrying out processes. Back to Duty

B3: Contribute to an inclusive and diverse culture. Back to Duty

B4: Seek learning and development opportunities. Back to Duty

B5: Team-focus to meet team goals including, considering the wider build team. Back to Duty

End-point assessment (EPA plan)

Rigorous robust and independent assessment undertaken by an apprentice at the end of training to test that the apprentice can perform in the occupation they have been trained in and can demonstrate the duties, and knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs) set out in the occupational standard

End-point assessment organisation (EPAO)

An organisation approved to deliver end-point assessment for a particular apprenticeship standard. EPAOs must be on the register of end-point assessment organisations

Holistic or synoptic

Assessment of an apprentice’s knowledge, skills and behaviours in an integrated way i.e. assessing several KSBs at the same time

Knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSB)

What is needed to competently undertake the duties required for an occupational standard

Valid

Referred to in relation to assessment methods; fit for purpose

Change request policy

Most changes to an apprenticeship are made as a result of a holistic review of it. We prioritise the need for such reviews based on a range of factors. These include:

the time since the apprenticeship was developed or last reviewed (taking account of its typical duration)
the existence of any known problems with it (e.g. lower than expected starts, low achievement rate, high withdrawal rate, any issues with the availability of training or end-point assessment provision)
whether the apprenticeship is currently subject to a dispensation
the relative significance of the apprenticeship based on how many users it has

The availability of an employer group to support a review and its potential impact on any related technical education product also inform the timing of a review.

Details of apprenticeships that are currently being revised or adjusted are available in our revisions and adjustments status report.

View occupation in map View apprenticeship standard

Share this page

LinkedIn X Facebook Email

Crown copyright © 2025. You may re-use this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. Visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence

Carpentry and joinery