Carpentry and Joinery (Site Carpentry) - Intermediate Apprenticeship
Apprenticeship Summary
The construction industry underpins the fabric of society—delivering the homes, schools, hospitals, and infrastructure we all rely on. Within this vital sector, carpenters and joiners play a crucial role in both new builds and refurbishment projects. With the growing demand for sustainable building solutions and the shift toward modern methods of construction, the need for skilled professionals in this trade has never been greater.
An Intermediate Apprenticeship in Carpentry and Joinery offers a practical, hands-on route to becoming a qualified tradesperson. It equips apprentices with the core skills and knowledge needed to work safely and efficiently with wood-based materials, helping to create essential structural and decorative components in buildings. Apprentices can specialise with this apprenticeship focusing on becoming a Site Carpenter - working on live construction sites installing floors, doors, partitions, and roofs.
For employers, investing in an apprentice is a smart way to grow your workforce and shape future talent to meet the specific needs of your business. Apprenticeships provide access to motivated individuals trained to current industry standards, ensuring high-quality work and long-term business sustainability.
For apprentices, this pathway offers a valuable opportunity to earn while they learn, develop practical skills, and gain nationally recognised qualifications. Whether on-site or in a workshop, the experience lays the foundation for a rewarding and in-demand career in the built environment.
Apprenticeship standard dates
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Anytime
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Bispham Campus
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Anytime
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Bispham Campus
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Next steps
As an Employer
If you would like to offer this as an apprenticeship vacancy within your organisation, enrol one of your existing employees on this apprenticeship or simply find out more about supporting an apprenticeship within your organisation, please complete the Enquire Now form above and a member of our Business Development Team will be in touch within 2 working days to advise you on next steps.
As an Apprentice
If you are interested in securing an apprenticeship as a Site Carpenter or Joiner, please visit our Vacancies page to check for any suitable roles.
If there are currently no roles available, please submit an enquiry form using the Enquire Now button to register your interest. We will use this information to let you know when a suitable vacancy becomes available and also to advise you of any courses we offer that might advance your career goals in the meantime.
Career Options and Progression
Key information
How will the Apprenticeship be funded?
As the employer
How your apprenticeship is funded will depend on whether or not you pay the Apprenticeship Levy. If you do pay the Levy, your apprenticeship will be funded out of this, provided you have sufficient monies available. If you do not pay the Apprenticeship Levy, 95% of the apprenticeship will be funded by the Government, with the remaining 5% being funded by you. There may also be some further incentives offered by the Government which we will be able to advise you of when setting up your apprenticeship. Either way, B&FC's Business Development Team will be on hand to help you navigate the funding arrangements and support you through this process.
As the apprentice
One of the benefits of an apprenticeship is that, as the apprentice, you are not required to fund your training. You will also receive a wage for the work that you do with minimum hourly rates set by the Government. Your employer can choose to pay you more than the minimum wage, but they cannot pay you less. For details of current minimum wage rates for apprentices, please visit the Government website.
Terms and Conditions
Read our full terms and conditions.
What will my Apprentice learn?
Knowledge
Your apprentice will develop a sound understanding of:
- Health, safety and environmental regulations, including CoSHH, working at height, manual handling, PUWER, asbestos awareness, and fire safety.
- Use of safety equipment such as PPE, RPE, LEV and safe systems of work like site inductions, toolbox talks, risk assessments and method statements.
- Sustainable practices: efficient use of resources, waste management, recycling, and use of sustainably sourced timber.
- Principles of building construction and modern methods such as timber frames, SIPs, insulation, damp proofing, and fire protection.
- Key building regulations and standards relevant to carpentry and joinery activities.
- Interpreting and extracting technical information from drawings, specifications, and digital design tools.
- Timber materials and their characteristics, including natural and manufactured types, timber defects and repair methods.
- Safe and effective use, storage, and maintenance of hand and power tools commonly used in the trade.
- Site carpentry techniques: measuring, marking, fixing, and installing structural components including roofs and floors.
- Communication, teamwork, inclusion, diversity, and well-being awareness.
- Basic business principles such as employment types, tax awareness and small business start-up considerations.
Skills
Your apprentice will learn how to:
- Work safely and comply with regulations, including use of PPE, safe systems of work, and environmental controls.
- Read and interpret drawings and specifications; estimate materials and produce cutting lists.
- Use and maintain hand and power tools appropriately; produce jigs and sharpen tools.
- Communicate effectively with others using industry terminology and contribute to team working.
- Site Carpentry: Install structural components (e.g., floors, stairs, partitions), apply first and second fix techniques, form joints and connections, and use laser levels.
- Operate fixed workshop machinery safely and efficiently.
Behaviours
Your apprentice should be able to:
- Prioritise health, safety, and well-being of self and others.
- Work sustainably and use resources efficiently.
- Show respect for others and support an inclusive working environment.
- Demonstrate a commitment to ongoing learning and improvement.
- Work collaboratively to meet team and project goals.
Expert Tutors
All tutors involved in the delivery of courses and apprenticeships within the College are approved to teach the subjects and modules they deliver.
Our recruitment process ensures that tutors delivering a given programme are suitably qualified and, where appropriate, possess relevant technical and industrial experience and a familiarity with professional practice. This is especially important for apprenticeships where off-the-job training needs to align with apprentices' on-the-job experience.
How will the Apprenticeship be delivered?
The apprenticeship will typically be delivered over a 24-month period with additional time required to prepare for the End Point Assessment. Apprentices' time will typically be split 80:20 throughout the apprenticeship programme with four days a week spent at the employer premises learning on the job and one day a week spent off-site, undertaking classroom-based and workshop-based training at B&FC.
Entry Requirements
What support will I get from B&FC?
As the employer
Each employer is supported by an experienced member of our Business Development Team to set up their apprenticeship. For those employers who are completely new to the apprenticeship process, the Team will support them with all the necessary paperwork and administration to get their apprenticeship programme up and running as quickly and efficiently as possible. For existing employers, their dedicated Client Services Manager will be an ongoing point of contact for all their apprenticeship queries, however big or small.
We can also help employers who are looking to recruit new apprentices by advertising their vacancy, finding suitable applicants and supporting them with the interview and selection process. Once an apprentice is onboard, our Curriculum Tutors and Apprenticeship Trainers and Skills Coaches also step in to support the employer-apprentice relationship and ensure the apprentice is on track to succeed.
As the apprentice
In the first instance, we aim to give potential apprentices all the support they need to find a suitable apprenticeship. That can mean working with them prior to an application to improve their CV, hone their interview skills and advise them of any additional training that may help them secure an apprenticeship vacancy.
Once they start their apprenticeship, we continue to support them with their off-site training and with regular meetings with our Apprenticeship Trainers and Skills Coaches to ensure they are progressing and acquiring all the knowledge, skills and behaviours that will ensure they complete their apprenticeship successfully.
How will the Apprenticeship be assessed?
What is an end-point assessment and why it happens
An EPA is an assessment at the end of the apprenticeship. The EPA is the apprentice's opportunity to show an independent assessor how well they can carry out the occupation they have been trained for. Apprentices need to compile a portfolio of evidence which showcases all the work they have carried out during their apprenticeship.
The overall grades available for this apprenticeship are:
- fail
- pass
- distinction
When the apprentice passes the EPA, they will be awarded their apprenticeship certificate.
Assessment methods
The EPA comprises three distinct components:
Multiple-choice test
The apprentice will complete a multiple-choice 'closed book' test which means they will not have access to any books or reference materials. The test has 40 multiple-choice questions a 60 minute time limit.
Practical assessment with questions
The apprentice will completed a series of tasks observed by an independent assessor. The tasks will take a total of 12 hours during which the assessor will ask at least five questions to determine understanding and competence.
Interview underpinned by a portfolio of evidence
The apprentice will also have an hour-long interview with an independent assessor during which they will be asked a series of questions designed to test the knowledge, skills and behaviours they have acquired in the course of their apprenticeship. These will be based on a portfolio of evidence they have previously submitted to the assessor which demonstrates these competencies.