Craft Carpentry and Joinery (Architectural Joinery) - Advanced Apprenticeship
Apprenticeship Summary
The construction industry plays a vital role in shaping the homes, schools, hospitals, and infrastructure that communities rely on every day. As demand grows for sustainable building, heritage restoration, and modern construction methods, highly skilled carpenters and joiners are more essential than ever.
An Advanced Apprenticeship in Architectural Carpentry and Joinery offers employers a cost-effective way to develop a highly competent, future-ready workforce. Apprentices gain advanced technical skills while working towards industry-recognised qualifications—applying what they learn directly to real-world projects from day one. It’s a proven route for nurturing leadership potential and meeting increasing demand for quality craftsmanship.
This apprenticeship focuses on becoming an Architectural Joiner, who operate from a workshop, producing intricate components using a wide range of machines and hand tools—often undertaking heritage restoration or complex bespoke manufacturing.
For apprentices, this is a rewarding career route combining practical work, technical mastery, and professional development. They’ll develop not only their craft, but also leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills—opening doors to future roles such as site supervisor, team leader, or contracts manager.
Employers benefit from motivated, skilled professionals who can lead tasks and help drive projects forward with accuracy, safety and pride in their work. Whether your focus is on traditional builds, modern construction or heritage work, this apprenticeship supports long-term capability and business resilience.
Typical job titles for qualified apprentices include Advanced Architectural Joiner, Team Leader, or Foreperson.
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 an architectural 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 above 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.
Key information
Entry Requirements
Level 3 advanced apprentices will progress from a Level 2 apprenticeship, or be able to demonstrate the same knowledge, skills and competency levels.
Apprentices must achieve a Level 3 National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) to demonstrate competency in their chosen occupation.
NVQ Level 3 Diploma in Wood Occupations – Architectural Joinery.
Apprentices must complete, or have previously completed, recognised English and Mathematics Level 2 qualifications.
Please note: Where wearing PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) is a mandatory requirement of the course, it is the responsibility of the learner to ensure that they are able to wear such equipment. Further information can be obtained at the IAG session which all applicants are invited to or by calling Course Enquiries on 01253 504343.
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.
What will my Apprentice learn?
Knowledge
Your apprentice will develop a strong understanding of:
- Health, safety, and welfare responsibilities, including key regulations (e.g. CoSHH, RIDDOR, PUWER), working at height, asbestos, and electrical safety.
- Safe systems of work, incident types (accidents, near misses), and control measures including PPE, RPE, and LEV.
- Environmental protection and sustainability: pollution control, waste disposal, energy efficiency, and sustainable timber use.
- Key construction principles including fire doors, vapour barriers, insulation, soundproofing, and water ingress.
- Interpreting information from drawings, specifications and digital modelling systems.
- Calculating material requirements, costs, and allowances for waste and recycling.
- Regulations and standards: building regs, British standards, warranty provider requirements.
- Communication and documentation methods, both digital and paper-based.
- Heritage construction techniques, like-for-like repairs and specialist materials.
- Stock control, quality assurance, planning and scheduling work for self and others.
Skills
Your apprentice will learn how to:
- Comply with health and safety regulations and apply control measures (e.g. PPE, LEV).
- Extract and interpret drawings, specifications and provide clear work instructions.
- Estimate material quantities and costs based on site measurements.
- Plan, schedule and manage time to meet production targets and quality requirements.
- Apply sustainable practices, segregating resources for reuse and recycling.
- Operate and maintain hand and power tools for advanced carpentry and joinery tasks.
- Complete documentation such as risk assessments, job sheets, and incident reports.
- Monitor and manage stock, including rotation and quality control.
- Architectural Joinery: Manufacture and assemble complex products using CNC and fixed machinery (e.g. staircases, windows, doors, joints, curved work).
Behaviours
Your apprentice should:
- Take responsibility for personal health, safety and high-quality work.
- Promote inclusion, equity and diversity in the workplace.
- Support and encourage teamwork across disciplines.
- Commit to personal development and continuous learning.
- Champion safe, sustainable, and environmentally conscious working practices.
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 15-month period with an additional 3 months 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.
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 70 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 six 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.