Furniture Finisher

Course Overview

This occupation is found in the furniture and interiors industry, in environments ranging from small workshops to large factories. Furniture Finishers prepare and treat wood and manufactured boards, for example MDF and veneered boards to give it a smooth finish and bring out its natural beauty. Items to be finished could include tables, chairs, lounge suites, cabinets, chests of drawers, bespoke furniture, kitchen units and shop fittings.

Furniture Finishers may also work on fitted items such as staircases, wall panels and doors and on musical instruments like pianos. With antique furniture and some specially commissioned modern pieces, polishing and finishing are carried out by hand. Building up layers of polish is a slow and methodical process. With modern manufacturing and mass-produced items, Furniture Finishers also use a pressure spray-painting method. Furniture Finishers may also be involved in carrying out simple repairs. The broad purpose of the occupation is to finish furniture by applying modern and traditional finishing products. Furniture Finishers analyse and agree requirements and prepare hand crafted or production furniture for finishing. They identify and apply different types of finishes creating decorative effects or specialist finishes on furniture such as French polishing. They operate machinery and carry out routine maintenance and also solve routine problems and issues, and contribute to continuous improvement activities.

In their daily work, an employee in this occupation interacts with furniture manufacturers, designers, production or manufacturing managers, quality technicians, cabinet makers and joiners, production leaders and product developers. In smaller organisations they may also interact with customers.

Course Duration

Up to 18 months (ie a practical training period of up to 15 months, followed by an End Point Assessment (EPA) period of up to 3 months).

Entry Requirements

You will have to take a Skills Scan to ensure your current level of maths and English is at the required level.

Assessment

• Interview
• Observation with Questions

Progression

After completing the Level 2 Apprenticeship, you can progress onto one of the Level 3 Furniture Apprenticeships depending on your role:

Advanced Furniture CNC Technician
Bespoke Furniture Maker
Fitted Furniture Design Technician