Woodworking Manufacturing Technologies: Furniture Making

Program Overview

The Woodworking Manufacturing Technologies: Furniture Making program at Cerritos College is a 24.5-unit certificate program that equips students with the skills and knowledge necessary for furniture-making jobs in custom shops. The program covers traditional woodworking machinery and hand tools, furniture design and finishing, and tables and casegoods construction. Graduates can expect to earn an average salary of $45,000 and have a high job growth projection of 14.8% nationwide.

Program Outline

Woodworking Manufacturing Technologies: Furniture Making at Cerritos College

Degree Overview:

• Focus: Furniture Making
• Program type: Certificate of Achievement
• Objective: Equips students for furniture-making jobs in custom shops
• Duration: 24.5 units (3 terms)
• Key learning areas:
• Traditional woodworking machinery & hand-tools
• Furniture design & finishing
• Tables & casegoods construction

Outline:

• Term 1 (Summer):
• WMT 101: Introduction to Woodworking (3.0 units)
• Term 2 (Fall):
• WMT 171A: Introduction to Tables and Woodworking Hand Tools (6.5 units)
• WMT 171B: Topics in Cabinetmaking (6.5 units)
• WMT 171L: Furniture Intensive Lab (2.0 units)
• Term 3 (Spring):
• WMT 171C: Woodworking Design and Fabrication (6.5 units)

Careers:

• Salary range: \$27,000 - \$101,000
• Average salary: \$45,000
• Expected job growth nationwide (2019-2029): 14.8%
• Example careers:
• Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators & Tenders
• Cabinetmakers & Bench Carpenters
• Carpenters
• Furniture Finishers
• Additional details for these and several more careers provided, including average salaries and job growth projections

Other:

• The Department of Woodworking Manufacturing Technologies offers additional programs:
• Cabinetmaking
• CNC Woodworking
• Woodworking
• Resources:
• Link to the department
• Program Mapper tool