Carpentry Training Program for Refugees
Led by the CERES Fair Wood carpentry team, this hands-on program equips individuals on a humanitarian or refugee visa with basic woodworking skills and familiarity with common building tools.
Learn how to work with wood.
Learn practical carpentry skills and walk away with confidence to be able to step onto a building site and understand construction language and workplace culture.
Prior experience or fluency in English is not required.
We support female and non-binary people with the skills to work in a male-dominated industry.
If you choose to continue your learning upon completing the program, we'll help with TAFE course enrolment or securing work placements in carpentry, cabinet making, furniture making, wood machining and building.
The program runs in 2 parts: 1-2 days a week for 12 weeks at our warehouse and 14 weeks at another training provider. It is a mix of work experience, accredited training and wrap-around support.
You come to CERES Fair Wood for an interview and an English and Maths Assessment.
If you qualify for the program we give you a safety induction and an introduction to the people at CERES Fair Wood and the things we do.
Then we arrange onsite work experience at the Fair Wood retail warehouse, with our Carpentry Service and the ReBoxCo cabinetry team 1-2 days a week for 12 weeks.
Pre-apprenticeship course 14-16 week Certificate II in Building Construction (carpentry) at TAFE 4-5 days a week or, if suitable, straight into an apprenticeship. Determined on a case by case basis.
On your days off, CERES provides workplace English lessons and practical work experience to help you understand and practise what you are learning.
We help program participants to:
- Find apprenticeships and work experience.
- Gain extra licenses such as forklift, heavy rigid, White Card.
- Connect with a network of mainstream employers - including timber customers of Fair Wood such as builders, carpenters, hard landscapers, cabinet-makers and furniture makers.
- Produce a video resume that shows off their skills.
FAQs
The first 12 weeks of the program takes place at CERES Fair Wood.
Our address is 31-33 Raglan St, Preston, Melbourne 3072.
CERES Fair Wood is based in Preston and operates four timber social enterprises:
- a retail timber warehouse
- a sustainable carpentry service
- a timber cabinetry and fabrication service
- an urban saw-milling and arborist service
Click the link below and fill out the form to find out if you're eligible.
Email enquiries to:
Otherwise, call our helpful team on 0393 890 195 and we can direct you to the right source.
