
Program Highlights
Start the foundational journey of becoming a certified carpenter or joiner (cabinet maker). Courses teach students about furniture, finishes, buildings and structures.
Tuition and Fees
2022-23: $4,676.22
- Fees include all mandatory fees: Activity fee, Health & Dental, Student Association fee, Education Technology fee, Development fee.
- All amounts are approximate and are subject to change.
- International students will pay International tuition fees
Program Details
If you have any questions about how a course or program is delivered, you can check the Trades website, email the Department Chair or email the Trades & Apprenticeship office:
Apprenticeship: apprenticeship@okanagan.bc.ca
Foundation and General Interest: trades@okanagan.bc.ca
Students enrolled in the 30-week (900 hours) Carpenter and Joiner Foundation program will learn the skills required to seek employment in the trades of carpentry and joinery. They will develop the skills needed to begin working as carpentry or joinery apprentices. Graduates of this program will receive credit for Level 1 Apprenticeship technical training for both Carpentry and Joinery and may also be granted practical credit from the Industry Training Authority (ITA).
On successful registration and sponsorship into an apprenticeship program, the ITA will request that graduates choose which apprenticeship pathway they intend to pursue.
Textbooks and supplies required by students taking the Carpenter and Joiner Foundation program include (total $639.56):
- Carpenter 3rd Canadian Edition by Vogt & Nauth - $188.29
- Carpentry Level 1 Modules - $183.49
- Concrete Formwork – 5th Edition (optional) - $121.29
- 2018 BC Building Code Book - $146.49
5% GST is not included in price. Price is subject to change. Textbooks available at OC Campus Store by contacting 250-762-5445 ext. 4586 or ordering online here
Other required supplies include:
- CSA-approved hard hat (not white)
- CSA-approved work boots with steel toes, approx. $100-150
- Hi-vis safety vest – required once work commences outdoors (please wait until after the class starts before purchasing a vest)
- Binder
- Pencils, pens, erasers
- One of the following: Sharp EL-520W, EL-520X, EL-531X calculator
- Government-issued Picture ID is required to write the provincial and national exams: driver’s license, photo ID, or valid passport. Student card is not acceptable
- Locker lock
OC will supply eye and ear protection
Required hand tools include:
- Tool pouch
- Hammer
- Chalk line (red or blue chalk)
- 25’ imperial tape measure (may be combination imperial/metric)
- 8-metre metric tape measure (may be combination imperial/metric)
- Geometry set
- Staedtler architect’s metric scale (Model # 987-18-SI)
- Utility knife and blades
- Nail claw bar
- Stair gauges
- Three-quarter-inch chisel
- Small square
The above tools are required for the program but there is no requirement to have them on the first day. Your instructor will review this list on the first day of class.
Applicants who have not satisfied the Math admission requirement within the last seven years, and/or do not meet the English admission requirement, must write the TEA Math and/or English test. Both of the assessments are online, multiple-choice and timed. Applicants are allotted 1 hour to complete each section (2 hours for both). A practice assessment and study resources are offered to all applicants who register to write the TEA. Calculators are not allowed while completing the Math section; applicants who are observed to use a calculator of any sort, will receive a grade of zero. Applicants who do not achieve the minimum passing requirement on their initial attempt, are offered a second attempt, at no additional cost, after a two-week study period.
Please ensure you write the assessment, and any required re-writes, prior to the deadline for admissions requirements, provided by the Registrar’s office. For more information or to register for the Trades Entrance Assessment, click here. Further questions can be directed to the Trades and Apprenticeship office at trades@okanagan.bc.ca.
Please note: Applicants who successfully completed the ABLE test at Okanagan College, within the two years prior to application for admission shall have their results accepted as equivalent to the Trades Entrance Assessment.
Admission Requirements
- B.C. secondary school graduation, or equivalent, or 19 years of age and out of secondary school for at least one year as of the first day of classes.
-
English 10 with minimum 50% or alternatives.
- Math requirement:
A minimum of 50% in any of:
- Pre-calculus Grade 11
- Foundations of Mathematics Grade 11
- Principles of Mathematics 11
- Apprenticeship and Workplace Mathematics 11
- Workplace Mathematics 11
- Applications of Mathematics 11
- Essentials of Mathematics 11
- Adult Basic Education MATH 011
- Adult Basic Education MATH 084 and MATH 085
- Adult Basic Education IALG 011
Or a minimum of 63% on the Trades Entrance Assessment (TEA) mathematics test. Test scores are only good for two (2) years.
Applicants who have not satisfied the Math requirement within the last seven (7) years must write the ABLE Mathematics test and must receive a minimum of 63%.
Program Outline
Project Fees: $750 approximately. Students will be expected to pay a material fee for their class project. This fee is approximately $200 to $600.
An overall average of 70% calculated on a weighted percentage, based on time allocation.
Additional Information
View the official Calendar details and policies
Learn more about the Department
View the Tuition and Fees page
Experience
Join an info session or become a student for a day.
Ask
Have your questions answered by an advisor or recruiter.
Apply
Take the next step and enrol in a program or course at OC.