Woodworking

The first year of becoming a woodworker/joiner 

BGJ Holztechnik (1st year course woodworking) at Eckener-College Flensburg is especially for young people who aim to become a professional cabinetmaker/joiner. Though being one of the oldest trades woodworking is still a very modern craft.

Educational content

Nowadays woodworkers do not only work with solid wood or wood-based materials. They also process materials like plastics, metal and glass. During hands-on lessons you learn how to deal with these materials though solid wood will stay in main focus. Using hand tools (like planes, chisels, saws etc) you are going to learn about traditional and modern joints, making items of daily use and furniture. Because of technological changes in this field you will also get to know the basics of CNC manufacturing. Your computer literacy will be refreshed or expanded and you will acquire basic knowledge in computer aided design (CAD). 

The BGJ experience - a peronal view

If you start the BGJ you should know that the first year always brings some advantages and disadvantages. For us the advantages definitely outweigh the disadvantages but it’s important to show both sides of the BGJ.

The BGJ is a good opportunity to get to know the theoretical and practical sides of a profession. During this year, you have to invest a lot of time to learn things. Due to the equal distribution of theory and practice in the timetable, you can apply the learned knowledge directly in practice.

You should know that the lessons are not always like your job in reality, so you don’t get to know the “real work life “. This could be hard for you in the second year because when you start in the company it could be possible that you don’t enjoy the work because it’s not the same as in college.

A major negative aspect is the lack of payment. Even the teaching materials are not provided by the school and you have to pay for them yourself. So if you really want to do it, you should keep in mind that you may need a side job. Many of my class have to work on the side, in either the companies or somewhere else. This could lead to problems in everyday life, as you have little free time.

Nevertheless, you have a lot of fun in the BGJ and get to know your classmates and the other joiner apprentices in your region.

Overall, you get to know the traditional ways of woodworking and working with other materials and you get a broad view on all subject areas of the job.