Our range of leisure and hobby courses keeps growing, with even more fun and exciting courses starting throughout 2024.
Level 3
Furniture Design and Making – Level 3 Diploma
COURSE OVERVIEW
The furniture team welcomes you to join a department that sits amongst the best in the country. Highly motivated and experienced staff deliver a programme designed around one objective: to bring out the very best furniture designer/maker you can be.
What will you achieve?
You will develop your knowledge, practical skills and experience to achieve an exemplary standard of craftsmanship. You will plan and manage your own projects, from design concept through to production, with a focus on commercial viability, and in a workshop environment that has been designed to emulate industry as closely as possible. You will achieve the ability to plan and manage a small production project in teams. A core component of the course involves building complex jigs and advanced furniture construction techniques.
FURTHER INFORMATION
Qualifications/experience:
You are required to have attained at a minimum a level 2 wood machining, bench joinery, or architectural joinery qualification, or a relevant apprenticeship qualification. This is due to required competencies using machines safely.
If you haven’;t, significant time working in industry (with references and a portfolio of produced work) working with standard workshop furniture making machinery, and a written and bench test (observation) on safe use of machinery will be required.
Ideally you would also have completed a carpentry and joinery or furniture making hand skills programme too (for example our lv 2 furniture making by hand qualification)
If not, you ought to be able to demonstrate a high level of skill developed with hand tools. This would be assessed with a timed dovetailing and hand planing bench test if you have not completed a qualification.
GCSEs:
You will need a minimum of GCSE (or equivalent) English and Mathematics with grade 4 or higher in each (or grade C or better).
If you are an adult learner, and you haven’;t achieved GCSEs in English and Maths at the required grade, we can arrange a functional skills exam to qualify your maths and English skills for entry.
This programme of study is highly academic, and the equivalent of an A level, so English and Maths grades as above, or for adult learners a pass on the exam are mandatory.
Admissions enquiries
If you have any questions about the entry requirements or the application process, please contact us on admissions@chichester.ac.uk.
Our focus is to prepare and support you as you advance into a career within the furniture industry.
You may want to progress onto our level four foundation degree in furniture manufacturing.
This level three course provides an excellent foundation for entering product design courses at higher education institutions.
How will you achieve this?
You will complete three projects throughout the year, all of which will challenge your ability to achieve high quality, intricate work at different scales. The first project involves a brief which will introduce you to the design process, and you will design and realise jigs. In the second and third project you will produce designs that you will design, prototype, evaluate and realise. One project will involve teamwork and the other project will be guided by you. This will develop your organisational, problem-solving and teamwork abilities.
There is also a significant requirement for students to complete theory work and assignments outside of class, so you need to be motivated at all times and self directed, and push yourself to develop time and project management skills.
Course Costs
There is a £250 compulsory fee which pays for PPE, timber and materials. Additionally, Learners will need to supply their own steel toe capped boots and appropriate clothing for the workshop environment, at their own expense
You will be supplied with safety glasses, gloves, a face mask and ear-plugs at the beginning of the course from this fee.
Course Fees
If you are a home student and are under 19 at the beginning of your course, you do not have to pay tuition or exam fees for the majority of courses. If you are 19 or over when you start your course, you will have to contribute to your course fees in line with government guidelines.
For further information about course fees, please visit: https://www.chichester.ac.uk/college-life/financial-support/course-fee-information.
Financial Support
We understand that financial matters are an important consideration for our students and that everyone’;s circumstances are different. Please visit our financial support page for further information on what support is available: https://www.chichester.ac.uk/college-life/financial-support
If you have any questions regarding student finance, please email studentfinance@chigroup.ac.uk and one of our team will be in touch to help.
This course involves a teaching style that focusses on enabling you to develop your independence as a furniture maker.
You will have freedom in your choice of design and the autonomy to explore and develop cutting edge craft techniques, such as laminating and steam bending, whilst being supported by an expert team of professionals, all of which have spent time working in industry themselves.
Each year learners can enter a range of competitions at a regional, national and international level. We have trained students to successfully progress from national competitions in their first year to compete for gold medals at international competition in their subsequent years with us.
Each year we host an End of Year show. This is a fantastic opportunity to display your work, to celebrate your new skills, cement friendships that you have forged during the year and meet with top industry employers.