Jobs and Career Progression

For information on the job profiles, please click on the relevant job in the blue 'Full Operatives' box below:


JOBS WITHIN THE FURNITURE THE SECTOR


Entry Level Occupations

Trainee Furniture
Assembly Operative /

Trainee
Production Operative / Trainee

Packaging & Dispatch

Operatives / Trainee Soft Furnisher /

Trainee Upholsterer / Apprentice

Cabinet Maker / Semi Skilled Operative

 

 

 

 
Full Operatives

Cabinet Making / Hand-crafted

Finisher-Polisher

Production

Restorer

Upholsterer

Upholsterer-Cutter

Upholsterer-Sewer

Wood-Machinist

Designer

Installers

Soft-Furnisher

 

 
Experienced Operatives / Junior Management

Wood Machinist /
Furniture Maker / Cabinet Maker

Designer / Soft Furnishings & Upholstery (Traditional/Modern)

Restoration / Junior Operations Manager / Quality Control

Technician / Space

Planners Estimators/

Furniture Designer

 

 

 

 

 
Senior Management

Senior Furniture Designer

Site/Projects Manager


Quality Assurance Manager


Senior Space Planners
& Estimators

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


QUALIFICATION ROUTES INTO THE SECTOR

Entry/Foundation Level 1 Qualifications

Entry/Foundation Level 1 Qualifications

Intermediate / Level 2 Qualifications

Advanced /
Level 3
Qualifications

Higher /
Level 4/5 Qualifications

Level 5 (and above) Qualifications

FLT, Skills for Life cert Entry sub level 1,2 & 3, Basic Skills
Certificates of Achievement

GCSE’s
(Grades D-G) for e.g. IT, English, Maths, Science, Design Technology, Business Studies & Art / Skills for Life Cert L1, Key Skills (E)* Skill Build Cert L1/Skill Build+ NVQ L1/Skill Build+ Employed Status (W)* Core Skills, Skillseekers (S)*
Welsh Bac (Foundation) Essential Skills (N.I)*

Skills for Life Cert L2, Key Skills, Core Skills, Essential Skills, GCSE’s (Grades A-C) for e.g. IT, English, Maths, Science, Design Technology, Business Studies & Art / Welsh Bac (Intermediate)
Scottish Highers

Key Skills, Core Skills, Essential Skills, AS & A Levels for e.g. IT, English, Maths, Science, Design Technology, Business Studies & Art
Welsh Baccalaureate (Advanced)
Advanced Highers (S)

Industry Related Graduate Certificates In for e.g. Spatial design (Furniture & Interiors)

Industry Related BSc Honours Degree / Masters Degree e.g. MBA Doctorate

 

Work-Based Learning Programmes

Work-Based Learning Programmes

Work-Based
Learning Programmes

Work-Based Learning Programmes

Work-Based Learning Programmes

 

 

 

 

 

 

Foundation Diploma L1 e.g. Construction & the Built Environment (CBE)* / Manufacturing Product Design (MPD)* / Modern Skills Diploma (W)*
Science Diploma

Higher Diploma
Modern Skills Diploma (W)* Science Diploma

Advanced Diploma
Modern Skills Diploma (W)* Science Diploma

Foundation Degree L5
in Furniture Restoration/Making & Design

Young Apprenticeship
is not currently available.


Apprenticeship in the Furniture
Industry (Except Scotland)

Advanced Apprenticeship in the Furniture Industry

Vocational Certificates
e.g. NVQ/Cert L1 Furniture Production

NVQ L2 & Cert L2 Wood Machining / Making & Installing Furniture / Fitted Interiors / Furniture Restoration / Kitchen Fitting
NVQ 2+Tech Cert L2 in:
Furniture Production
Cert L2 in Furniture Production
L2 CAD/CAM / Design

NVQ L3 & Cert L3 Wood Machining / Make & Install Furniture / Fitted Interiors / Furniture Restoration / Kitchen Fitting / Furniture Production / Cert L3 Furniture Production / L3 CAD/CAM / Design

N/SVQ L4 HNC for e.g.
CAD/CAM L4 / HNC Design / Furniture Making/Installing / Restoration

N/SVQ L5
Postgraduate Certs
HND Furniture Making/Installing/Restoration

Entry Level Occupations

Trainee Furniture
Assembly Operative /

Trainee
Production Operative / Trainee

Packaging & Dispatch

Operatives / Trainee Soft Furnisher /

Trainee Upholsterer / Apprentice

Cabinet Maker / Semi Skilled Operative

 

Full Operatives

Cabinet Making / Hand-crafted

Finisher-Polisher

Production

Restorer

Upholsterer

Upholsterer-Cutter

Upholsterer-Sewer

Wood-Machinist

Designer

Installers

Soft-Furnisher

 

Experienced Operatives / Junior Management

Wood Machinist /
Furniture Maker / Cabinet Maker


Designer / Soft Furnishings & Upholstery (Traditional/Modern)

Restoration / Junior Operations Manager / Quality Control

Technician / Space

Planners Estimators/

Furniture Designer

 

Senior Management

Senior Furniture Designer

Site/Projects Manager


Quality Assurance Manager


Senior Space Planners
& Estimators

 

 

 

 

 

 


SECTOR SUPPORT QUALIFICATION ROUTES

 

Entry Level Qualifications

Entry/Foundation Level 1 Qualifications

Intermediate / Level 2 Qualifications

Advanced /
Level 3
Qualifications

Higher /
Level 4/5 Qualifications

Level 5 (and above) Qualifications

FLT, Skills for Life cert Entry sub level 1, 2 & 3, Basic Skills
Certificates of Achievement

Business Administration /
Call Centre / Customer Care
NVQs at L1
Call Centre Management NVQ L1

Business Administration /
Call Centre Customer Care
NVQ 2 / W&D / Storage & Warehousing / ILM L2 / Management / BIT /
Combined Working Practices / CQI (IQA) Cert in Quality / MCSA

Business Administration /
Call Centre Management/ Customer Care / NVQ L3: Management / BIT / ILM L3 / Management L3 / BIT/ Combined Working Practices / CQI (IQA) Cert in Quality / MCSE / MCDBA / Cert in Personnel Practice

Postgraduate Certs & Diplomas in Purchasing & Finance / IQA Diploma L4 SAGE / AAT / ACCA / L5 CQI (IQA) Diploma in Quality / HNC/HND Business Studies with Strategic Management / *CIPD / MCIPD / LATA 4 / CIPD

 

 

Entry Level Support Roles

Warehousing & Distribution Operatives
-----------------------
Trainee Sales & Marketing Administration Assistants
Clerks / Call Centre Staff
Trainee HR Assistant / Trainee IT Administrator

 

 

 

Intermediate Support Roles
Warehousing & Distribution Operatives
----------------------
Sales & Marketing staff
Administration Assistants Clerks / Experienced Call Centre Staff / Quality Assurance Technician / HR Assistant / IT Administrator / Trainee IT Technician

 

Senior Level Sector Support Roles

Call Centre Team Leaders
Account Managers
Administration Supervisors
-----------------------------
Junior Management
W&D Supervisors / Junior Managers / HR Officers / IT Technicians

 

 

 

 

Managerial Level Sector Support Roles

Finance Manager
Accountants
Sales Manager
(Training)
--------------------------
Call Centre Manager / HR / IT / Supply Chain Managers


 

 

 

Director Level Sector Support Roles

Managing Director Finance Director
Sales Director
HR Director
Operations Director

 

 

 

 

 

 

ADDITIONAL NOTES: The qualifications listed above are examples only of routes available into the sector. It is possible to progress across the various disciplines outlined above, despite the distinctly linear layout of the chart; multi-skilled workers are highly valued by employers. Acronyms explained: CIPD = Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development MCIPD = CIPD Member BIT = Business Improvement Techniques AAT = Association of Accounting Technicians ACCA = Association of Chartered Certified Accountants SAGE = Training on Software for managing accounts LATA = Laboratory + Associated Technical Activities. MCSA = Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator MCSE = Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer / MCDBA = Microsoft Certified Database Administrator (MS SQL Server databases). Please note qualifications with S (Scotland) E (England) N.I (Northern Ireland) W (Wales) after them refer to a qualification particular to that nation. Diploma’s The Modern Skills Diploma for Wales is available to employees of all ages, providing opportunities to improve their skills and knowledge to NVQ Level 4. For more info go to: http://www.elwa.ac.uk/elwaweb/elwa.aspx?pageid=4431 The Diploma for Construction and the Built Environment and Manufacturing Product Design has specific industry choices for the learner relevant to the Furniture, Furnishings & Interiors Industry. Further information on qualifications and career routes within the sector is available at the following locations: http://www.ichoose.org.uk/ offers an introduction to the Furniture, Furnishings and Interiors sector demonstrating clear career pathways. http://proskills.co.uk/ offers a range of information and qualifications available into the sector.