Bundesinstitut für Berufsbildung (BIBB)

Designation of occupation

Joiner (m/f)

Duration of traineeship

3 years
The venues for training delivery are the training company and the vocational school

Field of activity

Joiners manufacture products - primarily made to order or in small series - in wood, derived timber products and synthetic materials, e.g. furniture, interior and trade fair fittings, structural elements (windows, doors, stairs, floors, gates and similar items), casings, containers and coffins, and gymnastic, sports and play equipment. They maintain and restore these products, taking into consideration type of design, style of construction and aesthetic effect. They carry out their work in workshops and on building and assembly sites.

Occupational skills

Joiners are trained to use their own ideas to design, construct and draw products on the basis of considerations of design and function and, if required, to discuss job orders with clients. They work in a selfreliant manner from technical documents and instructions, paying due regard to economic efficiency considerations. They assess finished work and take any necessary quality assurance measures. Joiners use the following skills acquired during their vocational training:

• selecting wood and derived timber products on the basis of intended use and economic efficiency;
  making parts from wood and timber products by hand and by machine;
• assembling parts into finished products;
• working with veneers, synthetic materials, metal, glass and process materials;
• setting up, operating and servicing machinery, machine tools, plant and equipment;
• setting up, operating and servicing pneumatic, hydraulic and electronic equipment and apparatus;
• finishing surfaces by preparing and applying mordants and colouring agents, and preparing and
• applying different coating materials;
• installing ready-to-assemble parts and products.

Last modified on: December 12, 2006