Saint Berna said, “You will find something more in woods than in books. Trees and stones will teach you that which you can never learn from masters.”
Carpentry is a craft that can only be mastered through continual practice, perseverance, and dedication, it cannot simply be taught out at a college.
Carpentry professionals and individuals who take the craft as a hobby, love what they do and treat it as a form of art although many of them go to universities or colleges to pursue higher education in other fields despite having interests in carpentry.
As they get to know about the opportunity of getting certified and licensed for Carpentry through vocational courses supported by Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), a lot of them choose to drop out of school. It relieves them of the pointless costs behind a university degree while they can go for what they love.
Do You Need a College Degree for Carpentry?
Carpentry skills and techniques cannot be effectively taught theoretically in a university. It needs real passion and hands-on experience to be a competent carpenter or joiner.
Moreover, a carpentry job or being an independent carpenter does not require one to have a fancy degree on their resume. Employers seek carpentry experience and vocational certificates before hiring a carpenter, they do not look for university qualifications.
Why Students Are Leaving Schools for Carpentry?
Students who love carpentry and have been working in the industry tend to drop out of university to pursue their career as a carpenter.
Firstly, university education is extremely expensive in Australia. It takes a substantial financial commitment to finish a qualification. As a result, many students leave in the middle of their course to try their luck at things that they truly love.
Furthermore, a college education requires one to spend a good portion of time on studies. Due to this, one may not be able to work full time, hence it lowers income.
Universities do not provide qualifications for every profession. Students do not have the freedom to choose from a variety of courses that match their needs.
On the other hand, Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses cover every Australian profession and they are way cheaper. These courses offer the option to get your prior experiences judged (Recognition of Prior Learning- RPL) to certify you in carpentry. It allows you to have plenty of time to yourself that you can spend doing paid work.
Also, carpentry is a high-paying profession. You may earn more as a carpenter than you probably would after you finish your university degree.
Some university students who have a fascination with carpentry can foresee the outcome of their degree to be irrelevant to their desired career goals. Hence, with all the perks of taking up a VET course through RPL, many of them are dropping out of college for a better future.
VET Carpentry Course Through RPL
You need to do Certificate III in Carpentry with a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) to practice carpentry in Australia. By demonstrating your carpentry skills and providing adequate proof of your experience, you can get Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).
Through RPL, RTOs provide certificates to carpenters within 2 to 4 weeks. If you are eligible for RPL, generally you will not have to sit for classes or other assessment tasks. Getting a qualification through the RPL process is very cheap and effective. One of the best RPL Agent in Australia is Educube. You can literally sit back and drink while they get you qualified.
Generally, RTOs require the following to process a Certificate III in Carpentry with RPL:
- 100 points Identification documents of the client
- Visa copy (if the client is not an Australian citizen)
OR,
- Australian passport/Australian Birth Certificate/Australian Citizenship Certificate (if the client is an Australian citizen)
- Unique Student Identifier (USI)
- Detailed resume
- A current referral letter from employers
- Any previous qualifications
You need to have a minimum of 2 years of experience in carpentry work to be eligible for the RPL process. If you are a novice, you can go for an apprenticeship and then try RPL for the qualification. This course through RPL will work as evidence and recognition of your prior experiences and skills in carpentry. You can use this certificate to find a job with handsome pay, get a promotion with a pay raise at your current job, and get a licence to work as an independent carpenter.
If you are enthusiastic about carpentry and joinery, it is time to act on that desire. Use your expertise in the field and make use of RPL to get that nationally recognised Australian qualification that you deserve.
Contact an RTO and enquire about the requirements and the RPL process for Certificate III in Plumbing.
