Turn Practical Training into a Recognised First Step
Course price: £1,800 including VAT
Courses starting from October 2026: £1,900 including VAT due to increased material costs.
- Duration: Ten training days, normally Monday to Friday over two weeks
- Course times: 9:00am–4:00pm
- Experience required: None
- Class size: Maximum six students
- Location: YTA Training, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD4 9NW
- Training style: Intensive, practical and hands-on
- Accreditation: Three NOCN Cskills Level 1 assessed units
- Achievement: Six Level 1 credits and a NOCN Cskills unit-accreditation certificate in Skills for Carpentry and Joinery, subject to successful assessment
VIEW AVAILABLE DATES AND BOOK | CALL 01274 682199
The 10 Day NOCN Cskills Level 1 Carpentry and Joinery Course is YTA’s strongest starting course for beginners and career changers who are serious about building a future in the trade.
You will receive the same extensive hands-on carpentry training covered by our standard ten-day course, including core skills, larger projects and more advanced techniques. The important difference is that you will also complete formal NOCN Cskills assessments during the course.
This gives you more than practical experience alone. Successful completion provides recognised evidence of the Level 1 units you have achieved and something tangible to show potential employers, contractors and future customers.
If you want carpentry to become more than an interest, this course can be the first recognised step towards employment, self-employment and, once you have gained sufficient industry experience, an NVQ Level 2.
Could This Be the Beginning of Your Carpentry Career?
Changing career can feel like a huge decision, especially if you have bills, responsibilities or a secure job that you are nervous about leaving.
You may know that you want to do something more practical but feel uncertain about becoming self-employed. You might worry about finding customers, pricing jobs, buying tools or giving up your regular income before you are ready.
The Level 1 route keeps your options open.
You could use the course as a starting point when approaching carpentry businesses, small builders, property-maintenance companies, housing associations or local-authority contractors. Alternatively, you could continue in your current job while practising, building experience and gradually taking on suitable carpentry work during evenings or weekends.
Some students eventually want to work for themselves. Others would prefer the structure and security of employment. Some begin in employment, gain experience and then move into self-employment later.
You do not need to decide your entire future before starting. You simply need to take the first serious step.
Why Choose the Level 1 Course?
The standard 10 Day Carpentry and Joinery Course and this Level 1 course cover essentially the same practical skills.
The difference is that Level 1 students complete formal NOCN Cskills assessments during the training.
The standard ten-day course currently costs £1,400. For an additional £400, the Level 1 course adds assessment and recognised unit accreditation to the same intensive practical training.
If you are attending mainly for DIY, renovation or personal development, the standard course may provide everything you need. However, if your main aim is employment, career change, future self-employment or eventual progression towards an NVQ Level 2, the Level 1 option is likely to be the stronger investment.
The Level 1 accreditation can help you:
- Demonstrate that you have completed assessed carpentry and joinery units
- Show potential employers that you are serious about entering the trade
- Add recognised training achievements to your CV
- Provide reassurance to future customers as your experience develops
- Create a clearer starting point for continued trade development
- Begin working towards the experience required for an NVQ Level 2
- Keep both employment and self-employment routes open
What Level 1 Units Will You Complete?
You will be trained and assessed in the following three NOCN Cskills Level 1 units:
Door Lining
You will develop the measuring, marking, cutting and assembly skills needed to produce and install a suitable door lining within your practical training area.
Hanging a Door
You will prepare the door and lining, accurately position and chop in hinges, hang the door and make the adjustments needed to achieve suitable alignment and clearances.
Skirting and Architrave
You will measure, cut and fit skirting and architrave, including mitres, internal and external corners, scribes and the accurate finishing required around a doorway.
On successful achievement of these three units, you will gain six credits at Level 1 and receive a NOCN Cskills unit-accreditation certificate in Skills for Carpentry and Joinery.
Optional Window Frame Unit
An additional NOCN Cskills Level 1 Window Frame unit is currently available as an optional bolt-on for an additional £100.
Please speak to the YTA team before or at the beginning of your course if you are interested in completing this additional unit.
What Are the Assessments Like?
The assessments are integrated into the practical course. You are not expected to arrive already knowing how to complete the work.
Your instructor will teach and demonstrate the relevant skills before you undertake the assessed tasks. You will have time to practise, ask questions and develop your technique during the course.
The assessment confirms that the required task has been completed to the relevant standard. Successful achievement is not automatic, but the course is structured to provide the practical training and support needed before assessment.
This is not a classroom-only qualification. The focus is on learning, practising and demonstrating genuine hands-on carpentry skills.
Who Is the Level 1 Carpentry and Joinery Course For?
This course is particularly suitable for:
- Complete beginners serious about starting a carpentry career
- Adults considering a practical career change
- People wanting recognised evidence of their initial carpentry training
- Those hoping to find employment with a builder or carpentry business
- People interested in housing-association or property-maintenance work
- Those who want to work alongside an experienced carpenter as an assistant or improver
- People hoping to develop towards self-employment
- Those wanting to begin earning additional income alongside their existing job
- Existing tradespeople who want to add accredited carpentry units to their skills
- Property-maintenance workers wanting to offer a wider range of services
- Students who may eventually progress towards an NVQ Level 2
No previous carpentry or joinery experience is required. Training begins with fundamental tool skills before progressing to more involved practical tasks and assessed work.
What You Will Learn During the Ten Days
Tools, Timber and Accurate Preparation
- Correct and safe use of common carpentry and joinery hand tools
- Selecting appropriate saws for different tasks and materials
- Sharpening and using chisels correctly
- Using appropriate power tools under instruction
- Accurate measuring, marking and cutting
- Understanding timber, fixings and commonly used materials
- Developing good working habits, organisation and accuracy
Woodwork Joints and Joinery Techniques
- Marking and producing a variety of common woodwork joints
- Progressing from straightforward joints to more challenging examples
- Improving saw and chisel control
- Using learned joints within practical timber projects
- Understanding how and where different joints can be used
- Improving the accuracy and finish of completed work
Stud Partitioning and Door Openings
- Understanding terminology used in timber partitioning
- Planning and setting out a stud partition
- Selecting the materials and fixings required
- Producing and assembling timber studwork
- Forming a doorway within the partition
- Constructing and fitting a door lining or frame
- Working through less straightforward or out-of-square situations
Door Hanging, Locks and Ironmongery
- Preparing a door and lining for hinges
- Accurately positioning and chopping in hinges
- Hanging and adjusting a door
- Understanding door clearances and alignment
- Fitting door furniture
- Fitting latches and locks
- Working through awkward doors and openings requiring adjustment
Skirting, Architrave and Second-Fix Carpentry
- Measuring and fitting skirting boards
- Fitting architrave around a doorway
- Cutting internal and external corners
- Producing accurate mitres
- Scribing joints for a better fit
- Understanding commonly used mouldings and fixings
- Developing a neater and more professional finish
Advanced Carpentry Skills and Projects
- Using learned joints and techniques in larger timber projects
- Constructing practical items such as timber gates or similar woodworking projects
- Understanding and constructing basic pitched-roof sections
- Measuring, marking and cutting roof components
- Working through tasks requiring greater accuracy and problem-solving
- Dealing with openings, walls and surfaces that are not perfectly square
- Additional practice in areas you may want to develop further
Practical Skills Combined with Recognised Assessment
Carpentry cannot be learned simply by reading about it or watching somebody else work. Confidence develops when you use the tools, make the measurements, cut the timber and solve the problems yourself.
Over ten training days, you will have time to practise core techniques, complete larger projects and undertake the Level 1 assessment tasks.
With a maximum class size of six students, you can ask questions, receive instructor support and spend the majority of the course working practically.
You will not leave as an experienced carpenter after ten days. Experience, speed and wider occupational competence take time to develop. However, you can leave with a strong practical foundation, assessed units and a clearer route towards your next step.
Level 1 as a Gateway into Employment
Not everyone wants to become self-employed immediately. For many career changers, finding employment or working alongside an experienced carpenter can provide a more comfortable way to enter the trade.
The Level 1 accreditation gives you something tangible to include on your CV and discuss with potential employers. It demonstrates that you have invested in practical training and successfully completed assessed carpentry units.
After the course, you may choose to approach:
- Small building and carpentry companies
- Property-maintenance businesses
- Housing associations and their contractors
- Local-authority maintenance contractors
- Construction and refurbishment businesses
- Kitchen-fitting and home-improvement companies
- Carpenters seeking an assistant or improver
- Landlords and property developers employing maintenance staff
The Level 1 accreditation cannot guarantee employment. Employers will still consider your attitude, reliability, wider abilities and developing experience. However, it can help demonstrate that you have made a genuine commitment to entering the trade.
Could You Eventually Work for Yourself?
For some students, the long-term aim is greater independence and the opportunity to build a business of their own.
You may initially continue in your present job while practising your skills and gradually building your tool collection. As your competence develops, you might begin taking on carefully selected work during evenings or weekends.
This could eventually include suitable work involving:
- Doors, hinges, locks and adjustments
- Skirting and architrave
- Stud partitions
- Timber repairs
- Gates and external timber projects
- Property-maintenance carpentry
- Second-fix carpentry
- Work supporting larger renovation projects
You should only undertake work that is within your competence and ensure that you have suitable tools, insurance and business arrangements.
Some people remain part-time and enjoy the additional income. Others gradually build enough experience and demand to consider making carpentry their main occupation.
The Level 1 course will not build that business for you—but it can help you stop merely imagining the possibility and begin developing the practical skills behind it.
Your Possible Route from Level 1 to NVQ Level 2
The Level 1 course can provide the first recognised step in a longer carpentry and joinery career.
- Complete your ten-day practical course and Level 1 assessments.
- Continue developing your skills through employment, working alongside experienced tradespeople, property projects or self-employment.
- Gain genuine occupational experience across the range of carpentry work required for your intended NVQ route.
- Build evidence of your workplace competence as your experience grows.
- After at least three years of relevant experience, you may be suitable for an NVQ Level 2 through the OSAT route, subject to meeting the skills and evidence requirements.
- Experienced carpenters with five years or more in the trade may be suitable for the faster EWPA assessment route, subject to demonstrating the required occupational competence.
NVQ Level 2 Through OSAT
OSAT stands for On-Site Assessment and Training. An assessor gathers evidence of your work while you are operating within the trade. YTA’s OSAT route is intended for people with at least three years of relevant occupational experience.
NVQ Level 2 Through EWPA
EWPA stands for Experienced Worker Practical Assessment. It is designed for experienced workers who can already demonstrate the full range of required skills. YTA’s carpentry EWPA route is intended for people with five years or more of relevant experience.
Time served alone does not automatically result in an NVQ. You must have developed the occupational competence and evidence required for your chosen assessment route.
For further information, visit YTA’s NVQ Level 2 OSAT page and Site Carpentry NVQ Level 2 EWPA page.
Does Level 1 Make You a Qualified Carpenter?
The Level 1 course provides practical training and recognised unit accreditation. It does not make a complete beginner an experienced or fully qualified carpenter in ten days.
An NVQ Level 2 is a competence-based qualification for people who have developed the required occupational skills and experience in the workplace.
Think of Level 1 as the beginning of your professional development rather than the end. It provides initial assessed achievements that you can build on through continued practice, employment, self-employment and future assessment.
Compare YTA’s Carpentry and Joinery Courses
5 Day Carpentry and Joinery Course
Best suited to:
Beginners wanting essential practical carpentry skills in one focused week.
Current price:
£700 including VAT
Qualification:
Non-accredited practical training
10 Day Carpentry and Joinery Course
Best suited to:
Career changers wanting core and advanced skills, larger projects and more practical experience.
Current price:
£1,400 including VAT
Qualification:
Non-accredited practical training
Recommended for career changers
10 Day Level 1 Carpentry and Joinery Course
Best suited to:
Career changers wanting practical training with recognised Level 1 assessed units.
Current price:
£1,800 including VAT
Qualification:
NOCN Cskills Level 1 unit accreditation
YOU ARE VIEWING THIS COURSE
From October 2026, the respective prices will be £750, £1,500 and £1,900 including VAT.
Choose This Level 1 Course If:
- You are serious about carpentry and joinery as a possible career
- You want recognised evidence of assessed Level 1 units
- You want to demonstrate your commitment to potential employers
- You may seek work with a builder, contractor or maintenance business
- You are considering eventual self-employment
- You may want to progress towards an NVQ Level 2
- You want to keep both employment and self-employment routes available
Why Choose YTA Training?
YTA Training has delivered practical construction training since 2006 and specialises in helping adult learners, complete beginners and career changers develop hands-on trade skills.
YTA is approved to offer nationally recognised training and assessment through NOCN Cskills.
Students attending our Level 1 carpentry and joinery course benefit from:
- Maximum class sizes of six students
- Ten days of intensive hands-on training
- Training suitable for complete beginners
- Experienced carpentry trainers and assessors
- Real tools, timber, fixings and practical projects
- Dedicated carpentry and joinery training facilities
- Three NOCN Cskills Level 1 assessed units
- An optional additional Window Frame assessment unit
- NVQ Level 2 assessment routes for experienced workers
- Hundreds of independent five-star student reviews
- A specialist adult training environment
- Training at our Bradford centre in West Yorkshire
READ YTA’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT REVIEWS
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I Need Previous Carpentry Experience?
No. The course is designed to be suitable for complete beginners. Training starts with tools, measuring, marking, cutting and jointing before progressing to larger projects and assessed work.
What Qualification Will I Receive?
On successful achievement of the three assessed units, you will gain six credits at Level 1 and receive a NOCN Cskills unit-accreditation certificate in Skills for Carpentry and Joinery.
Which Units Are Assessed?
The three included units are Door Lining, Hanging a Door, and Skirting and Architrave. An optional Window Frame unit is currently available for an additional £100.
Is the Course Mainly Practical?
Yes. This is an intensive hands-on course delivered within YTA’s dedicated carpentry and joinery training facilities. The assessment work is incorporated into your practical training.
What Is the Difference Between This and the Standard Ten-Day Course?
The practical skills taught are essentially the same. The Level 1 course also includes formal NOCN Cskills assessments and the opportunity to achieve recognised Level 1 unit accreditation.
Will Level 1 Help Me Find Employment?
It can provide recognised evidence of the assessed units you have completed and demonstrate your commitment to training. This may support applications to builders, carpentry companies and maintenance organisations, but it cannot guarantee employment.
Can I Become Self-Employed After the Course?
The course provides a practical and accredited starting point. Successful self-employment also requires continued experience, suitable tools, insurance, customer service, accurate pricing and the ability to complete work safely and competently.
Can I Progress to an NVQ Level 2?
Potentially, once you have gained sufficient occupational experience and can demonstrate the required competence. YTA offers an OSAT route for people with at least three years’ relevant experience and an EWPA route for experienced carpenters with five years or more.
Does Level 1 Make Me a Fully Qualified Carpenter?
No. Level 1 provides assessed introductory units and a valuable starting point. Becoming an experienced carpenter and achieving an NVQ Level 2 requires further occupational experience and competence.
Where Is the Course Held?
The course is held at YTA Training, Unit 12a, Spencer Business Centre, Factory Street, Dudley Hill, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD4 9NW.
Students travel to YTA from across Yorkshire and the wider UK. See our travelling to YTA and local accommodation pages when planning your course.
Helpful Carpentry Career and Qualification Guides
- Compare YTA’s Carpentry and Joinery Courses
- How to Become a Carpenter and Joiner in the UK
- Carpenter and Joiner Salary UK
- Five-Day vs Ten-Day Carpentry Courses
- NVQ Level 2 OSAT Information
- Site Carpentry NVQ Level 2 EWPA
Ready to Make Carpentry More Than Just an Idea?
You may have been thinking about changing direction for months or even years. Perhaps you want work that feels more practical, more rewarding or more within your control.
Over ten focused days, you can begin developing genuine carpentry and joinery skills, complete challenging projects and work towards recognised NOCN Cskills Level 1 unit accreditation.
This could become the beginning of an employed career, a way to build additional weekend income, a valuable addition to your existing trade or the first stage of a future business of your own.
You will still need to practise, gain experience and continue developing after the course. But instead of only wondering whether you could do it, you will have practical training, assessed achievements and a clearer route forward.
If you are serious enough to invest ten days in learning carpentry, give yourself the strongest possible start.
If there is one question or concern stopping you from booking, call YTA Training on 01274 682199 or contact us through WhatsApp. We will give you honest advice about whether the Level 1 course is suitable for your goals, with no pressure to book.
VIEW AVAILABLE DATES AND BOOK THE LEVEL 1 COURSE
OR COMPARE THE STANDARD 10 DAY COURSE
Available Level 1 Course Dates and Online Booking
| Pay in full to start 10 day lv1 joinery on 17/08/2026 £1800.00 | FULL |
| Pay in full to start 10 day lv1 joinery on 24/08/2026 £1800.00 | |
| Pay in full to start 10 day lv1 joinery on 31/08/2026 £1800.00 | |
| Pay in full to start 10 day lv1 joinery on 07/09/2026 £1800.00 | |
| Pay in full to start 10 day lv1 joinery on 14/09/2026 £1800.00 | |
| Pay in full to start 10 day lv1 joinery on 21/09/2026 £1800.00 | FULL |
| Pay in full to start 10 day lv1 joinery on 28/09/2026 £1800.00 | FULL |
| Course price increase due to material cost rises | |
| Pay in full to start 10 day lv1 joinery on 05/10/2026 £1900.00 | |
| Pay in full to start 10 day lv1 joinery on 12/10/2026 £1900.00 | |
| Pay in full to start 10 day lv1 joinery on 19/10/2026 £1900.00 | |
| Pay in full to start 10 day lv1 joinery on 26/10/2026 £1900.00 | |
| Pay in full to start 10 day lv1 joinery on 02/11/2026 £1900.00 | |
| Pay in full to start 10 day lv1 joinery on 09/11/2026 £1900.00 | |
| Pay in full to start 10 day lv1 joinery on 16/11/2026 £1900.00 | |
| Pay in full to start 10 day lv1 joinery on 23/11/2026 £1900.00 | |
| Pay in full to start 10 day lv1 joinery on 30/11/2026 £1900.00 | |
| Pay in full to start 10 day lv1 joinery on 07/12/2026 £1900.00 | |
| Pay in full to start 10 day lv1 joinery on first week 14/12/2026 and 04/01/27 second week £1900.00 | |
| Break for Christmas holidays | |
| Pay in full to start 10 day lv1 joinery on 04/01/2027 £1900.00 | |
| Pay in full to start 10 day lv1 joinery on 11/01/2027 £1900.00 | |
| Pay in full to start 10 day lv1 joinery on 18/01/2027 £1900.00 |
YTA is the UK’s premier training centre for construction training and assessment backed up by outstanding independent customer reviews on www.reveiws.co.uk (5 out of 5!)
To book please phone or the team
Unit 12a Factory Street, Dudley Hill, Bradford, BD4 9NW, West Yorkshire.
Tel: 01274682199
For more information, please phone or fill in the enquiry form on the contact page
Courses are held every week Monday to Friday.
All Course Times are: 9.00am – 16.00pm