Play your part in Army building projects
“The tuition I received on the Carpentry and Joiner course was excellent and allowed me to become a confident tradesman.”
Construction is a big part of the Army’s work at home and abroad. Become a highly skilled Carpenter and Joiner, and you’ll help with all kinds of building projects. Our first-class training will teach you to work from drawings, plan tasks, use workshop machinery and scaffolding, and prepare timber for use. You’ll also learn to make joints, windows, doorframes, partitions, floors and roofing. With this experience plus qualifications, you’ll have a great CV if you decide to leave. Until then, there’s plenty to enjoy: sports, adventurous training and fantastic friends.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
- Plan carpentry and joinery tasks from sketches and working drawings.
- Learn the use and maintenance of workshop machinery.
- Prepare timber for use, manufacture joints, use adhesives, produce windows, door frames, door linings and internal joinery fitments.
- Carry out general construction work, first fix timber frames, second fix internal joinery fitments. Install partitions floors roofing, timber framed buildings, form work and shoring.
- Construct scaffolding, interpret scaffold terms, erect access scaffold and install access ladders.
TRAINING FOR THE ROLE
Step 1
You'll start with your initial military training which will teach you how to be a soldier - this will cover everything from fieldcraft to how to handle a rifle. If you join as a Junior Soldier (under 17 years 5 months), you’ll do a 23-week basic military training course at Harrogate. If you join as a Regular Soldier (over 17 years 1 month), you’ll do the regular 14-week adult basic training.
Step 2
Then it’s off to the Royal School of Military Engineering Regiment near Camberley for nine weeks. Here, you learn military engineering skills such as knots and lashings, demolition, mine warfare and bridge building. The final stage of training is 21 weeks at the Royal School of Military Engineering in Chatham. Here, you learn how to use machinery and hand tools to make timber building materials.
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Age: 16 years 6 months - 35 years 6 months
QUALIFICATIONS: GCSE Grade A–D/9-3 in at least English Language, Maths and Science
FITNESS: Lift 35kg, Carry 120m, 1.5 mile run in 13 min 15 sec (14 min 30 sec for junior entry)
From 1 April 2019, the tests you take at the Assessment Centre will change:
Mid Thigh Pull 118kg
Medicine Ball Throw 3.1m
2km run 10m 45s (11m 30s for Junior Entry)
QUALIFICATIONS YOU COULD GET AFTER TRAINING
- Level 2 and 3 Diplomas in Carpentry and Joinery (Military Engineering)
- Level 2 Apprenticeship (NVQ Technical Certificate and Functional Skills) in Wood Occupations - Site Carpentry (City and Guilds)
RANK PROGRESSION
Learn about rank progression here.
PAY & BENEFITS
REGULAR
Earn £15,230 during training. When your Initial training is finished, and you join your unit as a Sapper your pay will rise to £18,859.
RESERVE
You’ll get paid a day rate according to your rank, starting from £37.47 in training and rising to £46.42 per day once you’re a Private. This includes being paid for weekly drill nights. Plus, if you complete all of your annual training days, you’re entitled to a tax-free lump sum called a bounty. More about Reserve benefits
FROM THE FIELD
“The tuition I received on the Carpentry and Joiner course was excellent and allowed me to become a confident tradesman. The course started with basic joints and built up to the construction of doors, partition walls and roofs. Following my time at 1RSME, I am now looking forward to putting the skills I have learnt to good use.”
TRAINING FOR THE ROLE
Step 1
Your training will depend on your military experience, trade qualifications and the role of your unit. If you need basic soldiering skills, you learn them at your nearest Army Training Unit.
Step 2
Then you go to the Army Training Centre, Pirbright, to be trained by Regular Army instructors. You learn to handle weapons, read maps and give first aid. Combat Engineer training is given by your unit. Finally, you have trade training at the Royal School of Military Engineering in Chatham. Over 21 weeks, you learn how to use machinery and hand tools to make timber building materials.:
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Age: 17 years 9 months - 49 years 11 months
QUALIFICATIONS: GCSE Grade D/3 or above in at least Maths, English Language and one other subject
FITNESS: Lift 35kg, Carry 120m, 1.5 mile run in 13 min 15 sec (14 min 30 sec for junior entry)
From 1 April 2019, the tests you take at the Assessment Centre will change:
Mid Thigh Pull 118kg
Medicine Ball Throw 3.1m
2km run 10m 45s (11m 30s for Junior Entry)
QUALIFICATIONS YOU COULD GET AFTER TRAINING
- Level 2 NVQ Diploma in Wood Occupations – Construction – (Pearson WBL)
- Level 2 Diploma in Defence Engineering ( Carpentry and Joinery) (QCF) – (Cskills)
- Functional Skills English at level 1
- Functional Skills Mathematics at level 1
RANK PROGRESSION
Learn about rank progression here.
PAY & BENEFITS
REGULAR
Earn £15,230 during training. When your Initial training is finished, and you join your unit as a Sapper your pay will rise to £18,859.
RESERVE
You’ll get paid a day rate according to your rank, starting from £37.47 in training and rising to £46.42 per day once you’re a Private. This includes being paid for weekly drill nights. Plus, if you complete all of your annual training days, you’re entitled to a tax-free lump sum called a bounty. More about Reserve benefits
HOW TO APPLY?
Once your online application has been approved, you'll meet with a local recruiter. This is your chance to tell us about the role that you're interested in. When you go to the Assessment Centre,you'll take tests - the results will show whether you'd be suitable for this role, or should consider a different role.