There are a number of apprenticeships in the Chicago area related to
furniture making and woodworking. Often the two are combined.
To begin with, the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Apprenticeship
and Training issues the guidlines by which an apprenticeship may be
undertaken.
Their offices in Chicago are at:
230 S. Dearborn Street - Room 656
Chicago, IL 60604
(312) 353-4690
Or:
401 South State Street, 6 South
Chicago, Illinois 60605
There are some furniture apprenticeships available through these
offices and the average apprenticeship take three to five years to
complete. The typical program includes 2,000 hours of on-the-job
training plus at least 144 hours per year of related classroom
instruction if the employer is following the guidlines.
The Illinois Department of Employment Security offices also serve as
apprenticeship centers. Apprenticeships such as you are looking for
normally require a high school diploma or General Equivalency Diploma
(GED), your own transportation, proof of physical fitness and the
ability to work with your hands.
Some other furniture apprenticeships available in the Chicago area:
( http://www.orthfurniture.com/apprenticeship.html ) - Page title,
"Apprenticeship" This website describes apprenticeship opportunities
in furniture, woodworking, metalworking & furniture design. Schedule
information and contact information is provided. You can even complete
your apprenticeship application questionnaire online.
( http://www.lf.org/bhai2000/ ) - Page title, "Bauhaus Apprenticeship
Institute" This is the website of the Bauhaus Apprenticeship
Institute. They are located at 756 Hannah St., Forest Park, IL 60130.
They offer training in fine furniture building within a working
studio environment where projects for nationwide clients are designed
and hand-crafted. You will find requirements and contact information.
( http://www.furnituremaking.com/ ) - Page title, "J. Miller
Handcrafted Furniture" They are located at 1774 W. Lunt Avenue,
Chicago, IL 60626. They offer furniture workshops as well as
apprenticeship programs for those dedicated to making a career of fine
furniture. For information about the apprenticeship program, call
(773) 761-3311.
( http://www.cfdainfo.org/faq.html ) - Page title, "CFDA Frequently
Asked Questions" - Apprenticeship programs are available through the
Chicago Furniture Designers Association. While these pages do not
describe them in detail, you can contact Jeff Miller (773) 761-3311,
David Orth (708) 383-4399, or Berthold Schwaiger (708) 383-5358 for
additional information. There is an excellent possibility they would
know of apprenticeships which are not found online. When checking
through listings of Chicago area furniture manufacturers in a
subscription directory, fewer than one in 25 have an online presence.
There are also several furniture shows in the Chicago area throughout
the year. You will need to watch for scheduling in your local paper.
You can contact local manufacturers at such shows to find if they have
an apprenticeship or paid training programs available.
Since you mentioned an "apprenticeship" rather than just 'training' I
must presume you are talking about the "fine" furniture business. The
ones I have listed above are among the best in the Chicago area. It
might also be advisable to have samples of your work ready since some
of them will want to know what your skills already are.
Some colleges and universities offer scholarships in fine furniture
and interior design. Would you be interested in any of those? If so,
please let me know as a clarification request.
I hope this gets you pointed in the right direction. If I can clarify
any part of the above answer or be of any additional assistance,
please ask.
Cheers
digsalot |
,
0 Comments
)