How you can benefit from our courses

Courses cover the design, construction, conservation, restoration and finishing of furniture and can be taken as a series or individually (with some exceptions).

The courses are designed to give intensive tuition to students who want to raise their understanding and quality of work to professional standards either for their own satisfaction: as a platform for developing a new career or to qualify for entry to a longer programme of education. These are not leisure interest courses and students will find the need to work up to ten hours a day. Most courses are designed for students with little of no previous experience but are structured to quickly raise their understanding and quality of work. Students with previous subject experience will find the opportunity to develop their skills within the syllabus and wherever possible individual needs will be accommodated. Students attending these courses have differing needs and here is a description of some student objectives to help you decide whether they are applicable to you:

NEW CAREER
Many students are looking for a new career working with wood. Perhaps taking early retirement, facing redundancy or just sick of ‘the rat race’. With a short course several objectives can be achieved:
A) See if you are suited to the subject before committing yourself to long-term training.
B) Explore training and career opportunities based on your level of achievement.
C) Structure the acquisition of new knowledge and skills whilst in your present career.
D) Make what until now has been a hobby into and enjoyable and rewarding new career.

CAREER DEVELOPMENT
You may be disappointed with the level and quality of training you received at college and be looking for experienced tutors with a proven track record who in addition to their teaching abilities are themselves successful restorers/ furniture makers. Perhaps you have been working as a restorer/ cabinet maker/ wood finisher for several years and need someone to fill in the ‘gaps’. Several college tutors, professional groups, restorers, wood finishers and cabinet makers have benefited from further training at The Little Surrenden Workshops.

APPRENTICESHIP
Due to the lack of traditional apprenticeships, many young people who would like a career with furniture fail to find a workshop that is prepared to spend time training them. You can use the traditional hand skills acquired at The Little Surrenden Workshops to show a prospective employer your potential.

RETIREMENT
Active people looking for a fulfilling interest in retirement take our short courses to develop new skills now they have the time.

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