Wood machinists play a crucial role in creating quality timber products that adorn our homes and structures. They are skilled at working with a range of hand tools and machinery, and understand the different types of timber to produce floorboards, kitchen counters, bars, banisters, skirting boards, window and door frames, and more. There are currently two qualifications to support the skills of this job role: the furnishing qualification MSF30322 Certificate III of Cabinet Making and Timber Technology with a specialisation in wood machining, and the forest and wood products qualification FWP31121 Certificate III in Wood Machining.
The Certificate III of Cabinet Making and Timber Technology is the result of a 2022 project which merged three furnishing qualifications, with the aim to retain expertise in crucial job roles, while offering the potential for other career pathways in related areas.
As one of ten new Jobs and Skills Councils (JSCs), Skills Insight was contacted in 2023 by stakeholders with concerns about the Certificate III Cabinet Making and Timber Technology which was revised in 2022.
This project was undertaken to research and consult on the complexities of meeting training needs for the wood machinist occupation.
Based on desktop research and feedback from relevant stakeholders, Skills Insight has produced a report, which includes background on the currently available qualifications in wood machining, information on the job role, a summary of feedback collected from stakeholders, and suggestions for potential solutions.
It has been found that while well-structured training pathways exist for wood machining in both furniture manufacturing and sawmill operations, there are opportunities for improvement, particularly in standardising qualifications and enhancing industry relevance.
Recommendations for future actions and ongoing considerations are outlined in the report.
The report provides valuable insights for policymakers, educators, and industry stakeholders aiming to improve wood machining training programs to meet evolving industry demands.
Project Team
Julie Stratford
Stakeholder Engagement Manager,
Skills Insight
[email protected]
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Site Visits and Other Consultation
Between August and November, Skills Insight met and talked with stakeholders with an interest in the Certificate III Cabinet Making and Timber Technology. This included site visits, where the team have had the chance to learn more about cabinet making and wood machining.
As part of these consultations, stakeholder engagement manager Julie Stratford visited Duraform Products, a family owned and operated cabinet manufacturer. Skills Insight is grateful to Tony Aloisi and the employees of Duraform for showing Julie around the factory and volunteering their time and expertise.
Julie also had the opportunity to visit TAFE NSW Lidcombe campus, where she met with wood machining and cabinet making teachers and students and learnt more about the differences in skills needs in these professions.
Site visits also took place with a range of other training providers and employers. Site visits in Adelaide were arranged by and accompanied by Dave Kirner from CFMEU Manufacturing Division.
Training providers
- TAFE NSW Lidcombe Campus
- Box Hill Institute
- Holmesglen Institute
- TAFE Queensland
- TAFE NSW Tighes Hill Campus (Newcastle)
- South West TAFE (Warrnambool)
Enterprises
- Trendset Cabinets (Warrnambool)
- Duraform (Adelaide)
- IJF (Adelaide)
- Bedford Industries (Adelaide)
Other discussions have been held on phone with a range of registered training organisations (RTOs), employers, the union and industry associations.
Skills Insight also conducted a survey from 10 January to 5 February 2024, with stakeholder responses providing crucial insights.