Carpenter

Cutting, shaping, joining and fixing wood for doors, windows, frames, stairs, cupboards, furniture and roof work. Reading drawings, measuring on site, using hand and power tools, and repairing old wooden fittings.

A day in the work
A carpenter usually starts early, checks the drawings or the customer's list, and collects tools and timber. Much of the day is spent measuring, marking and cutting wood, then joining and fitting parts in a workshop or on site. Some days you fix a door frame or a cupboard in a home, and you clean up the dust and tools before leaving. You may also talk with the owner, the mason or the electrician about the next step of work.

1. Step 1 · Class 8–10Stay in school and build basic Maths, measuring and drawing skills. Practise measuring and cutting with a parent or a local carpenter, under supervision.
2. Step 2 · After Class 8 or 10Apply for the Carpenter trade at a government ITI in your state through the state admission portal. Admission is usually on merit (reported).
3. Step 3 · 1 yearComplete the one-year Carpenter course. It covers wood and timber identification, joints, furniture making, door and window frames, workshop calculation, engineering drawing and safety.
4. Step 4 · End of courseAppear for the trade test and get the NCVT trade certificate (reported). The certificate is what most employers and government training schemes ask for.
5. Step 5 · After ITIWork in a furniture workshop, a builder's site or an interior firm to learn the trade further. Many carpenters start as helpers and move up over several years.
6. Optional · From age 18If you want to work for yourself, check whether you qualify for PM Vishwakarma. It offers training, a toolkit voucher and a loan for artisans in 18 trades, including carpenters.

• ITI Carpenter trade (1 year)The most common formal route. You get a trade certificate that employers and state schemes recognise.
• NSDC furniture and fittings short courseSkill India short courses in wooden furniture, for people who want quick, focused training. Entry needs are low, but the course is shorter and less broad than the ITI trade.
• Learning on the jobWorking as a helper with an experienced carpenter. You learn on real work, but you may not get a formal certificate.

Fees from: UP ITI scholarship guide 2026-27 (third-party; reported) · PIB: Salient features and guidelines of PM Vishwakarma Scheme · Govt ITI Lala Hans Raj Gupta, Delhi: registration, caution money and tuition fee · Delhi Govt ITI Admission 2026 Spot Round-2 notice · Delhi ITI Registration Guidelines and Fee Structure for Online Admission 2026 (PDF) · Govt ITI Bharari, Himachal Pradesh: fee structure. Fees change every year — check the college's own fee page before you pay.

Earnings vary a great deal: a new trainee earns much less than an experienced carpenter, and pay also depends on the city, the type of work and whether you run your own shop or work for a contractor.

Students from SC, ST and OBC backgrounds can often get state ITI scholarships and fee support (reported). PM Vishwakarma covers carpenters aged 18 and above, and its core benefits are not split by caste or gender (reported). I did not find specific physical relaxations for girls or students with disabilities in the sources I checked.

• Class 7–9Measure and cut a small box or stool from scrap wood at home or in school, with an adult nearby. Sketch the plan to scale on paper first.
• Class 10–12Read the course outline for wooden furniture and fittings to see what skills are taught. Then ask a local ITI whether you can visit its carpentry workshop on an open day.Open link ↗
• College or afterSpend a few days with a working carpenter or furniture workshop, with permission, to see the full cycle from drawing to fitting. Note which tasks you enjoy most.

• The ITI trade is called Carpenter and is run under the national NCVT system. Your state ITI can tell you the exact admission rules for the year.
• Carpentry is physical work. You stand, lift and use saws and drills for long hours, so safety gear and care with tools matter.
• Self-employed carpenters often work on orders from homes and sites. Income can be uneven in slow months.
• Power tools, dust and noise are part of the job. Ear and eye protection is not optional.