72311 Cabinetmakers

What this occupation covers

Cabinetmakers use a variety of woods and laminates to construct and repair wooden cabinets, furniture, fixtures and related products. They are employed by furniture manufacturing or repair companies, construction companies and cabinetmaking contractors, or they may be self-employed. Apprentices are also included in this unit group.

Official main duties

The NOC profile lists 7 main duties for this code.

• Study plans, specifications or drawings of articles to be made, or prepare specifications
• Mark outlines or dimensions of parts on wood
• Operate woodworking machines, such as power saws, jointers, mortisers and shapers, and use hand tools to cut, shape and form parts and components
• Trim joints and fit parts and subassemblies together to form complete unit using glue and clamps and reinforce joints using nails, screws or other fasteners
• Sand wooden surfaces and apply veneer, stain or polish to finished products
• Repair or restyle wooden furniture, fixtures and related products
• May estimate amount, type and cost of materials required.

Do not copy these lines into your reference letter. The letter has to describe what you actually did, in your employer’s words. DUTYPROOF flags wording lifted from the NOC as something to review, and an officer reading a letter that mirrors the NOC reads it the same way.

What DUTYPROOF screens for

This is DUTYPROOF’s screening threshold, not IRCC’s decision. For this NOC, screening requires at least 2 of its 7 official duties to be evidenced in your own words, plus the required letter elements. IRCC asks that you performed the actions in the occupation’s lead statement and a substantial number of its main duties — so treat the duty coverage as the number that matters, not the badge.

Codes this one is confused with

The NOC profile names these itself. Choosing the wrong code of a look-alike pair is the most common way genuine work experience fails to establish eligibility.

• 72013 Contractors and supervisors, carpentry trades
• 72310 Carpenters
• 94124 Woodworking machine operators

Excluded from this code

• Cabinetmakers foreman/woman (See 72013 Contractors and supervisors, carpentry trades)
• Carpenters (See 72310 Carpenters)
• Woodworking machine operators (See 94124 Woodworking machine operators)

Job titles filed under this code

A title on this list does not by itself put your experience in this code — the duties in your letter decide that.

cabinetmaker · cabinetmaker apprentice · custom frame and mirror assembler · custom piano case maker · custom wood furniture maker · custom wooden desk maker · furniture cabinetmaker · jig builder - wood products manufacturing · journeyman/woman cabinetmaker · layout marker - cabinetmaking · pattern repairman/woman - foundry · tradesman/woman cabinetmaker · wood furniture and fixtures patternmaker · wood model maker · wood mould maker · wood pattern inspector · wood pattern repairman/woman - foundry · wood patternmaker

Employment requirements

• Completion of secondary school is usually required.
• Completion of a four-year apprenticeship program or A combination of over four years of work experience in the trade and some high school or college courses in cabinetmaking is usually required to be eligible for trade certification.
• Trade certification is available, but voluntary, in all provinces and territories.
• Red Seal endorsement is also available to qualified cabinetmakers upon successful completion of the interprovincial Red Seal examination.