This apprenticeship certificate program fulfills the in-school requirements of the carpentry apprenticeship program. Skilled carpenters are respected craftspersons in the construction industry. Carpenters are required to perform a variety of specialized jobs, including rough carpentry, form building, framing, fine finishing and maintenance. In addition to these skills, a knowledge of standard building procedures, building regulations, properties of materials and framing methods is required. Since construction involves the combined efforts of a number of different trades, carpenters must be familiar with the relationship of carpentry work to that of other journey-persons. Carpentry apprentice students have been working in the field for approximately one year prior to entering Algonquin. The in-school portion of the program consists of three 8-week levels, during which students attend classes 30 hours per week. In the basic, intermediate, and advanced levels, students take a variety of courses, including blueprint reading, welding, trade calculations and construction geometry. The first two levels concentrate on residential construction, framing and finishing. The advanced level focuses on commercial carpentry, including concrete form work, and stair building. Forty per cent of class time is spent in the campus carpentry shops learning practical, hands-on skills.