Timber iQ August - September 2019 // Issue:45 | Page 28

FEATURES Sustaining a successful woodworking career Theory and practical projects enable students to be both employees and self- employed. The timber construction industry is very broad and offers many different career opportunities; as with any career, having the required skills to execute different tasks helps you to get ahead. By Dineo Phoshoko | Photos by Learn to Earn D oing a woodworking course is a good way to start out in the industry, according to Herman van Boom, woodworker trainer from Learn to Earn. Woodworking skills should not be taken lightly as the skills obtained in a woodworking course can be used in different timber related applications such as cladding and building roof trusses. Learn to Earn is a skills development and job creation non-profit organisation that seeks to develop people especially unemployed people – socially, economically, emotionally and spiritually. The skills development centres are based in the Western Cape’s Khayelitsha and Hermanus. According to Van Boom, the timber industry is currently under a lot of strain with seven local Cape Town based companies having already closed this year. Many suppliers 26 AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019 // Students are exposed to various machinery during the woodworking course. Performing breakout operations is among the skills learnt during the course. www.timberiq.co.za