What Is an Interior Systems Carpenter?
 Look around you. Just about every building in your community from your high school to the mall to the restaurant or dentist's office - was at least partially built by skilled carpenters. This is an expanding industry offering challenges to those entering the construction trades. It involves the installation of all sorts of modern equipment and material in commercial buildings, such as acoustical ceilings, raised floors for computers, metal framing, wall partitions and office furniture systems.

What Types of Jobs Are Done by Interior Systems Carpenters?
These specialized workers install construction materials and a variety of factory-produced systems in commercial buildings and public structures. Their specialized skills are brought into play as they assemble complex interior systems using technical data supplied by manufacturers. Saws and hammers as well as mechanic s tools such as drills, wrenches, and screwdrivers are used most often. Welding skills are also needed for assembly work.

What Types of Hours and Working Conditions Are Involved?
Interior systems carpenters generally work eight-hour days, often starting about 7am. Many of the installations erected by interior systems carpenters come carefully marked and crated, and journeymen and apprentices alike must carefully read instructions and specifications. As the title indicates, it s inside work. Sometimes it s at floor level and sometimes it s above the floor on scaffolds. Sturdy work clothes are worn, and, when necessary, special safety goggles and other gear are worn.

How Do I Become an Interior Systems Carpenter?
It's great to be in this industry, but to get there, you have to work hard. Your training will be done by local experts through an apprenticeship program. To make sure your training is the best in the country, a group of experienced contractors and union representatives make sure you get the right instruction and earn a good wage at the same time. To start, call your local carpenters union office to get more information. Ask them how to become an Apprentice in the interior systems program.

Does My High School Coursework Matter?
You can get a head start in becoming an interior systems carpenter by studying math and enrolling in shop work in school. Classes in industrial arts and mechanical drawing will help you decide whether or not you have an interest in this trade.

What Is an Apprentice?
Apprentices are earning a good income and learning a trade, all at once. Apprentices study both in the classroom and on the job under the guidance of skilled workers of that trade, call journeyman. From the first day of your apprenticeship, you are paid a wage and start to earn benefits. You also get regular raises for doing a good job usually every six months, until you reach the full journeyman scale at the end of the apprenticeship program. In most cases the length of your apprenticeship is four years, and your training is free.

What Makes This Opportunity So Special?
The rewards of apprenticeship training are the good wages and benefits you receive as a skilled craftsperson. Union interior systems carpenters belong to the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America and benefit from the security of being professional tradesmen. You will be working in a good job under the protection of a union contract, which means that you will probably have some form of health insurance and pension and welfare benefits. It pays to be the best you can be: an apprentice-trained interior systems carpenter.

Interior systems ccarpenters are members of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, a proud organization with more than 500,000 members.