How you diagnose problems — systematically

Furniture carpenter and organ builder are two specialties in the same vocational education, and both follow the classic structure for craft educations: a basic course at school, a main course where you alternate between school and company, and a journeyman's examination at the end. If you understand the structure from the start, it is much easier to see where you are heading and what is expected of you along the way.

§Basic course 1 and basic course 2

If you come directly from 9th or 10th grade, you start on basic course 1. Here the teaching is broad and lets you try several directions so you become sure of your choice before specializing. Basic course 2 is aimed at the subject itself: you work with drawing, materials, tools and machines and the joining methods that form the foundation of carpentry work, and you prepare to go out into a company.

Has it been more than approximately one year since you left primary school, in many cases you can begin directly on basic course 2 and skip basic course 1. This typically applies if you are a bit older or have done something else before applying. Together the basic course fills up to approximately 40 weeks if you take both parts, and about half that if you only need basic course 2.

§Main course — school and practical work alternating

When you have an apprenticeship agreement with a company the main course begins. It's the longest part of the education and you alternate between school periods and practical work. School periods come in several separate blocks rather than one long stretch and between them you work in the company applying what you've learned to real tasks. The main course is typically divided into six school periods of about five weeks each.

§Duration

The total qualification spans several years when you count basic and main program together. The main program itself typically lasts from around 2 years and 9 months to 3 years and 3 months, depending on specialty and program. If you choose EUX, where you add upper secondary subjects on top of the skilled knowledge, the total program becomes longer.

§Entry requirements and admission

To begin HTX you must meet a number of admission requirements set centrally in the legislation on high school educations. The article explains the requirements for final exams grade averages education readiness assessments and language tests — and what you do if you don't meet the requirements directly.