Thread: Schools with long courses

Yeah, I am looking at this as a chance to take a year off from fiddling with computers first and foremost (subject to finance!) and then secondly at the end of the year deciding if I want to try to make a living doing fine woodwork.

I am under no illusions about the difficulty and chances of success at actually generating income, though. So really I am treating it as a sabbatical, but with a chance of being productive - which is why location is important.

They have gotten the Cert IV in Furniture Design and Manufacturing back up and running this year at Tafe in Coffs Harbour NSW. Not the most exotic location but it’s a great course.

I did it a few years ago in its previous iteration and it’s far from everyone making the exact same thing as specified by them. For example our final project brief was to build a ‘tabular surface’. So there was coffee tables, workbench’s, bedside tables etc.

Just thought it was worth putting it out there!

Oh that is actually quite interesting. I can think of worse things than not-quite full time study close to a beach!

Well let me know if you have any questions,
I am only half around it as I work in the Ceramics section at the moment.

Here’s the link for anyone that may be interested

Certificate IV in Furniture Design and Manufacturing MSF40222-01 | TAFE NSW

Good Morning Danny

David Haig, tutor at the Centre for Fine Woodworking in Nelson, NZ has published an article on furniture design in the current (April 2024) issue of Fine Woodworking magazine which I have just received. Worth looking at.


Graeme

Hi Danny

Yes The Sturt School for Wood offers a 12 month course. The Course offered is a VET Cert IV in Industrial Design called Cert IV in Furniture Design and Manufacturing. It is considered one of the finest courses available worldwide. Including course fee's, accommodation and living expenses, required tools and materials, you will need to budget at least $80,000 or more for the year as you will need to live close to the school. The course is aimed at people wanting a career in fine furniture making and design. Here is the link to the schools website;-
Course Description - Sturt | School of excellence in arts, design & fabrication

For entry you will be required to provide a portfolio prior to acceptance into the course. The course is very intensive and certainly full time requiring a lot more than the 40 hours of classroom study each week. Only 12 students are accepted each year and there is a waiting list, so if accepted you may still have to wait a year of two to enter the school.

Sturt has on occasion offered both summer and winter short courses in craft including woodwork. However The Sturt School for Wood which is part of the Frensham Schools in Mittagong is conducting a review of the viability for the provision of the short courses into the future and currently all future short courses have been suspended pending the outcome of this review.

Alternatively

If you are wanting to develop your fine wood working skills to the highest level my suggestion would be to pursue private tutorage with one of the great master teachers such as Stuart Falkner (NSW), Pam and Neil Erasmus (WA), Damion Fauser (Qld), plus many others.

There are verousious courses available internationally which are also worthwhile investigating.

What level of woodworking skill's do you already have and what do you feel you need to improve upon?

There are lot's of neat & tidy woodworkers that can do all the joints really well, but for me it's the individuals creativity that sets them apart from the rest regarding the pieces they make.

While a woodworking course can greatly increase your skillset to a level of accomplishment where you will receive a recognized qualification and to some degree stimulate your creativity, it doesn't guarantee at the end of the course you will be a creative woodworker.

Don't get me wrong to make a living from woodworking you don't have to be creative you just need to be able to copy/reproduce items that are in demand at an acceptable standard and at a competitive price, however if you can make speculative interesting pieces, that start to give you a edge over your competition then you can start to ask more for your work and in turn what you do should become more rewarding.

Thanks all and apologies for not replying, been travelling for work and effectively offline!

Especially thanks to snowgum for the in depth info on Sturt. They are very much a contender, and I can't find a bad word about them anywhere, which is quite an achievement. The only downside is if I want to take a career break from my boring desk job it's really tempting to go somewhere international, just for the experience of living overseas.

Not sure if you’ve aware but there will not be a full time course next year at Sturt . All courses have been canceled as from the start of next term including the winter school. Gallery will be open for another month or two and all staff have been let go.

The current full time students will finish this year but unsure where their exhibition will be.

A review committee has been appointed and have to report back to Frensham early June.

Pretty sad how the whole thing has been handled.

cheers Roy

Originally Posted by royflatmate

Not sure if you’ve aware but there will not be a full time course next year at Sturt . All courses have been canceled as from the start of next term including the winter school. Gallery will be open for another month or two and all staff have been let go.

The current full time students will finish this year but unsure where their exhibition will be.

A review committee has been appointed and have to report back to Frensham early June.

Pretty sad how the whole thing has been handled.

cheers Roy

Ah, no I hadn't heard, that's terrible news, especially for the staff effected but also just for the whole wood scene in Australia!

Only heard this news by email this weekend. Sounds like the bean-counters have taken over. Winifred West would be spinning in her grave. I suppose the WWS group can revert to their old specialty of producing brides for the landed gentry.

Originally Posted by rtyuiop

Ah, no I hadn't heard, that's terrible news, especially for the staff effected but also just for the whole wood scene in Australia!

It really is.

When you treat people like that, you destroy your own credibility and staff move on. Talented people find moving on to be the easiest. When the school reopens, assuming it does, not all staff will be available.

Their most valuable asset is their staff, incredibly talented, and they have been white anted by "management".

The Sturt Nominee on the Board of directors is Ms Kirsty McIvor, a journalist and media consultant. I would suggest that any alumni and others interested contact her at [email protected] to find out more information. I will certainly be doing so.
A new head of Frensham took over in May last year. It seems as though he has decided that he has to make changes to impress his leadership on the school board.