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    Wood Technology Vocational Courses

    Career Opportunities and our Core Program

    Wood Technology Vocational Courses 2

    Start a new career, or upgrade your existing skills at Laney College!

    We live in a time and place which supports a robust and diverse woodworking community. Our sense of local history, the Victorian and Craftsman homes in our neighborhoods, and the civic & corporate architecture of our city centers have created a sensibility and a demand for the craft of woodworking.

    Cabinet and furniture makers, finish carpenters, CAD/CAM technicians, and project managers, all find employment in a variety of well-paid, stable positions. High-end commercial and residential projects require skilled professionals, working in the local economy, to bring to life the designs and concepts which make the Bay Area a focal point of fine craftsmanship in the woodworking trades.

    Historically, the Wood Technology department has been an integral part of our community of professional woodworkers. Local shops are staffed with graduates of the program; indeed, many are managed and owned by former Laney students. Employers look to the Wood Tech program as a source of well-trained entry-level craftspersons. Working professionals come to Laney to upgrade their skills and learn about the most recent developments in tradecraft.

    Our shop, located in room G-150, directly opposite the Lake Merritt BART station, serves an industry that extends well beyond the 510 area code. Our state-of-the-art facility offers equipment and instruction available nowhere else in northern California. Our instructors are working professionals who understand the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in today’s rapidly changing industry.

    We maintain an active and up-to-date network of employers and job opportunities. We also assist those students wishing to become self-employed by introducing them to successful, like-minded professionals.

    Vocational Course Offerings

    1-year Certificate of Completion (Entry-Level)

    Our Basic Cabinet and Furniture Making Program addresses the needs of both students and employers by ensuring a basic level of competence of those who graduate from this two-semester program. The courses required for a Certificate of Completion are as follows:

    • Wood Technology 10 & 10L (Basic Woodworking Skills)
    • Wood Technology 20 & 20L (Continuation of WDTEC 10)
    • Wood Technology 11  (Furniture and Cabinet Layout)

    Courses are all offered in both Fall and Spring semesters.
    **For an up-to-date class schedule, click here

     

    Quoted from Certificate of Completion (1-year program):
    “The intent of this course is to produce safe, competent entry-level employees for the cabinet and furniture-making trades. Areas of study have included:

    Safe and efficient use and setup of power tools, including:
    • Table saws, panel saws, band saws
    • Jointers, planers, and wide-belt sanders
    • Edge banders, boring and hinge-insertion machinery
    • Portable power tools
    • Selection and care of tooling
    • Basic electrical safety and troubleshooting

    Panel processing

    • Modes of construction, including face frame and 32mm (Euro-Style)
    • Familiarity with panel products including veneer and plastic laminates
    • Selection and application of appropriate hardware and fasteners

    Solid wood construction

    • Millwork
    • Joinery
    • Material identification and selection
    • Preparation for finish

    Layout and measurement

    • Fractional and metric measurement
    • Shop geometry
    • Shop drawings
    • Stock bills
    • Bills of material
    2-year Certificate of Completion (Advanced)

    (the second year is night classes only, to accommodate working students)

    Our 2-year Cabinet and Furniture Making Program addresses the needs of both students and employers by ensuring a basic level of competence and additionally preparing graduates for the modern cabinet shop. To supplement the first year’s coursework, second-year students will take the CAD/CAM night courses (typically while they already employed). These courses teach the fundamentals of computer-assisted design and construction techniques necessary for the modern cabinet shop and even some modern furniture shops. The courses required for the 2-year Certificate of Completion are as follows:

    • Wood Technology 10 & 10L (Basic Woodworking Skills)
    • Wood Technology 20 & 20L (Continuation of WDTEC 10)
    • Wood Technology 11  and 21 (Furniture and Cabinet Layout)
    • Wood Technology 30 (CAD/CAM Techniques in the Cabinet-Making Industry)
    • Wood Technology 40 (Computer-Assisted Machining Techniques in the Cabinet-Making Industry)

    Courses are all offered in both Fall and Spring semesters.
    **For an up-to-date class schedule, click here

    Wood Technology Vocational Courses

    Courses are conducted in an environment closely resembling actual shop practice. Students work as part of a production team, both as team members and lead persons. Communication and problem-solving skills have been emphasized, as well as the safe and efficient use of time and materials.”

    The Wood Technology department at Laney College has long been recognized as a source of well-trained, entry-level employees, as well as a forum for professional development for those currently working in the woodworking trades. Graduates from our core program have found employment in many local shops, including Berkeley Mills (Berkeley) and Mueller Nicholls Cabinets (Oakland). Other students have built upon this foundation to begin work as independent contractors.

    Contact Us

    Department Chair
    Myron Franklin
    Email: mfranklin@peralta.edu

    Dean
    Alejandria Tomas
    Email: atomas@peralta.edu

    Learning & Career Pathways
    Building & Skilled Trades

    Division
    Career & Technical Education

    Location
    Building G, Room 150
    (Lower Level, G-150)

    campus-map

    You can enter our shop from Fallon St (across from BART Lake Merritt Station parking lot) or from the campus side, follow this Google Map link.

    **For Deliveries and Pickups – WARNING DO NOT use the listed address for Laney College! This link will guide you to the closest location for large deliveries.

    Call us: (510) 464-3446

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