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Furniture Design & Carpentry / Joinery

PLC Post Leaving Cert
5M2012 DI

This course equips learners with the essential skills of furniture design and making. There are practical classes using hand tools and machinery as well as drawing and design modules. Each student has the opportunity to develop develop practical Joinery and Carpentry skills so they can produce their own unique pieces of furniture.

Award Name Level 5 Certificate (Level 5 NFQ)
NFQ Classification Major
Awarding Body QQI
NFQ Level Level 5 NFQ
Award Name NFQ Classification Awarding Body NFQ Level
Level 5 Certificate (Level 5 NFQ) Major QQI Level 5 NFQ
Alternate Provider:
Location:
Bray
Attendance Options:
Full time, Daytime
Apply to:
Course provider

Duration

1 year

Entry Requirements

One of the following:
• Leaving Certificate or its equivalent. Extenuating circumstances may be considered.

• Leaving Certificate Applied Award

• Full QQI Level 4 Award

• Mature Applicants – experience will be considered in lieu of formal qualifications

Places are offered following successful interview.

Careers / Further progression

Career Opportunities
• Cabinet Making/Joinery
• CAD/CAM Engineer
• Machinery Technician
• Carpentry
• Designer
• Spray Technician / Wood Finisher

Higher Education Progression*
Examples of potential courses include:
• BIFE:
Furniture Design and Cabinet Making QQI Level 6

• TU Dublin:
Sustainable Timber Technology (TU838)

• SETU Carlow Campus (formerly IT Carlow):
Product Design Innovation (SE202)

• ATU Atlantic Technological
University (Letterfrack Campus):
Furniture Design and Manufacture (AU581)
Furniture Making and Architectural Woodworking (AU582)
Furniture Design, Making and Technology (Common Entry) (AU583)

* Places are not guaranteed in these Institutes and are subject to students meeting certain criteria. Please consult the individual college websites for more information for QQI applicants. Information available also at www.cao.ie

QQI FET Links to CAO Courses

Course Web Page

Further information

Course commences in September 2024.

Enrolment Procedure

Step 1:
Applicants must apply online at www.bife.ie.

Step 2:
In some cases, applicants may be invited to attend for interview at the Institute. Applicants will be selected on suitability and a first come/first served basis. You should bring the following to the interview:
• A copy of Leaving Certificate results (if applicable)
• A brief Curriculum Vitae
• A Portfolio of Work (where necessary)
• References (where necessary)

Step 3:
Successful applicants will be offered a place by post, subject to them achieving the basic entry requirements laid out in the prospectus/website and must secure their place by paying an acceptance fee of €50. All fees must be paid by Friday 30th August 2024. The €50 acceptance fee is non refundable. All other fees will be refunded if the applicant subsequently decides not to take their place before Friday 27th September 2024. Failure to pay the relevant fees may result in a lapse of your offer. All candidates who accept an offer agree to abide by the policies and procedures of the Institute.

Step 4:
All learners must register at the Institute or on-line by the designated registration date.

International Applicants
The Institute welcomes applications from International Learners. Non EA applicants (applicants outside the European Area, i.e. outside EU & Iceland, Norway and Switzerland) must comply with Irish immigration requirements. Such applicants will have to secure a visa from the Immigration Section of the Department of Justice. As all courses are delivered in English, International students will be required to provide a certified qualification of proficiency in English where English is not the applicants first language.

Non-EU students will be required to pay the economic cost of the course as determined by the Department of Education.

International applicants should apply directly to the Institute office for further information.

Mature students are welcome to apply. Formal academic qualifications not required.

Fees
Courses at Bray Institute of Further Education are funded largely by the European Social Fund. Tuition costs are covered for Irish or EU citizens undertaking PLC courses. There is no application fee, however all learners are required to pay the following:

• An Acceptance Fee of €50, to be paid when offered a place on a course.
• A Resource contribution fee of €150 for learner services*, paid annually.

There is also a cost of registration with professional bodies for a small number of courses such as Accounting Technicians Ireland (ATI).

*Resource fees are used as a general fund to provide learner resources for PLC courses including library services

Maintenance Grant
Learners on full-time approved courses at the Institute are entitled to apply for Maintenance Grants. The Grant is means tested. Learners should apply to SUSI, the online grant application system, through www.studentfinance.ie.
Learners in receipt of the maintenance grant must pay all the usual costs of the course.

Back to Education Initiative & VTOS
The Department of Social Welfare and The Department of Education and Skills administer these two schemes. In 2024, these schemes will become fully integrated into the college. These schemes offer unemployed adults an opportunity to return to full-time education while retaining their full social welfare entitlements and in some cases to receive extra benefits. Payments from DEASP normally establish eligibility. Previous educational level can also contribute.
To check your eligibility log onto www.studentfinance.ie or talk to the VTOS Co-ordinator. Some extra benefits may apply.

Yes

You can only apply online on the BIFE website by clicking on the "Apply Now 2024/2025" button at the top of any page on the college website Or
Click on the Application Weblink above.

Applications usually begin in mid December of the proceeding year of application. Early applications are always advisable to avoid classes filling up and increase your chances of getting a position.

Learners have access to a design studio, a well-equipped workshop with machine, hand and power tool training as part of the course. This award provides a link to Furniture Design and Timber Technology programmes in Ireland through the CAO system and leads into a Level 6 Cabinet Making course in BIFE. All learners can gain practical work experience and exhibit their work at the end-of-year Art & Design Exhibition in the Institute.

Programme of Study
• Furniture Making
• Design
• Drawing
• Wood Turning
• Wood Finishing
• Computer Aided Design – CNC programming
• Communications
• Work Experience

Components subject to change

5M2012 - Furniture Design and Making

Certification: QQI Level 5 Award in Furniture Design & Making (5M2012)

Head of Department:
Karen Ryan

Course Co-ordinator:
Noel Sweeney

Bray Institute of Further Education,
Tel: 01 282 9668
Email: bifeenquiries@kwetb.ie
Web: www.bife.ie

Alternate Provider:
Location:
Bray
Attendance Options:
Full time, Daytime
Apply to:
Course provider