Course Overview

Cabinetmakers and millworkers produce the wood furnishings and finishes we often take for granted. In our Cabinetmaking & Millwork program, students learn how these craftspeople turn wood into cabinetry and more. As they grow familiar with the materials and increasingly high-tech tools of the trade, students master the following skills:

• Read blueprints and shop drawings for furniture; develop material lists, layouts and cutting lists
• Use hand tools, power tools and stationary equipment to shape, cut and construct cabinetry
• Program and operate CNC machines; use CNC machines to shape and cut cabinet parts
• Assemble cabinetry using various adhesives, fasteners and joinery techniques; install hardware
• Prepare wood for finishing; apply stains, polyurethanes and lacquers with spray gun
• Install wall and base cabinets, countertops, vanities and kitchen sinks

Students develop their skills in a state-of-the-art program lab outfitted with a CNC machining center, a European sliding saw and other industry-standard equipment. After learning fundamentals like squaring stock and cutting joints, they advance to building canoe shelves, shaker tables and kitchen cabinets from scratch. Along the way, students work with everything from pine and cherry woods to plywoods and laminates.

Students routinely team up with peers in LCTI’s carpentry and masonry programs to tackle projects for community schools and nonprofit organizations. Shop safety, furniture repair and refinishing, frameless construction and solid surface fabrication are important elements of the program, too.

Course Details

Course length: 9 months

Next start date(s): Fall 2025 dates TBD

Tentative schedule: 8:15 am – 2:45 pm, M-F

Program availability is contingent on high school enrollments and open seats.

Credentials & college credit

Students who complete our course earn the following industry-recognized credentials:

• OSHA Certification via CareerSafe®
• Pennsylvania Skills Certificate via NOCTI®

Students who complete our course are well-positioned to earn associate degrees at the following school(s):

• Lehigh Carbon Community College

Career pathways

with credentials earned at LCTI:

• Cabinetmaker
• Furniture Finisher/Restorer
• Production Worker
• Woodworking Machine Operator

with credentials + experience:

• Contractor
• Plant/Mill Supervisor
• Production Manager

with more postsecondary training or college degree:

• Construction Manager
• Furniture Designer
• Millwork Drafter/Engineer

Learn more about potential career pathways.