Certificate III in Cabinet Making and Timber Technology

Build a career you can hold in your hands.

Course overview

The Certificate III in Cabinet Making and Timber Technology is a trade qualification that blends traditional craftsmanship with modern production methods. Through intensive hands-on training in a purpose-built on-campus workshop, you’ll learn to fabricate and install furniture and cabinetry, work with a wide range of timbers and manufactured boards, produce computer-aided production drawings, apply decorative finishes and spray coatings, and plan kitchen and bathroom installations. Graduate as a qualified cabinet maker or furniture maker — ready for a career in joinery, kitchen and bathroom fitting, shopfitting or your own workshop. This is an AQF Level 3 trade qualification, taught by trainers with real industry experience, at our Melbourne and Brisbane campuses.

Why choose cabinet making at Evantaa?

• Workshop-first learning — most of your week is spent at the bench, not in a lecture theatre. You’ll fabricate, install and finish real cabinetry in our fully equipped on-campus workshop from the very first term.
• CAD meets craft — you’ll learn to produce computer-aided production drawings and work from professional cutting lists — skills spanning traditional joinery and modern manufacturing.
• Kitchens & bathrooms specialisation — your elective units are chosen to open doors in the fast-growing kitchen and bathroom renovation sector.
• Industry-qualified trainers — taught by trainers with real workshop and installation experience.
• Two campuses, one qualification — study in Melbourne or Brisbane; both have the same workshop facilities and deliver the same nationally recognised qualification.
• A trade with long-term demand — qualified cabinet makers and kitchen/bathroom installers are in consistent demand across residential construction, commercial fitout, shopfitting and bespoke joinery, in Australia and internationally.

What you’ll learn

• Produce computer-aided production drawings
• Fabricate and install cabinetry
• Use furniture-making tools and machinery
• Apply finishes and surface coatings
• Plan kitchen and bathroom projects

Entry requirements

There are no entry requirements set by the MSF training package itself — the standards below are Evantaa’s own admission requirements.

• Age: 18 years or over at course commencement.
• Academic: completion of Australian Year 12, or an equivalent overseas senior secondary qualification.
• English language: IELTS 6.0 overall (minimum 5.5 in each band; online IELTS not accepted), or PTE Academic 52, or TOEFL iBT 60. Completed an AQF Level 4 (Australian) qualification? You may be exempt — contact admissions to confirm.
• LLN assessment: all students complete a Language, Literacy and Numeracy assessment before training (referenced against the ACSF) to identify any additional support needed.
• Pre-training review: a pre-enrolment self-assessment and interview to check course suitability, existing skills, support needs, and eligibility for credit transfer or RPL.
• Equipment: all cabinet making hand tools, power tools and PPE are provided on campus for training. You’ll need basic digital skills for CAD work and time to study outside class hours.
• Attendance: face-to-face only — classroom and on-campus workshop — minimum 20 scheduled contact hours per week. There is no online or self-paced-only mode.

Next intake dates

Intake dates change regularly — contact our admissions team at admissions@evantaa.edu.au for current start dates for this course.

Course structure

25 nationally recognised units of competency — 8 core and 17 elective — delivered over 60 weeks, face-to-face, with a minimum of 20 scheduled contact hours per week. Units are sequenced in a modular format, progressing from WHS, sustainability and workplace fundamentals through to tools, drawing, timber selection, cabinetry fabrication and installation, surface finishing and kitchen/bathroom planning. A weekly timetable combining classroom and workshop practicals is provided at least two weeks before each term starts.

The elective selection supports the Kitchens and Bathrooms specialisation, with units spanning cabinetry fabrication and installation, furniture finishing and surface coatings, timber selection and safe work.

How you’ll be assessed

Assessment uses a practical, competency-based approach across all 25 units:

• Written activities, case studies and role plays — across all units, to confirm your understanding of materials, procedures, WHS requirements and industry standards.
• Practical activities, demonstrations and simulated work assessments — every unit includes an assessed hands-on component in the on-campus workshop, under conditions that replicate a real workplace.
• Projects and assignments — the spray finishing, decorative coating and kitchen/bathroom planning units additionally require a project component: planning, executing and documenting a multi-step task.

Most units are assessed using two methods (written + practical); the finishing, spray-coating and kitchen/bathroom planning units use all three (written, practical and project) to reflect their greater complexity.

Resources & facilities

Evantaa’s cabinet making and timber technology program is delivered in purpose-built, industry-standard training facilities at both campuses:

• Fully equipped on-campus cabinet making workshop — the primary training environment for all practical units, set up to replicate real workshop and installation conditions.
• Cabinet making-specific hand tools and portable power tools, provided on campus for all training and assessment.
• Spray booth and spray equipment (spray gun, compressor connections) for surface coating and finishing units.
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) supplied for all practical sessions.
• Chemicals, paints, lacquers, stains and cleaning products, with up-to-date Safety Data Sheets (SDSs).
• Sample building plans, production drawings, specifications and technical documentation.
• Computers and CAD software for computer-aided production drawing units.
• Dedicated classrooms with broadband internet, computers, printing facilities, whiteboards and interactive panels.
• Student Management System, reference library and digital learning materials.

Where possible, Evantaa also organises excursions to active industry sites so you experience real-world cabinet making, installation and kitchen/bathroom fitting conditions.

Recognition of prior learning & credit transfer

Already have relevant trade experience, qualifications or workshop skills? You may not need to start from scratch.

• Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL): if your existing skills and experience already meet a unit’s requirements, you can apply to have that competency formally assessed and recognised.
• Credit Transfer (CT): units completed at another RTO can be credited in full, based on verified AQF certification or authenticated VET transcripts. Credit is granted for whole units only.
• Apply before you enrol or at any point during your course — we confirm the outcome in writing, generally within 10 working days of a complete application.
• See our Credit and Skills Recognition Policy and Procedure for full details.

Licensing & regulatory information

There are no specific licensing requirements attached to this qualification at a national level. However:

• If your work involves installation on construction sites (e.g. fitting kitchens or bathrooms in residential builds), you’ll need a general construction industry WHS induction (the White Card) under your state or territory’s WHS regulations. The unit CPCCWHS2001, included in this course, addresses construction-site WHS requirements, but is a different unit from the construction induction training that issues a White Card — Evantaa is not an approved provider of that training, so you arrange your White Card separately.
• Kitchen and bathroom installers must be licensed in some states — contact the relevant regulatory authority in your state or territory before commencing residential installation work after graduation.
• It is your responsibility to ensure you meet any additional workplace or site-specific entry requirements relevant to your employment.

Where it can take you

Australia’s furnishing, joinery and kitchen/bathroom renovation sector is one of the most consistently active parts of the construction industry. Qualified cabinet makers and timber technology workers are employed across residential housing, commercial fitout, shopfitting, marine interiors and heritage restoration — and the skills transfer internationally. Many graduates go on to run their own cabinet making, joinery or installation business.

Pathways for further study

• MSF40322 — Certificate IV in Kitchen and Bathroom Design: the natural specialisation pathway, developing design, planning and project-management skills.
• MSF40222 — Certificate IV in Furniture Design and Manufacturing: for graduates moving into furniture design, bespoke joinery and advanced manufacturing.
• CPC40120 — Certificate IV in Building and Construction: adds supervisory, estimating and project-management skills.
• CPC50220 — Diploma of Building and Construction (Building): for those aiming at building contracting and construction management.

Is this course right for you?

This course is designed for you if:

• You enjoy working with your hands — and want a trade that produces something tangible.
• You’re detail-oriented — cabinet making demands precision in measurement, cutting and finishing.
• You’re interested in design as well as making — from reading design drawings and producing CAD layouts to selecting timber and choosing finishes.
• You want a career in kitchen and bathroom renovation — our elective units point directly at this fast-moving pathway.
• You want a qualification that opens doors internationally — AQF Level 3 trade skills travel well.

Not sure if it is for you? Contact our admissions team at admissions@evantaa.edu.au and we will help you understand whether this course matches your goals.

Fast facts

Fees

Fees are shown in Australian dollars. See the full fee schedule for payment plans and international rates, and our Refunds Policy for refund terms.

Keep exploring

• Conditions of Enrolment — your study load and attendance obligations.
• Planning Your Arrival — what to book and pack before you fly.
• Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) — your visa-required health insurance.
• Student Central — forms, support and services.

Frequently Asked Questions