Course description

Duration:
This is a Full time one year course, which runs from September to May, 5 days a week.

Overview:

DFEi has a long history of providing further education and training courses aimed at students who want to work in the furniture industry. Students develop essential craftsman’s skills to assist them in gaining employment in this industry. Within this year students further develop their skills to create more complex designs. They achieve a higher level of hand skills and wood machining competences using modern technologies including CNC.

Entry Requirements:
One of the following:

Level 5 QQI Award Furniture Design and Making (5M2012) or equivalent
Applications are welcome from students with relevant experience in this area
For mature applicants (aged 21 or over) – appropriate experience will be considered in lieu of formal qualifications. Note: Mature applicants may be entitled to VTOS funding. For details about VTOS, please contact the college
Applicants whose first language is not English require level B2 competency on the CEFR language framework. Applicants may be required to undergo English language testing to establish their language competency.

Course Modules:

Furniture Making with Machinery
Furniture Design
Drawing
Computer Aided Design (3D)
Wood Finishing
Furniture Restoration
Communications
Work Experience

Certification:
Level 6 Award Furniture Design and Making (6M2230)

Special Features:

Free Autodesk Software Subscription for all students on this course to facilitate assessment work.

All DFEi students are provided with an M365 account, which gives them access to the tools and resources needed to deliver assessment work while attending their course. M365 Apps include Word, PowerPoint, Excel, outlook and OneDrive.

Work Experience:
Students will be required to undertake a period work placement in an organisation connected to their vocational area during the academic year. Work Experience is mandatory for all our full-time Level 6 courses. Students are required to source their own work placement but will be assisted in this by the work experience teacher. The work placement is usually for a period of 10 days or a minimum of 60 hours. Students usually find the work experience element of the course to be invaluable and should bear in mind that a successful work placement can sometimes lead to further opportunities.

Additional Information:
Visual Design Exhibition

A Visual Design Exhibition of students’ work from this course is held annually in DFEi, in May, providing an opportunity for students to showcase the skills and knowledge they have acquired.

Assessment:
Assessment techniques will be used to assess the knowledge and skills that students will have achieved on successful completion of modules:

Student Record
Portfolio/Collection of Work
Assignments
Examination – Written or Practical
Project
Skills Demonstration

A full major award is granted on passing the relevant eight components. On successful completion of each component, you will be awarded a pass, a merit or a distinction grade. See www.qqi.ie for more details

Progression Opportunities:

Graduates are eligible to apply through the CAO and/or the Higher Education Links Scheme for entry to year one of a range of higher certificate and degree programmes, at Universities, Institutes of Technology and Technological Universities using their full QQI Level 5/6 major award. Places are not guaranteed in these Institutes and are subject to students meeting certain criteria. It is the students’ responsibility to consult with the relevant HEI for information on the admissions process and any specific entry requirements. Students may also refer to the individual HEI prospectus or may also refer to the QQI FET section of the CAO website. www.cao.ie

Examples of CAO progression opportunities are listed below.

Progression Examples:

BSc Sustainable Timber Technology (TU838) – Advanced entry into 2nd Year

Technological University Dublin – www.tud.ie

BSc Furniture Design and Manufacture (GA981) – Advanced entry into 2nd Year

BSc Furniture Making and Architectural Woodworking (GA982) – Advanced entry into 2nd Year

BSc Furniture and Digital Manufacturing (GA983)

Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology – www.gmit.ie

Career Paths:
Graduate opportunities may include the following: furniture designer or maker, apprenticeship in carpentry and joinery, interior design, product design, construction industry, management/sales within the furniture industry or self-employment.