Nefesh BNefesh

To work as a carpenter in Israel, you can attend a formal training program or work as an apprentice for an experienced carpenter. There are technical schools which teach carpentry as well as training courses approved by the Ministry of Labor and Welfare. Others have begun practicing as a hobby and gradually learned the profession. Either way, licensing is required from local authorities. 

Competition and fewer employees are causing the industry to develop greater manufacturing efficiency through advanced technology. In the Israeli carpentry industry, raw materials and their vendors are abundant. Raw materials may also be ordered directly from abroad. Equipment and tools are readily available at various price ranges and qualities. Alternative wood products such as MDF and plywood are gradually entering the Israeli market. 

Professional Certification

There are three basic categories of carpentry certification in Israel: construction carpentry, mechanical carpentry, and furniture carpentry. Construction- based carpentry and furniture carpentry each have five levels of professional certification that are officially defined and required by Israeli law. Mechanical carpentry has three. Each level of certification involves a progression in terms of professional knowledge and amount of experience. 

To become certified, you must register to take an exam (in Hebrew) given in conjunction with Misrad HaTaasiya (Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor). To take an individual test, you must be at least 18 years old and provide proof that you successfully completed a vocational training course or have work experience, in Israel, in the particular category of carpentry to be tested. The exams are both practical and theoretical.

Training Courses

Lishkat HaTaasuka (government unemployment office) runs courses in carpentry, which are usually available in different cities throughout Israel and may be subsidized. When registering for a privately-run vocational training course, it is important to ascertain its legitimacy and make sure that it is properly certified. Each course should be under the supervision of Misrad HaTaasiya.

Job Opportunities

There are currently approximately 2,500 active carpentry businesses in Israel, with the number of employees at an average carpentry ranging between 3-10 employees. This industry includes a wide variety of occupations. Different forms of industrialized carpentry, including kitchen carpentry, are common. Individual producers usually work on wooden furniture. Some carpentries produce products only on-order. Some simply supply chopped wood according to customer measurements, while conducting only very simple work orders for the customers. Craftsmen produce specially designed products, usually using unusual wood and sometimes combining other materials. Construction -based carpenters normally manufacture crossbars, windows, and nonstandard doors. 

Job opportunities include professional carpenters, professional and non-professional equipment operators, and apprenticeships. Apprentices often perform simple work especially in the initial processing and finishing of raw materials such as, serving raw materials, initial sawing and finishing work: cleaning, packaging, and sanding.

Profit and Revenue

Per worker for the year 2003, raw profit in furniture carpentry was 196,000-253,000 NIS. At the same time, revenue in sub-contracting was 394,000 – 473,000 NIS. This calculation refers to professional employees only and not apprentices. 

Building a Business

Potential clientele can be divided into a number of groups: furniture stores and furniture wholesalers, individual customers, and contractors. Individual customers seek to purchase furniture, have jobs finished, and to have kitchens, bathrooms, or bedrooms built or remodeled. Contractors purchase wood for construction from sub-contracted carpentries, which must fit the product to the construction and install it at the customer’s site. Contractors see on-time performance and flexibility in merchandise supply as key. They often forge agreements with carpenters to sell apartments with the option of ordering cabinetry from that carpenter.

The carpentry industry is quite competitive. However, some businesses develop areas of expertise to gain a marketing advantage. For those who wish to work on their own, they must keep in mind that many orders are placed following the word-of-mouth recommendations from customers to their friends. The higher one’s level of skill, dependability, and customer satisfaction, the greater the chance of producing the good name necessary to receive these recommendations.

Hebrew Skills

Hebrew is important if you plan to take a training course and pass the test. If you plan on working right away and “jumping” into the field, or if you have someone who is willing to mentor you through the beginning stages of your career, an Ulpan is advised in order to strengthen your basic Hebrew vocabulary. This is crucial in order to communicate with your clients.