Get into Woodwork Facilitator (Sutton College)

Vac Description

Basis:

Target Start: 21/01/2027

Days: Thursday

Times/Patterns: 19:00-21:00 Thurs evenings,

2 hours pw, term time, 14-Jan-27 – 25-Mar-27, 22-Apr-27 – 1-Jul-27

Salary:

Grade: Grade 6 (SCP 19)

Details:

Do you have a passion for timber and the talent to teach? We are seeking a skilled Woodwork Facilitator to lead our “Get into Woodwork” course. This role is perfect for a craftsman who enjoys seeing a project come to life from raw lumber to a finished product. You will lead beginners through the satisfying process of building a classic pine toolbox, using the project as a vehicle to teach essential workshop skills.
The goal of this role is to provide a comprehensive, safe, and engaging introduction to the world of woodworking. You will demystify both traditional hand tools and modern power machinery, ensuring that learners—whether hobbyists or career-changers—gain the confidence to measure, cut, and join wood with precision.

Using the construction of a pine toolbox as the core project, you will provide hands-on instruction in:

• Precision Marking: Teaching the identification and use of measuring tools for accurate layouts.
• Joinery Techniques: Guiding students in using saws and chisels to create neat, functional wood joints, including specific techniques for dowelled joints.
• Tool Maintenance: Demonstrating the essential skill of preparing and sharpening a new chisel to a professional standard.
• Workshop Safety & “Jigs”: Teaching students how to design and set up custom “jigs” to hold workpieces safely, especially when transitioning to power tools.
• Power Tool Instruction: Providing safe, introductory “hands-on” training for:
  Biscuit Jointer, Router, Bench Drill.

Key Responsibilities

• Project Facilitation: Oversee the end-to-end build of the pine toolbox, or tablet stand, or other suitable project, ensuring students progress through the technical stages at an appropriate pace.
• Safety Supervision: Act as the primary safety officer in the workshop, enforcing strict protocols for hand tools and heavy machinery.
• Technical Demonstration: Provide clear, “step-by-step” demonstrations of joint-cutting, tool-sharpening, and machine operation.
• Resource Management: Ensure timber stocks are prepared, tools are in good working order, and the workshop is left clean and safe after each session.

Qualifications & Experience:

• Ability to work as part of a team.
• While previous teaching or training experience is an advantage, we are primarily seeking individuals with strong industry expertise. We welcome the opportunity to discuss how your professional background and unique skill set can be adapted for this instructional role.
• Tool Maintenance: Practical experience in the “long-care” of tools, specifically the grinding, sharpening, and honing of chisels and plane irons.
• Machinery Competency: Advanced, safe operating knowledge of the following power tools:
• Biscuit Jointer (for alignment and joint strength).
• Router (for profiling, rebating, and decorative edges).
• Bench Drill (for vertical accuracy and boring).
• Jig Innovation: Ability to design and construct “jigs” and holding devices to ensure student safety and repeatability in cuts.

Teaching & Facilitation

• Instructional Experience: Experience delivering training or workshops, preferably in a technical or “maker” environment.
• Project Management: Ability to manage a group of learners through a structured build (the Pine Toolbox), ensuring all students hit key milestones within the course timeframe.
• Differentiated Instruction: Skill in supporting a diverse range of learners, from those looking for a hobby to those exploring new career paths in the trades.

Safety & Workshop Management

• Health & Safety Compliance: A rigorous approach to workshop safety, including the ability to conduct tool inductions and manage risk in a high-hazard environment.
• Resource Oversight: Experience in managing timber stock, consumables (glue, dowels, biscuit wafers), and maintaining an inventory of sharp, high-functioning hand tools.

Preferred (Optional) Qualifications

• A recognized qualification in Wood Occupations, Furniture Making, or Carpentry (e.g., City & Guilds, NVQ Level 2/3).
• A formal teaching or training qualification (e.g., Level 3 Award in Education and Training). Or experience.
• Valid First Aid at Work certificate (specifically focused on workshop/industrial environments) Or working towards.

Closing Date: 12/07/2026

The closing date is given as a guide. We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive a sufficient number of suitable applications. Therefore, it is strongly advised that you complete and submit your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment

Interview Date: w/c 20/07/2026

About the Role and Our Ideal Candidate

Basis:

Target Start: 21/01/2027

Days: Thursday

Times/Patterns: 19:00-21:00 Thurs evenings,

2 hours pw, term time, 14-Jan-27 – 25-Mar-27, 22-Apr-27 – 1-Jul-27

Salary:

Grade: Grade 6 (SCP 19)

Details:

Do you have a passion for timber and the talent to teach? We are seeking a skilled Woodwork Facilitator to lead our “Get into Woodwork” course. This role is perfect for a craftsman who enjoys seeing a project come to life from raw lumber to a finished product. You will lead beginners through the satisfying process of building a classic pine toolbox, using the project as a vehicle to teach essential workshop skills.
The goal of this role is to provide a comprehensive, safe, and engaging introduction to the world of woodworking. You will demystify both traditional hand tools and modern power machinery, ensuring that learners—whether hobbyists or career-changers—gain the confidence to measure, cut, and join wood with precision.

Using the construction of a pine toolbox as the core project, you will provide hands-on instruction in:

• Precision Marking: Teaching the identification and use of measuring tools for accurate layouts.
• Joinery Techniques: Guiding students in using saws and chisels to create neat, functional wood joints, including specific techniques for dowelled joints.
• Tool Maintenance: Demonstrating the essential skill of preparing and sharpening a new chisel to a professional standard.
• Workshop Safety & “Jigs”: Teaching students how to design and set up custom “jigs” to hold workpieces safely, especially when transitioning to power tools.
• Power Tool Instruction: Providing safe, introductory “hands-on” training for:
  Biscuit Jointer, Router, Bench Drill.

Key Responsibilities

• Project Facilitation: Oversee the end-to-end build of the pine toolbox, or tablet stand, or other suitable project, ensuring students progress through the technical stages at an appropriate pace.
• Safety Supervision: Act as the primary safety officer in the workshop, enforcing strict protocols for hand tools and heavy machinery.
• Technical Demonstration: Provide clear, “step-by-step” demonstrations of joint-cutting, tool-sharpening, and machine operation.
• Resource Management: Ensure timber stocks are prepared, tools are in good working order, and the workshop is left clean and safe after each session.

Qualifications & Experience:

• Ability to work as part of a team.
• While previous teaching or training experience is an advantage, we are primarily seeking individuals with strong industry expertise. We welcome the opportunity to discuss how your professional background and unique skill set can be adapted for this instructional role.
• Tool Maintenance: Practical experience in the “long-care” of tools, specifically the grinding, sharpening, and honing of chisels and plane irons.
• Machinery Competency: Advanced, safe operating knowledge of the following power tools:
• Biscuit Jointer (for alignment and joint strength).
• Router (for profiling, rebating, and decorative edges).
• Bench Drill (for vertical accuracy and boring).
• Jig Innovation: Ability to design and construct “jigs” and holding devices to ensure student safety and repeatability in cuts.

Teaching & Facilitation

• Instructional Experience: Experience delivering training or workshops, preferably in a technical or “maker” environment.
• Project Management: Ability to manage a group of learners through a structured build (the Pine Toolbox), ensuring all students hit key milestones within the course timeframe.
• Differentiated Instruction: Skill in supporting a diverse range of learners, from those looking for a hobby to those exploring new career paths in the trades.

Safety & Workshop Management

• Health & Safety Compliance: A rigorous approach to workshop safety, including the ability to conduct tool inductions and manage risk in a high-hazard environment.
• Resource Oversight: Experience in managing timber stock, consumables (glue, dowels, biscuit wafers), and maintaining an inventory of sharp, high-functioning hand tools.

Preferred (Optional) Qualifications

• A recognized qualification in Wood Occupations, Furniture Making, or Carpentry (e.g., City & Guilds, NVQ Level 2/3).
• A formal teaching or training qualification (e.g., Level 3 Award in Education and Training). Or experience.
• Valid First Aid at Work certificate (specifically focused on workshop/industrial environments) Or working towards.

Closing Date: 12/07/2026

The closing date is given as a guide. We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive a sufficient number of suitable applications. Therefore, it is strongly advised that you complete and submit your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment

Interview Date: w/c 20/07/2026