Carpenter
Beckwith Iron and Steel PTY LTD

Pattern-Making in the Foundry Industry: Where Timber Meets Metal
Step beyond the usual workshop and discover how precision timber work becomes the blueprint for molten metal.
In this placement you’ll:
• Shape the future of metal products – work side-by-side with master tradespeople to craft intricate timber patterns that form the moulds for metal casting.
• Level up your woodworking skills – hone advanced measurement, cutting, and finishing techniques where millimetres truly matter.
• Think bigger than furniture or building – see how the skills you’re gaining in construction or furniture making translate into aerospace parts, automotive components, architectural features, and more.
This is hands-on, creative, and surprisingly cross-disciplinary. If you love working with timber and have an eye for detail, this placement will open doors you didn’t know existed—showing how craftsmanship in wood can spark a career in the high-tech world of metal casting and design.

Skills You Might Learn

Students can attain a broad range of skills while on work placement. These may include valuable general employability skills such as:
• Communication
• Teamwork
• Problem solving
• Initiative and enterprise
• Planning and organising
• Self-management
• Learning
• Technology

Students may also attain vital industry specific skills which will relate to their studies such as:
• Reading basic technical drawings and understanding dimensions
• Timber handling, cutting, sanding, and assembly techniques
• Precision measuring and marking
• Workshop safety and use of hand tools and basic machinery
• Teamwork and following detailed instructions

Typical Tasks & Duties

Students will have the opportunity to spend time with experienced professional staff, assisting in the following example task and duties under supervision:
• Assist in preparing timber for pattern making (cutting, sanding, shaping)
• Support measurement and marking out of timber according to technical drawings
• Help assemble simple timber patterns under supervision
• Maintain workshop tools and materials in a safe and organised way
• Observe and assist tradespeople in finishing and checking patterns for accuracy
• Support quality checks on completed patterns
It's important for work placement students to ask questions, seek guidance, and follow instructions from their supervisors to ensure they are performing their duties safely and effectively.

Student Requirements

• Willingness to learn woodworking and pattern-making skills
• Ability to follow safety instructions and wear protective gear
• Attention to detail and patience for precise tasks

Dress Requirements

Appropriate clothing and personal protective equipment (PPE) provided by the employer

Special Transport Requirements

The student would be required to make their own way to the work site.

RELATED COURSES INCLUDE

• 22614VIC - Certificate II in Building and Construction Pre-apprenticeship
• MSF20313 - Certificate II in Furniture Making
• MSF20516 - Certificate II in Furniture Making Pathways