Furniture skills and training
BFA is proud to be a founding member of the Furnishings Industry Education Skills and Training Alliance (FIESTA).
FIESTA helps businesses across the furniture sector (manufacturers, suppliers and retailers) recruit and train the next generation of skilled talent. Whether you’re completely new to apprenticeships or looking to improve your recruitment process, FIESTA provides tailored support to make it easy to find, train and develop apprentices.
Apprenticeship Opportunities
Apprenticeships offer a practical way to build and strengthen your workforce. In the furniture industry, opportunities cover both hands-on and business-based roles.
Specialist roles include:
- Bespoke furniture maker
- Furniture manufacturer
- Furniture finisher
- Upholsterer
- Wood product operative
- Fitted interiors installer
- CNC specialists and technicians
Business functions covered include:
- Sales
- Customer service
- Administration
- Team leadership
- Management
- Warehousing
Support for Employers
FIESTA provides guidance and services to make apprenticeship recruitment straightforward, including:
- Helping you identify the right apprenticeship standards for your business
- Connecting you with suitable training providers
- Templates and tools to support job descriptions, onboarding and induction
- Advice on advertising vacancies and attracting the right candidates
- Structured frameworks to help apprentices settle in and succeed
With government funding available to cover most apprenticeship training, this is a practical and accessible route for businesses of all sizes to develop skilled staff, create new career opportunities and ensure the future strength of the UK furniture industry.