“Furniture Maker School 2.0” is a practical certificate programme by the Lviv Furniture Cluster and the National Forestry University of Ukraine (NLTU of Ukraine), built around the real process of designing and manufacturing cabinet furniture. Participants do not simply study technologies in theory: throughout the programme, they follow the entire process from design and construction to production documentation, manufacturing their own product, and gaining first-hand insight into operating furniture companies.
The programme includes more than 100 hours of training and is designed for those who want to gain foundational professional skills to start a career in furniture manufacturing, particularly in cabinet furniture design and construction.
One of the practical components of the programme is working with SketchUp. The programme includes 30 hours of practical training with specialised software.
Participants will work with furniture models and learn how to translate an idea into a specific construction. Importantly, SketchUp is not treated merely as a visualisation tool. The goal is for participants to understand how a 3D model is connected to the subsequent manufacturing process.
That is why working in the software continues with preparing the data required for production operations.
A dedicated part of the programme focuses on the practical construction of cabinet furniture. Participants will study the principles of furniture construction, ergonomics, types of furniture joints, tolerances and fits.
The next stage is preparing working drawings and technical documentation.
Participants will independently move from a 3D model to documentation that can be used in the manufacturing process. This includes preparing specifications and data required for operations such as cutting, edge banding and drilling.
This approach helps participants understand one of the key aspects of a furniture designer’s work: a good technical drawing is not simply a correctly drafted image, but a document that enables production teams to manufacture a specific product.
The practical part of the programme culminates in the production of an actual three-drawer bedside table.
Through this project, participants will apply their knowledge step by step: develop the construction, create the model, prepare the required documentation, order production operations and move on to assembly.
This means the learning process does not end on a computer screen. Participants can see how decisions made at the design stage affect the actual manufacturing and assembly of furniture.
It also provides a better understanding of the relationship between the work of a furniture designer, technological operations and the final manufacturing result.
Another important component of “Furniture Maker School 2.0” is gaining insight into real manufacturing processes.
The programme includes 10 hours of visits to companies that are members of the Lviv Furniture Cluster. Participants will have the opportunity to see operating production facilities, equipment and manufacturing processes firsthand.
The specific list of companies will be announced separately.
For future furniture designers, this experience is important because it provides practical context for working with technical documentation: participants can see how prepared data is used at different stages of production and what requirements manufacturing companies place on design solutions.
The practical focus of the programme continues after the training itself. Participants will have the opportunity to undertake an internship at companies that are members of the Lviv Furniture Cluster.
This provides an opportunity to work with real furniture projects and see how a furniture designer works within an operating company.
For those just starting their professional journey in the furniture industry, an internship provides an opportunity to test their skills on real tasks and better understand the requirements of working as a furniture designer within a company.
“Furniture Maker School 2.0” is structured around the complete process of creating a furniture product: from the initial concept and 3D model to technical documentation, production operations, assembly of the finished bedside table and subsequent internship.
This practical sequence is at the heart of the programme. Participants are not simply expected to acquire a set of theoretical skills about furniture manufacturing. They learn how a furniture designer works and how design decisions are translated into a real manufacturing process.
The programme combines SketchUp training, practical cabinet furniture construction, technical documentation, production of an individual product, visits to Lviv Furniture Cluster member companies and the opportunity for further internship.
As a result, participants receive not only a certificate of completion but also practical experience that can serve as a foundation for further professional development in furniture manufacturing.
The programme lasts two weeks and takes place Monday to Friday, from 10:00 to 16:00.
Course fee: UAH 9,900
Places are limited.
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