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Train apprentice as kitchen designer

4/8/18       
chipbored

Has anyone hired an apprentice to train up straight away as a designer?

I currently do all measures, drawings and preparation for CNC and I really need to offload that responsibility to focus on management.

Hiring internally is not an option. 2 x older tradesman not interested in learning computers.

I can't afford to hire an already skilled operator as they are rare in the area, very expensive to hire and often aren't that good!

I figure if I advertise for a kid who is great on computers they can come in and I'll train them straight away with some on the floor experience mixed in as well.

Could also be a nightmare so interested in hearing what others have done to pry themselves away from designing on the computer.

4/8/18       #2: Train apprentice as kitchen designe ...
Family Man

I don't think you are looking for a "kitchen designer" from your description. Sounds more like someone who can take and then input data electronically . A designer has the artistic ability to make something beautiful out of boxes made of wood and has to be able to sell, communicate and see the end result. By and large those things are not taught. You've got them and refine them; or you don't.

4/8/18       #3: Train apprentice as kitchen designe ...
Pat Gilbert

I used to sub this out, via telecommuting. I would get a set price and the draftsman were terrific.

Chances are you will have to do the closing no matter what.

4/8/18       #4: Train apprentice as kitchen designe ...
rich c.

Yeah, I can't decide if you are describing a CAD operator, or a kitchen designer. Most young people only know where the freezer and microwave are in a kitchen. Not going to get much design output from an apprentice.

4/8/18       #5: Train apprentice as kitchen designe ...
chipbored

Sorry, to clarify, I'm looking for CAD operator. For a small operation such as ours I believe they end up being the designer as well. I can see myself still being quite tied up with a CAD operator as they will have many questions about the design interactions I had with the customer. Perhaps I could take them out to final measures so they can understand the design and make their own notes about site details.

I used to sub out the design when I didn't have in house cabinet design software. Now If I do that it is a waste of time because I spend the time and money having the designs done in auto-cad and then I enter them into our in house cabinet software. We use Cabmaster that does all shop drawings aswell as export data to CNC.

4/9/18       #6: Train apprentice as kitchen designe ...
rich c.

I'm out of date with software, but thought there was design software available that was pretty much drag and drop. Maybe a design software update would be more appropriate than hiring another employee? If you are doing the customer visit, and getting the dimensions, aren't you 2/3rd completed with the design?


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