Careers in Shopfitting

There is no single and unequivocal expression that encompasses what shopfitters include in their sphere of operation, and there is an interesting range of activities in which they engage.

What first comes to mind is the fitting out, or refitting, of shops and stores from the small corner shop to a store of the size of Harrods. The shopfitter surveys and measures the structural carcase of the area in which he is going to work and prepares design drawings for submission to the client or, in some cases, the client presents his own designs. The shopfitter will then tender for the work and, if successful, will proceed to carry it out to completion, leaving the retailer to come in at the end, bring in his stock, his till, and his sales staff, and open the doors to the public and begin business.

Meanwhile, the shopfitter will have prepared working drawings from the designs agreed, machined, assembled and finished the joinery part of the work, scheduled deliveries to the site, instructed various sub-contractors who will perform other work such as plastering, floor laying, suspended ceilings, sprinklers, ventilation, heating and lighting, alarms, telephones, decorating and carpets, and installed his own shopfront and interior fittings that he has manufactured.

Apart from shops and stores, shopfitters also manufacture, contract, fit and refit in other areas that might not be quite so obvious, but the pattern and manner of progress is just the same, whether working directly with a client – with the shopfitter providing a full design and contract management service, or whether through an architect or design house – again either for the client, or for a main contractor.

Such activity areas include:

• Restaurants
• Hotels
• Offices and Boardrooms
• Banks and Building Societies
• Airports
• Court Buildings
• Town Halls
• Government Buildings
• Museums and Art Galleries
• Libraries
• Stately Homes
• Castles
• And anywhere else that high quality joinery or metalwork is needed at home and abroad.

That’s shopfitting – it is not mass production, it’s good quality work and work in which you can be proud of having been involved and a career choice that will be of credit to you, wherever you go and whoever you meet.

The Career Structure

After the initial training, there are all sorts of ways that your career could develop. If you find you have a gift for inspiring other people, you could move into a supervisory or management role. Otherwise, you could develop your technical skills further – or simply stay with a craft that you enjoy.

During Initial Training:
Shopfitting Joiners work in the joinery workshop. They make and assemble a wide variety of different items used in shops, offices, banks, hotels, etc.

Shopfitting Machinists work alongside the joiners, preparing and shaping timber for use in making and assembling the various components.

Metal Fabricators perform an essential part of the shopfitting trade by cutting, shaping, welding and finishing the steel, aluminium, brass, stainless steel and other metals required for shopfitting.

Shopfitting Fixers are responsible for assembling on-site components and fittings made by the joiners and machinists in the workshop.

As your skills develop:
Site Foremen are responsible for running and co-ordinating all activities on site, including sub-contract works.

Workshop Chargehands and Foremen are responsible for running the workshops and managing the machinists and joiners.

Setters Out prepare scale and full-size drawings of the components for the contract and also prepare cutting lists of materials and bought-in material orders.

Estimators prepare tenders, estimates of the cost of the works for submission to the client before an order for work can be placed with the shopfitter.

As you gain experience:
Works Manager – responsible for running and co-ordinating all activities in the factory workshop, including material supplies.

Contracts Manager – responsible for running and co-ordinating all activities on the sites including sub-contracts.

Ultimate achievement:
Managing Director – right at the top of the company. Many of them have worked their way up from bench or site work.

You can use your skills to build a career as well as shopfronts and interiors.