Potter (Level 3 Vocational Training)
A crackling fire and the sound of wood burning create an irreplaceable sense of warmth at home, but this requires a skilled professional who knows how to safely tend the fire. A stove fitter is a highly valued specialist who understands solid-fuel heating systems, can read blueprints, and builds and repairs heating equipment in strict accordance with fire safety requirements. If you’re looking for a rewarding craft where the results are tangible and visible, this practical training program is just for you.
Duration of Study: A compact and substantive curriculum totaling 60 EKAP. A large portion (390 hours) of this consists of an internship in a real-world work environment.
What exactly do you study and do?
- Building Heating Appliances: Under supervision, you will learn to build traditional stoves (such as Finnish-style stoves with descending flues), masonry stoves, and fireplaces.
- Chimneys and Systems: You’ll learn how to build brick chimneys and how to safely and properly connect heating units to flues.
- Installation of Prefabricated Heating Equipment: You will learn how to install factory-made prefabricated heating equipment (such as cast-iron fireplaces and sauna stoves) and modern modular chimneys.
- Repair and Maintenance: You’ll gain an overview of how to service heating equipment—you’ll learn how to repair superficial damage, correct finishing defects, and replace worn-out parts (such as doors and dampers).
- Fire Safety and Drawings: You will gain a thorough understanding of fire safety requirements (standard EVS 812-3), learn how to calculate a room’s heating requirements and the amount of materials needed, and be able to read or sketch the drawings necessary for the job.
- Practical work experience: The curriculum is focused on real-world skills, and a significant portion of the time is devoted to hands-on practice at school (in the training facility) and through internships at companies.
Course Options
This curriculum focuses specifically on mastering the basics of pottery and does not offer any specialized tracks. However, through elective courses, you can develop additional skills: learn to build fireplaces from firebricks, master the basics of masonry, familiarize yourself with building codes, or enhance your digital literacy and customer service skills.
Is this major right for you?
- No basic education is required to begin the program, making it an excellent opportunity to learn a new trade at any stage of life.
- This job is right for you if you are detail-oriented, have good spatial reasoning skills, and are physically fit enough for construction work. Good communication skills are also an asset when working in a client’s home.
- The program is offered in a part-time format (session-based), which allows students to study flexibly while balancing their current job, business, or family commitments.
Where to next?
The program concludes with a vocational exam; upon successful completion, you will earn the “Stove Fitter, Level 3” qualification. Professional stove builders and maintenance technicians are highly valued in the job market—you can find work at stove-building or construction companies or work as an independent contractor.
