Upholstery 10, 20, 30 is designed to provide opportunities for students to acquire knowledge and develop skills in the furniture, automotive, marine, and recreation upholstery areas.

Consumer Knowledge: To make informed consumer decisions based on furniture types, components and weaves of materials, structural considerations, foundational and padding applications, and quality workmanship.

Career and Development Skills: To explore career opportunities in the field of upholstery.

Communications: To develop interpersonal and customer relations skills appropriate for the business environment.

Employment Skills: To develop entry level skills that may lead to successful employment.

Personal Skills: To cultivate practical upholstery skills for personal use.

Business and Entrepreneurial Attitudes: To provide a practical approach to developing and using abilities to support a business operation.

The development of upholstered furniture has significantly affected the lives of everyone. The history of upholstery stretches from its beginnings in the Renaissance period, to its modern applications in the areas of furniture, automotive, marine, air transport and recreational vehicles. Many people engage in rudimentary furniture repairs for personal use or receive on-the-job training. The Upholstery 10, 20, 30 courses will provide students with the knowledge, skills, and practice to participate in the upholstery industry. These courses may provide the student with the opportunity to experience entry level employment in the private sector.

The Upholstery 10, 20, 30 Curriculum Guide is designed to enable students to acquire an appreciation of the evolution of upholstery. A major aspect of the course is the development of a critical awareness of quality workmanship and how this is achieved in the work place. Opportunities are explored for creative applications of design through the use of materials, padding, and finishing. A strong foundation is built by a firm emphasis on the manipulation and application of hand tools, equipment, and supplies in a variety of repair and recovering situations. This course will provide relevant, practical applications for students to develop upholstery and business skills, as well as gain practical employment skills.

Foundational objectives are the major, general statements that guide what each student is expected to achieve for the modules of the PAA curriculum guidelines. Foundational objectives indicate the most important knowledge, skills, attitudes/values, and abilities for a student to learn in a subject. Some of these statements may be repeated or enhanced in different modules for emphasis. The foundational objectives of the Core Modules in the Upholstery 10, 20, 30 Curriculum Guide include:

• To identify, select and safely use upholstery tools and equipment.
• To develop a general knowledge of basic upholstery concepts and technologies.
• To develop skills in the use of equipment and materials common to the upholstery industry.
• To develop workplace skills, knowledge, and attitudes that may lead to successful employment.
• To provide students with experiences in the upholstery industry that will enable them to make informed career decisions.
• To demonstrate safe working practices for the upholstery industry.
• To demonstrate proper use of hand and power tools, equipment and supplies utilized in the upholstery industry.
• To demonstrate an appreciation of varied styles of furniture and how these designs are used in society.
• To demonstrate an understanding of business and entrepreneurial practices.
• To develop independent decision-making skills pertaining to the upholstery industry.
• To integrate classroom learning with work-based learning.

The Upholstery 10, 20, 30 Curriculum Guide offers 300 hours of courses to be configured from 500 hours of module development. The selection of modules will provide teachers the flexibility to configure courses using suggested themes of furniture, automotive or marine.

The introductory course outlined at the 10 level incorporates a number of core modules that provide the foundation for the suggested themes at the 20 and 30 levels. There is a graduated level of tool and equipment development throughout the courses, with most of the hand tools being used in 10 level and power tools being introduced at the 20 and 30 levels. If power tools are not available, the courses may be taught with the use of hand tools.

Students may study one of the suggested themes at each of the 20 and 30 levels. Modules have been repeated in the two suggested course configurations at the 20 and 30 levels. It is important to remember that once a student has successfully completed a module, credit can not be given for that module again. These themes are suggested configurations of courses to create flexibility and to meet the needs of the student or community. Many of the upholstery course modules have been identified as intermediate level. These modules may be used at all grade levels to facilitate greater flexibility. Teachers are encouraged to pursue the variety of options through community partnerships that will enable the use of speakers, mentorships and business sites for work study.

The upholstery courses may be offered in a variety of learning environments that range from a classroom in a school to an industry work site. The courses offer a balance between school-based and work-based learning that provide options for students to enter the workplace or pursue post-secondary education or training.

These modules have flexibility and are based on the availability of specialized power equipment and supplies.