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Glazier & Aluminium Fabricator

Skilled Trades

Install glass in windows, skylights, store fronts, and display cases, or on surfaces, such as building fronts, interior walls, ceilings, and tabletops.

You can enter this career straight after SPM. A degree is optional, not required.

Architecture & Built EnvironmentMechanical Engineering

In Malaysia

In Malaysia this trade is usually called 'kerja aluminium dan kaca': small workshops fabricate and install aluminium windows, sliding doors, shower screens and shopfronts, and bigger contractors install curtain walls on high-rises. Many workers go on to open their own workshop. Anyone working on a construction site must be registered with CIDB, and CIDB certifies Glazier and Aluminium Framework Fabricator as skilled trades.

How people get into it here
Learn on the job at an aluminium and glass workshop after SPM, or join CIDB's youth skills training (ages 17–35, sponsored). Take the CIDB safety induction (SICW) to register as construction personnel, then get CIDB skills certification (SKKP) or an SKM in the trade.

Sources:cims.cidb.gov.mycidb.gov.my

What you'd do all day

The tasks that matter most in this job, most important first.

  1. 1Read and interpret blueprints or specifications to determine size, shape, color, type, or thickness of glass, location of framing, installation procedures, or staging or scaffolding materials required.
  2. 2Determine plumb of walls or ceilings, using plumb lines and levels.
  3. 3Install pre-assembled metal or wood frameworks for windows or doors to be fitted with glass panels, using hand tools.
  4. 4Fabricate or install metal sashes or moldings for glass installation, using aluminum or steel framing.
  5. 5Set glass doors into frames and bolt metal hinges, handles, locks, or other hardware to attach doors to frames and walls.
  6. 6Operate cranes or hoists with suction cups to lift large, heavy pieces of glass.
  7. 7Cut, fit, install, repair, or replace glass or glass substitutes, such as plastic or aluminum, in building interiors or exteriors or in furniture or other products.
  8. 8Drive trucks to installation sites and unload mirrors, glass equipment, or tools.
  9. 9Load and arrange glass or mirrors onto delivery trucks, using suction cups or cranes to lift glass.
  10. 10Measure mirrors and dimensions of areas to be covered to determine work procedures.
  11. 11Cut and attach mounting strips, metal or wood moldings, rubber gaskets, or metal clips to surfaces in preparation for mirror installation.
  12. 12Pack spaces between moldings and glass with glazing compounds and trim excess material with glazing knives.
  13. 13Assemble, erect, or dismantle scaffolds, rigging, or hoisting equipment.
  14. 14Secure mirrors in position, using mastic cement, putty, bolts, or screws.
  15. 15Cut and remove broken glass prior to installing replacement glass.
  16. 16Confer with customers to determine project requirements or to provide cost estimates.
  17. 17Select the type or color of glass or mirror according to specifications.
  18. 18Measure and mark outlines or patterns on glass to indicate cutting lines.
  19. 19Grind or polish glass, smoothing edges when necessary.
  20. 20Fasten glass panes into wood sashes or frames with clips, points, or moldings, adding weather seals or putty around pane edges to seal joints.
  21. 21Score glass with cutters' wheels, breaking off excess glass by hand or with notched tools.
  22. 22Cut, assemble, fit, or attach metal-framed glass enclosures for showers, bathtubs, display cases, skylights, solariums, or other structures.
  23. 23Prepare glass for cutting by resting it on rack edges or against cutting tables and brushing thin layer of oil along cutting lines or dipping cutting tools in oil.
  24. 24Measure, cut, fit, and press anti-glare adhesive film to glass or spray glass with tinting solution to prevent light glare.
  25. 25Move furniture to clear work sites and cover floors or furnishings with drop cloths.
  26. 26Assemble and cement sections of stained glass together.
  27. 27Create patterns on glass by etching, sandblasting, or painting designs.

Also known as

What this job is called on JobStreet, LinkedIn and in job ads. Search these too.

  • Glazer
  • Glazier
  • Glassman
  • Glaziers
  • Glass Tech
  • Window Tech
  • Glass Fitter
  • Glass Setter
  • Lead Applier
  • Windows Tech

How far is this from you?

Roughly how much preparation this job usually takes. In Malaysia your UPU route and the programme's syarat still decide entry, so treat this as a guide, not a gate.

  1. 1

    Entry straight after SPM

  2. Typical entry

    SPM + sijil / short TVET course

  3. 3

    Diploma / TVET (sijil–diploma)

  4. 4

    Degree (ijazah sarjana muda)

  5. 5

    Postgrad (sarjana / PhD) or professional route

Typical educationHigh school diploma

Subjects that matter here

The SPM subjects worth your effort for this career, with the reason for each.

Civil Engineering StudiesDraws directly on Building and Construction — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Engineering DrawingDraws directly on Building and Construction — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Design & Technology (RBT)Draws directly on Building and Construction — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Mechanical Engineering StudiesDraws directly on Mechanical — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
PhysicsDraws directly on Mechanical — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).

What you'd need to know

The subject areas this job leans on most, and the SPM subjects that build them.

  • Building and Construction86%

    Civil Engineering StudiesEngineering DrawingDesign & Technology (RBT)

  • Mechanical70%

    Mechanical Engineering StudiesPhysicsDesign & Technology (RBT)

  • Mathematics69%

    Additional MathematicsMathematics

  • Administration and Management69%

    BusinessEconomics

  • Design68%

    Visual Art (PSV)Technical Comm. GraphicsEngineering Drawing

  • Customer and Personal Service67%

Tools you'd use

Software and equipment that show up in this job, worth learning early.

Where to learn these, free

Scholarships & funding

What the work feels like

Day-to-day working conditions, so you can tell whether the job suits how you like to work.

  • Face-to-face discussionsEvery day
  • Contact with other peopleConstant contact
  • Dealing with customers or the publicNot at all
  • Leading or coordinating othersVery high
  • Handling conflict situationsOften
  • Indoors, air-conditionedRarely
  • Outdoors, in all weatherEvery day
  • Noisy environmentOften

AI and demand for this job

A few real, dated data points — not a single score. AI making some tasks faster usually means a job changes, not that it disappears.

0%

Share of everyday tasks today's AI can already help with (2023)

This estimate is from 2023 — already out of date, since AI moves fast. Treat it as a rough, aging starting point, not the current picture.

Pay in Malaysia

We don't have a sourced Malaysian salary range for this job yet, and we'd rather show nothing than a number we can't stand behind.

Where to check:

  • JobStreet and Hiredly job ads for this title
  • DOSM Salaries & Wages Survey
  • SSPA scheme tables, if you're aiming for a government post
See pay for a related career: Electrician (Chargeman)

Check what you may qualify for

Enter your SPM grades and see which routes and programmes you may qualify for. An estimate to plan with, not an offer.

Check my eligibility Not sure yet? Take the quiz

How to get here

Post-SPM pathways with programmes in this career's fields. Tap one to see real programmes and entry requirements.

Matriculation

One or two years, heavily subsidised with allowance. Competitive, quota-based entry.

12–24 months

Related careers

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About this information

This describes what the job involves. Pay, demand and entry routes differ in Malaysia, so check the Pathways and Programmes pages for local requirements.

O*NET occupation: Glaziers

Job responsibilities, knowledge areas and work context from O*NET 30.3, US Department of Labor, used under CC BY 4.0. onetcenter.org