Practical craft skills needed as a furniture designer

Why don’t you contact manufacturers and ask?

They don’t need to hire you to answer the question. And I’d bet a few of them would review your portfolio in addition to answering your question.

I know I am always happy to give anyone my .02 if they ask. For example, if you want to get into medical design, don’t spend your time learning the quality/regulatory system beforehand. While essential for anyone in medical design, wait for on-the-job training.