AWFS® Chapter Produces Video for MFG Day; Hosts Live Q&A Sessions

The Association of Woodworking & Furnishings Suppliers^® (AWFS^®), and it’s Southern California industry-education chapter Society of Wood Manufacturing (SWM) have produced a video showcasing the various roles and processes involved in professional woodworking. The nearly six-minute video, the purpose of which is to introduce students to career pathways in the wood industry, features the team at Architectural Woodworking Company (AWC), Los Angeles. “We were happy to open our facility up for this video,” says Saúl Martín, AWC Vice President of Manufacturing. “During this pandemic, it is more important than ever to provide students with information about wood industry careers through online learning resources and video content.” The video was published on October 2 for “MFG Day” (Manufacturing Day), a national initiative established by NAM (National Association of Manufacturers) to highlight careers in manufacturing for students.

In conjunction with the video launch, SWM hosted three, thirty-minute live Q&A sessions for woodworking students with industry professionals on Friday, October 2. Over 150 unique attendees participated in the Q&A sessions, however many of the “attendees” represented full classrooms in areas of the country where in-person learning is now open, so it is estimated that hundreds of students nationwide watched the live sessions. In addition to Mr. Martín from AWC, different industry guests joined for each session: Jim Irving of Drawer Box Specialties, Lucía Morales of Stiles Machinery, and Lee Schuette of Blum, Inc. Each session was slightly different; students were encouraged to complete a questionnaire and submit questions prior to the sessions, so different student questions were answered during each of the sessions.

The video and Q&A session recordings are available here: https://www.woodindustryed.org/mfg-day-2020/

Since its inception several years ago, MFG Day has expanded to Manufacturing Month, and many companies in the wood industry are hosting or participating in MFG Day events throughout the month. Most events are virtual this year, for example Drawer Box Specialties and Weinig-Holzher are offering a virtual tour and live Q&A session for local schools. You can find published MFG Day events here: https://creatorswanted.org/find-events/

For more information on SWM or participating in industry-education opportunities, contact Adam Kessler at adam@awfs.org