WELCOME CASC ATTENDEES!
Society of Wood Manufacturing Fosters Wood Industry-Education Partnerships in Southern California
SWM, a local Southern California chapter of AWFS, supports SkillsUSA CA regional and state events, MFG Day events, and other projects and activities to help school programs. Contact AWFS Education Director Tovi Spero to learn more and join (free!): tovi@awfs.org
Association of Woodworking & Furnishings Suppliers (AWFS)
AWFS is a national trade association for the wood products manufacturing industry. We are supportive of and focused on industry education. On this page you will find information about resources we have developed, as well as some others available through the industry.
We hope you find this information helpful and will share this information with your students, administrators, educators, fellow counselors, and others!
Presentation and Handouts (PDFs):
- “Careers Your Students Need to Know About” presentation (PPT/PDF) from ASCA 2018 Conference
- LONGER VERSION – “Careers Your Students Need to Know About” presentation – with 5+ career profiles! (PPT/PDF)
- Industry Resources and School Contact List
- Education Programs 2019
Other AWFS Resources for Educators -informational articles on dust collectors, phase converters, and industry careers, and more.
For more information on any of these resources, contact:
Tovi Spero, AWFS Education Director
(323) 215-0311
tovi@awfs.org
CueCareer: Industry Career Information and Video Interviews
Check out the CueCareer AWFS Page, click on the “career videos” tab for interviews with industry professionals.
Search by industry sector, select “manufacturing” for more wood-industry related content.
Woodwork Career Alliance (WCA)
- Industry tool-based skill certification program.
- High school students can earn the Sawblade Certificate.
- Recognized by CA Department of Ed (and several other state education departments) as a industry certification.
Watch the webinar on Implementing WCA in the Classroom
MFG Day (Manufacturing Day)
Friday, October 4, 2019
This is the opportunity for the manufacturing industry to open it’s doors and welcome students, teachers and the general public to learn more.
Find an event near you! Bring students to an event!
The MiLL (Manufacturing Industry Learning Labs)
National Wood Manufacturing Industry Training Center
- Launched in August 2017
- Over 100 high school students currently enrolled; capacity for 500 students per day in 47,000 sq ft facility
- Offers training opportunities for high school, post secondary, industry, and veterans
- Dual enrollment and articulation for high school students with local community college
- Over 100 industry partners provided state of the art technology and equipment
Wood Industry Career listings:
Explore this website: WoodIndustryEd.org
This is a resource web site developed by AWFS, consisting of education and training information for the wood manufacturing and related industries. Appropriate for educators, students, industry professionals and those seeking career and skill enhancement information, it contains a searchable database of schools, colleges, technical centers and companies that offer a wealth of education and skill enhancement programs – from short courses to graduate degrees, from hand-crafted to high tech. There are also listings of scholarships, awards and competitions; trade organizations and events; as well as job listing links and a blog.
Here is a sample of some post secondary programs:
Pittsburg State (KS) – Architectural Manufacturing Management & Technology
Madison College (WI) – Cabinet & Millwork
Cerritos College (CA) – Cabinetmaking, Furniture-making and CNC Woodworking
AWFS Fair: July 20-23, 2021 in Las Vegas, NV
This is a “Top 100” biennial international trade show, with over 600 exhibitors (woodworking machinery and supply manufacturers) and 15,000 attendees (wood products manufacturers) in 300,000 sq ft of exhibit space.
- TEACHER AND STUDENT SHOW REGISTRATION IS $0! SEMINAR REGISTRATION IS $10 EACH!
- College of Woodworking Knowledge (CWWK) Educational Seminar Program, including Teacher Track Seminars: in 2019, topics included WCA (our industry’s skill standards), design/build, shop safety, CAD and CNC for woodworking, funding your program, and marketing your program
- Industry-Education Networking Breakfast – opportunity to connect directly with industry professionals interested in working with schools
- Education-focused exhibitors
- Education Town Hall Presentation Features Post-Secondary Woodworking Programs Across the U.S. You can see and download the 2017 presentation here (PDF).
Student Contests
Design it Digital Student CAD Competition:
- Open to middle school, high school and post secondary
- Entry deadline May 31, 2020
- FREE to enter
- Cash and tool prizes
- Students design project based on parameters in ANY CAD software
- Submit entirely online
Fresh Wood Student Woodworking Competition:
- Open to high school and post secondary
- Entry deadline May 1, 2021
- FREE to enter
- Cash prizes
- Students build a project and submit photos
- Entries will be accepted, more information available August 2018.
Wood Industry Resource Collaborative
A coalition of nine wood industry associations have gathered to address the skilled workforce gap and strengthen industry awareness. Stay tuned for projects and progress!
AWFS, WMMA, WMIA Support CTE and Perkins Funding
Career Technical Education (CTE) is the focus of our annual Wood Industry DC fly-ins. In 2018, we met with dozens of legislative offices to express our support for CTE programs and reauthorization of CTE’s primary federal funding source, the Perkins Act.
“Meet the New Face of Manufacturing” Campaign poster and videos
“Meet the New Face of Manufacturing” is a comprehensive marketing effort to acquaint and interest young people in careers in wood products manufacturing. We want to convey the reality of 21st century manufacturing – it is modern, high-tech, offers varied and challenging careers and is ready to welcome the next generational workforce. The campaign launched in Fall 2014 with posters highlighting the variety of personalities and lifestyles available for those seeking careers in wood products manufacturing.
For a FREE copy of the “New Faces” poster, which contain a QR code linking to this
page of resources, send a request to tovi@awfs.org (include your name, mailing address, quantity, and which version/s you would like). Please share this with career counselors,
parents, school administrators, industry partners, or others who guide students in career choices. See the official 2014 press release here.
Watch the “Meet the New Face of Manufacturing” Videos
…and learn about eleven outstanding young professionals in the wood products manufacturing industry!