Industry professionals from AWFS® (Association of Woodworking and Furnishings Suppliers®) member companies and the Society of Wood Manufacturing (SWM) supported students from high schools across the state competing in the first ever remote SkillsUSA California Cabinetmaking and Introductory Woodworking contests. The contests were designed to be completed entirely at home, and students submitted videos and participated in virtual interviews with the judges.
Virtual Competitions a New Experience for All
The virtual woodworking skill contests consisted of four components: a written test, which included safety, mathematical, and woodworking knowledge questions; a woodworking project that could be built at home; a brief video presentation[...]
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Nashville, TN January 27, 2021 - The Wood Industry Resource Collaborative (WIRC) is excited to announce the launch of their industry-wide career awareness campaign, “You Wood.” Developed by several industry trade associations led by AWFS, WMIA, and WMMA, in partnership with Nashville-based INDUSTRIAL Strength Marketing, the WIRC campaign aims to communicate wood industry career pathways and attract new talent.
The “You Wood” campaign features a website with career resource information, including profiles of high-demand positions, career quizzes, links to educational resources like schools and scholarships, industry information, and an events calendar. The site will be continually updated, and features will be[...]
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NELLYSFORD, VA – Richard Memory has made woodworking history — again.
The trail-blazing employee of Jefferson Millwork & Design recently became the first professional woodworker awarded the Gold credential by the Woodwork Career Alliance of North America (WCA). In fall 2019, Memory was the first woodworking pro to earn the WCA’s Red credential.
Greg Heuer, secretary of the WCA, presented Memory his Gold credential certificate, pin and patch during a ceremony held on Jefferson Millwork’s shop floor attended by company managers and fellow employees. “Until 2007, woodworkers like everyone here had no nationally recognized path to demonstrate their progress and achievements,” Heuer said. “The[...]
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SHARED FROM WOODWORKING NETWORK
The Covid-19 pandemic has brought many day-to-day activities to a halt, but woodworking and technical training is continuing, both in person and online.
Madison Area Technical College in Madison, Wisconsin, is currently offering hybrid instruction. Students attend lab every other day. On their off days, students access videos and other learning resources online. When in class, students are required to wear masks and practice social distancing, said Patrick Molzahn, Cabinetmaking & Millwork program director. He has actually seen an increase in enrollment, and 80 percent of their students who had to delay graduation this past spring have returned[...]
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SHARED FROM WOODWORKING NETWORK
Kelly Victor-Burke, owner of Burke Architectural Woodwork, shared how she launched the nation's first woodwork manufacturing specialist apprenticeship in her Southeastern Michigan shop in a Woodworking Network webinar. Titled, "Grow your own: Training your future skilled woodworkers," the webinar was held in December 2020 and was aimed at showing how others can set up a Department of Labor-registered woodworking apprenticeship program. Victor-Burke drafted the initial framework of the program to address the employment gap in the wood products industry through cross-training and upskilling new and existing employees in a combination of CAD, mechatronics, wood processing, coatings, estimating and[...]
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In July, the Society of Wood Manufacturing (SWM), a Southern California industry-education focused group, identified a challenge that many high school woodworking teachers would soon face as the new school year began: how to teach woodworking while students are distance learning due to the pandemic. SWM decided to reallocate their budget and resources towards helping as many teachers and students as they could in this new, challenging educational environment. Three main issues were identified in which SWM could provide support: procuring wood materials for students, securing tools and supplies for students, and assisting teachers in preparing the materials and tool[...]
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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[...]
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There are several MFG Day events taking place in October that are hosted by wood industry companies and featuring industry professionals! These events are specifically for students and teachers to attend to learn more about industry careers. Check them out and register ASAP!
Wednesday, September 30, 2020
VIRTUAL, 12:00 NOON - 2:00 P.M. ET CERATIZIT USA's Virtual Event
Thursday, October 1, 2020
IN PERSON (Bassett, VA) 3:00 - 7:00 P.M. Bassett Furniture Industries - Explore Manufacturing and More!
Friday, October 2, 2020
VIRTUAL, sessions throughout the day SWM Presents MFG Day 2020 Virtual: Careers in the Wood Industry
VIRTUAL, all day Mastercam Virtual MFG Day
VIRTUAL, 8:00 A.M.[...]
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The U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, Office of
Apprenticeship (OA) has announced approval of a new Competency-based Occupational
Framework (CBOF) for the occupation of Woodwork Manufacturing Specialist. For the past 3
years, a group of visionary industry and education members from Michigan and across the
country collaborated on drafting the framework for an innovative 21st century registered
apprenticeship, “Woodwork Manufacturing Specialist” with assistance from the Urban Institute
in Washington DC and Workplace Intelligence Network (WIN) and led by Kelly Victor-Burke of
Burke Architectural Millwork, who conceived and drafted the initial framework.
The newly approved registered apprenticeship was created to address the employment gap in
woodworking and[...]
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The Association of Woodworking & Furnishings Suppliers® (AWFS®) announced the winners of its Design It Digital (DID) student CAD competition during a virtual awards ceremony on Thursday, August 27, 2020.
The winners of the 2020 Design It Digital Competition are:
1st Place Middle School/High School: Barn Bunkbed by Theodore Tran, Mark Keppel High School, Alhambra, CA (Instructor Paul Lam)
2nd Place Middle School/High School: Lincoln Logs Bunk Bed by Caden Bialow, Princeton Day School, Princeton, NJ (Instructor Chris Maher)
3rd Place Middle School/High School: Noah’s Ark by Nikhil Gandhi, Princeton Day School, Princeton, NJ (Instructor Chris Maher)
1st Place Post Secondary: Fish Hive by Patrick Duckett, Savannah College of Art and Design, Savannah, GA[...]
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