AWFS has announced a new Special Theme Category for the Fresh Wood student woodworking competition. The competition, which will be showcased at the 2015 AWFS®Fair, July 22-25, in Las Vegas, is open to high school and post-secondary students in accredited woodworking or related programs. Entry applications will be accepted until May 1, 2015.
The Special Theme category topic will vary with each competition; the 2015 theme of Musical Instruments is based on the overwhelming popularity of stringed musical instruments in the 2013 competition. “We have learned that high schools and post-secondary programs have adopted stringed instrument instruction as a great way to introduce students to fundamental woodworking skills”, says[...]
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Did you follow the excitement at Woodworking Network this week? It was Young Woodworking Professionals week, and five incredibly talented and driven individuals were featured with special Q&A posts and Profiles. Here are some of my favorite quotes from the YWPWeek Q&A's:
"One of the biggest challenges I faced, as silly as it sounds now, was gracefully accepting input from others. I wasted so much time trying to make all of the decisions myself and it wasn’t good for anybody." - Phil Bowers, Advanced Cabinet Systems
"(Young woodworking professionals) should avoid taking their dynamic for granted, being complacent and taking the easy path."- Adam Schneider, ConceptWorks
"(Young woodworkers should avoid)[...]
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As summer quickly approaches, the 2014 high school graduating class is faced with a difficult question, what next? With rising college tuition costs it is becoming more and more difficult for graduates to pay for college. Many of today’s college bound students will graduate with some form of student debt and no guarantee of employment once they do receive their diploma.
There is an alternative route – apprenticeships. Apprenticeship 2000 is one such program. Established in 1995 by Blum, Inc. and its partner companies, the program offers high school students free college and a paycheck. Blum graduates receive an Associates degree[...]
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Companies donate over $7,000 to woodworking students and programs
Woodcraft, DeWALT, Royal Plywood, Blum, Inc. and other generous companies showed their support for students in woodworking by contributing over $7,000 in tools, material, supplies and gifts to the 2014 SkillsUSA California Region 3 (Los Angeles) and California State woodworking contests, held February 1 and April 26, respectively.
SkillsUSA is one of the largest national career & technical student organizations in the nation. It promotes job readiness with skills and leadership training and supports students entering skilled trades.
SkillsUSA students compete in skill contests for their field of study to display their proficiency and[...]
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(From the Association for Career and Technical Education News)
In conjunction with the beginning of CTE Month 2014, ACTE worked with U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Rob Portman (R-OH) to form the new Senate Career and Technical Education Caucus. As co-chairs, the senators will use the bipartisan caucus to bring attention to improving and strengthening access to high-quality, rigorous CTE. Click here to see the full press release. http://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/kaine-portman-announce-career-and-technical-education-caucus[...]
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Thank you to Woodcraft.com and it's customers for raising over $6,000 for the Fresh Wood student woodworking competition! This is in addition to the $4,200+ raised prior to the 2013 AWFS Fair. The funds are used to help offer more monetary prizes and to cover the cost of travel and hotel for the Fresh Wood finalists and their instructors attending the AWFS Fair. Read more here.[...]
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The Madison College Cabinetmaking and Millwork Program (Madison, Wisconsin) is an outstanding example of a successful industry-education training program that is supporting students and the local woodworking industry. They regularly invite industry professionals to the school to educate students about their machinery or products. An upcoming example of this is a laminating seminar hosted by AWI Wisconsin and featuring representatives from Black Bros and Applied Adhesives. The program also takes on special projects: last year they made four display cabinets for a Historical Society and they recently built a reception desk for the Washington DC office of the U.S. Forest[...]
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Fifty Schools Join the Woodwork Career Alliance
The Woodwork Career Alliance (WCA), developers of the Manufacturing Skill Standards for the wood products manufacturing industry, has signed up 50 schools in their EDUcationTM membership program. Many of the schools were formerly with WoodLINKS USA which ceased operation in the summer of 2013; participating schools have made a smooth transition to the WCA membership. The skill standards system designed by WCA is applicable and usable for both industry professionals as well as students. The dedicated faculty of these member schools are showing their commitment to both scholastic and skill excellence by adopting[...]
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Becoming a SkillsUSA partner means exposing your brand to woodworking students and teachers!
SkillsUSA is a leading national Career and Technical Education (CTE) organization with over 300,000 student and teacher members. The organization promotes skilled trades as well as employability or “soft” skills. Students compete in their skilled trade area and advance to higher levels, ultimately competing at Nationals in Kansas City every June.
AWFS staff and volunteers coordinate the SkillsUSA California state and Los Angeles/Orange County (CA) Regional Cabinetmaking and Introductory Woodworking contests and we are looking for volunteers and sponsors!
How can industry partners get involved?
Participate in the Technical Committee with developing the[...]
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Safety Speed Manufacturing has provided a new, horizontal panel router to the woodshop program at Del Oro High School in Loomis, California. The 3 ¼ Hp unit is ideal for cross dados and full-length rabbets in jobs up to 36” in length. Safety Speed exhibited at the 2013 AWFS Fair in Las Vegas and chatted with a number of teachers who came through their booth. A record number of teachers came to the show to take advantage of the “Teacher Track” seminars and other activities offered expressly for teachers. Brian Donahue, President of Safety Speed, reached out to AWFS at[...]
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