Industry and Education Members Help Draft New DOL “Woodwork Manufacturing Specialist” Registered Apprenticeship

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 manufacturing industries through cross-training and upskilling new and
existing employees in a combination of CAD, mechatronics, wood processing operations,
coatings, estimating and project managing. This registered apprenticeship is available to
woodwork companies/manufacturers and their employees across the United States in
perpetuity. Read more here.