career pathways

Tips on Guest Speaking for Classrooms

Industry Professional Speaks to High School Students about Wood Careers

by Adria Salvatore, AWFS In March 2021, Saúl Martín was invited to speak virtually to the woodworking classes at Redwood High School in Visalia, Calif. Martín is vice president of operations at Architectural Woodworking Company (AWC) in Southern California, a company that produces high end woodwork and furniture for commercial clients in Downtown Los Angeles. He is also a strong supporter of woodworking education programs: he is lead volunteer for the SkillsUSA California woodworking contests, he has hosted student internships and teacher externships, he serves on local school advisory committees and has hosted MFG Day (Manufacturing Day) events. In the fall[...]

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February is #CTEMonth…How to Get Involved!

By Adria Salvatore, AWFS® Education Director Happy #CTEMonth! In February, we celebrate Career Technical Education (CTE) and highlight ways to engage with CTE programs, teachers, and students! What is CTE? When you were in high school, you may have been aware of “vocational education” or “shop” classes -- this was historically how students learned woodworking skills. But today, the educational landscape has changed and the focus is now on Career Technical Education (CTE), which provides students with real-world skills to prepare them for future careers in industry. CTE spans many industry sectors, but for the wood industry, CTE programs that would[...]

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Wood Industry Pros Share their Career Journey

SHARED FROM WOODWORKING NETWORK Woodworking Network asked their readers to share how they got started in the wood industry, check out this article for the responses. The answers vary - from the military, high school woodworking, flooring, construction industry...there are so many opportunities and career paths! Read the full article here, and follow Woodworking Network on Facebook to see and participate in future conversations like this.[...]

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AWFS Education April 2019: Update on WIRC; Check out CueCareer!

Associations participating in the Wood Industry Resource Collaborative (WIRC), of which AWFS is a founding member, are working with Industrial Strength Marketing on a campaign to increase awareness and improve the perception of careers in the wood industry. Industrial’s past projects include the “MFG Day” initiative with National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), and a rebranding for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) network. “We are excited to work with Industrial and feel confident that we are in good hands,” says AWFS Education Director Adria Salvatore, “Industrial has an impressive portfolio and is exclusively focused on the manufacturing industry. They understand our objectives[...]

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