career technical education

Ten Ways to Support Career Tech Ed Programs

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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Press Release: AWFS Supports Career Counseling Legislation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 15, 2019 CONTACT: Adria Salvatore, AWFS (323) 215-0311 Anaheim, CA – November 15, 2019 – The Association of Woodworking & Furnishings Suppliers® (AWFS®) is in support of the “Counseling for Career Choice Act”, introduced by Congressmen Jim Langevin (D-RI-2) and Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson (R-PA-15). The bill would provide grants to states to establish a comprehensive school counseling program. “School counselors play a critical role in the information students receive about career opportunities and the choices they make”, says AWFS Executive Vice President Angelo Gangone. “We welcome any efforts to strengthen the counseling system and allow more resources to reach students.” The “Counseling[...]

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AWFS Fair 2019 Student Awards Ceremony, WED Talks, and Make & Take Feature Special Guests

Congresswoman Dina Titus (D-NV-1) will speak at the Student Awards Ceremony on Friday, July 19 at 4:00 p.m. in Room N110. The awards ceremony is open to all registered AWFS Fair attendees and exhibitors and the winners of the Fresh Wood and Turning to the Future student competitions will be announced. “We are honored to have Congresswoman Titus with us at the AWFS®Fair”, says AWFS Executive Vice President Angelo Gangone. “We recognize that since she has been in office, she has been a supporter and advocate for workforce development and Perkins funding.” Representative Titus is acutely aware of the value[...]

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Students Compete in Statewide Woodworking Contests

SkillsUSA California hosted the 2019 State Cabinetmaking and Introductory Woodworking Competitions on Saturday, April 27th at Chaffey High School in Ontario, California. Staff and industry volunteers from the Association of Woodworking & Furnishings Suppliers® (AWFS®) assisted as contest coordinators, judges, and with overall contest support. Over $10,000 in contest supplies, tools, and giveaways for students were donated by: Blum, Inc, Castle, Inc., Colonial Saw/Lamello, Decore-ative Specialties, Drawer Box Specialties, Edgebanding Services Inc (ESI), Grex Tools, Hafele, Kemp Hardware, Royal Plywood, and Society of Wood Manufacturing (SWM), a chapter of AWFS®. Read more...[...]

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AWFS® Member Company Representatives Visit Legislators; Advocate for Apprenticeships

Ten members of the Association of Woodworking & Furnishings Suppliers® (AWFS®) Public Policy committee called on the offices of 21 legislators and agency staff in Washington on March 27th, to encourage support for the PARTNERS Act and Skills Investment Act. The committee also encouraged their representatives to join the House and Senate CTE Caucuses to support Career Technical Education. [caption id="attachment_12849" align="alignleft" width="229"] AWFS Committee members with Rep. Lou Correa (D-CA-46)[/caption] AWFS® is championing the PARTNERS Act and the Skills Investment Act because both bills expand opportunities for more apprenticeships and work-based learning, particularly for small and mid-sized companies. The PARTNERS Act[...]

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SWM Chapter Donates Tools for SkillsUSA California Student Contest

[caption id="attachment_12688" align="alignleft" width="349"] SWM donations for SkillsUSA California State winners.[/caption] The Southern California chapter of the Society of Wood Manufacturing (SWM) recently held their annual holiday party and meeting. In lieu of a gift exchange, SWM members contributed tool donations which will become part of the Prize package for students in SkillsUSA California State Cabinetmaking and Introductory woodworking competitions. SkillsUSA is one of the largest national Career Technical Student Organizations serving students who are pursuing jobs in skilled trades. The Southern California SWM chapter organizes the woodworking competitions for the SkillsUSA CA Los Angeles Region and at the State level.[...]

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