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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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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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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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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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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[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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November 15, 2018, Anaheim, CA -- Association of Woodworking & Furnishings Suppliers® (AWFS®) was invited to participate in the 4th U.S.-China State and Provincial Education Leaders Dialogue: Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), held in Washington D.C. October 30-31. The invitation was extended as a result of AWFS Education Director Adria Salvatore’s current role as Chair of the ACTE Business & Industry Advisory Group (BIAG).
Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos, presented a welcome message to the group, highlighting the necessary “soft skills” and values that students can gain though CTE and the importance of education to the economy: “How we approach[...]
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After months (technically years) of waiting, anticipation, and efforts by AWFS and countless other industries and associations and organizations, the Perkins V reauthorization has passed in the Senate, House, and by Executive Order. AWFS joins with NAM, ACTE, and others in expressing appreciation to those representatives who helped moved this legislation forward, and is satisfied with the amendments made to the bill to strengthen CTE programs and provide more career education opportunities for students.
Trump Signs Perkins Reauthorization (July 31)
Perkins Passes in the House on 7/26:
http://thehill.com/policy/technology/398849-congress-passes-ibm-backed-skills-training-legislation
Press release from NAM: http://www.nam.org/Newsroom/Press-Releases/2018/07/NAM-Praises-Congressional-Passage-of-Perkins-CTE-Reauthorization/
The announcement from ACTE on 7/23 of Senate Passage …
Subject: ACTE, Advance CTE Statement Upon Passage of Senate Perkins[...]
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Ten members of the AWFS Public Policy Committee called on the offices of twenty nine legislators and agency staff in Washington on February 28, 2018, to encourage support for Career Technical Education (CTE) and apprenticeship programs, both critical for strengthening our industry’s skilled workforce.
The fly-in, a joint effort with Wood Machinery Manufacturers of America (WMMA) and Woodworking Machinery Industry Association (WMIA), had nearly thirty attendees. Attendees found the event to be productive, well-organized, informative, and fun. “Every meeting was meaningful and worthwhile toward our goal”, said committee member Dave Golling of Royal Plywood, “this was time well-spent”.
AWFS Public Policy Committee Chair Rob[...]
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Have you noticed lately how the "shortage of skilled workers" is becoming a critical and urgent theme? Rightly so, manufacturing is expected to grow, but many industries are concerned that they will not have enough skilled workers to maintain it.
This supplier is doubling it's plant, and will soon need 200+ more workers.
This well-known manufacturer can't find skilled workers fast enough.
This teacher is concerned that not enough students are available for opportunities from industry.
And this article states that as many as 2 million may go unfilled in the next decade due to the skills gap!
What is causing this problem? What can[...]
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