Entries by Richard Christianson

Five Students of WCA Affiliated Schools Honored in AWFS Fair Fresh Wood Contest

Students attending Woodwork Career Alliance EDUcation member high schools and postsecondary schools garnered two first places, two second places and an honorable mention in the 2023 AWFS Fresh Wood student woodworking competition. Students at Lincoln East High School of Lincoln, Neb., took first and second place in the High School Design for Production category. Ethan […]

SkillsUSA Tests Students’ Cabinetmaking Abilities in a Race Against Time

Fifty-five competitors representing high schools and colleges from around the country had merely eight hours to create a highly customized standing cabinet. At the end of the day, only six of them departed Atlanta with a medal in the 2023 SkillsUSA Cabinetmaking competition. The Cabinetmaking contest was one of 110 separate events held during the […]

Welcome New Members & Sponsors!

The Woodwork Career Alliance of North America is pleased to welcome the following new members and renewing sponsors. Thank you for your membership and support! New EDUcation™ Members The Fredericksburg Workshop LLC – Fredericksburg, VA Next Step of West Michigan – Grand Rapids, MI New Berlin West Middle & High School – New Berlin, WI […]

Woodwork Career Alliance Launches Drive to Enlist More MANufacturing™ Members

Membership benefits include access to online training videos and instructional guides. LINCOLN, Neb. – Wood product manufacturers looking for a solution to recruit, train, and retain skilled production employees should consider becoming a MANufacturing™ member of the Woodwork Career Alliance of North America (WCA). The WCA MANufacturing membership is designed for forward-thinking woodworking companies willing […]

Student Woodworkers of Two WCA Shools Take Top Prizes in Castle USA Contest

High School students of woodworking programs in Illinois and Nebraska took top honors in Castle USA’s 2022-23 “What’s Your Angle” student contest. Students of Reed-Custer High School of Braidwood, Ill., won the Class Entry category for a custom kitchen cabinet build. DJ Shaw, a student at Lincoln East High School of Lincoln, Neb., won the […]

How WCA’s Credentialing Program Maps Career Paths for Woodworking Pros

According to a 2021 study conducted by Woodworking Network and the Woodwork Career Alliance of North America, nearly three-quarters (73.8%) of  participating woodworking representatives indicated it is “very challenging” to hire qualified workers for their manufacturing operations. What’s more, most (57.9%) said the challenge to find and hire good help is “much more challenging” than […]

President’s Message: WIC Silent Auction Strikes a Chord for WCA

The iconic Hotel Coronado was the scene of some spirited bidding during the 2023 Woodworking Industry Conference (WIC). A ukulele hand crafted by Jim Laster of Newman Machine Company fetched $3,010 to benefit WCA during the silent auction organized by the Wood Machinery Manufacturers of America and the Woodworking Machinery Industry Association. Jim has not […]

Welcome New Members & Sponsors!

The Woodwork Career Alliance of North America is pleased to welcome the following new members and renewing sponsors. Thank you for your membership and support! New EDUcation™ Members Elkhorn Area High School – Elkhorn, WI Inclusive Pathways to Success – Vienna, VA Kelly Walsh High School – Casper, WY Kirtland Community College – Grayling, MI […]

Passing the Sawblade at Madison College

After building Madison College’s Cabinetmaking & Millwork program into one of the most prestigious in the nation over the past two decades, Patrick Molzahn has stepped down and handed over the reins to one of his former “star” students. Lizzy Conley, who graduated with a technical diploma from Madison College in 2018, officially became program […]