Greg Larson

01 – What is an Evaluator?

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Founded in 2007, with a grant from the US Forest service, the Woodwork Career Alliance (WCA) is the first neutral association to award Credentials to woodworkers. Unlike other professional Credentials, it was felt that due to the serious safety issues involved in operating woodworking equipment, candidates should be required to be observed operating the tools and machinery in order to be evaluated properly. While a candidate may be familiar with the machine controls and can describe how to use a tool, it is a different matter to actually perform an operation on the tool. This is where you come in…

WCA Skill Evaluator

The heart of the WCA credentialing program is the Accredited Skill Evaluator (ASE). The ASE is responsible for performing skill evaluations on candidates. There are over 225 accredited evaluators in North America distributed throughout multiple regions in the U.S. and Canada. Each region is administered by one or more Chief Evaluators.

Accredited Skill Evaluator (ASE)

Skill Evaluators come from both industry and education and must have demonstrated expertise in the tools they wish to become qualified to evaluate. They must also be well-versed in the Skill Standards that cover those specific tools. Most WCA Skill Evaluators are either employed at a WCA MANufacturing member company, or a teacher at an WCA EDUcation member school. All EDUcation member schools must have at least one faculty member who is a Skill Evaluator.

Skill Evaluators must perform at least one operational evaluation on a minimum of four different candidates over the course of one calendar year to remain on active status.

Accredited Chief Evaluator (ACE)

Chief Evaluators have the same responsibilities as any Accredited Skill Evaluator. In addition, the Chiefs supervise the ASE’s in their region and serve as principal training officers for new ASE’s.

There is at least one Chief Evaluator in each of the nine (9) regions in North America. Some of the regions arebetter served by having more than one, either due to high enrollment in the region, and/or high industry involvement. After serving as a Skill Evaluator for a sufficient period of time, ASE’s may either apply, or be nominated, to be a Chief Evaluator for their region if one is needed.

WCA Regions

Below is a table showing the makeup of each of the nine WCA regions:

WCA Regions

WCA Evaluator Requirements

  1. Individuals may apply for or be nominated by Members of the WCA board, or associated industry partners, to be an evaluator.
  2. All evaluators will be required to agree to a professional ethics agreement.
  3. Evaluators must complete this online training course.
  4. Evaluators shall respond to regular updates to maintain active status.
  5. Evaluators may only perform skill assessments on operations where they have the appropriate experience and qualifications to make appropriate judgements on the correct use of the equipment being evaluated.
  6. Evaluators may be skilled tradespersons, machinery technicians, production supervisors, woodworking educators, or anyone possessing expertise in the skills being evaluated and meeting the WCA criteria.
Richard Christianson

Woodwork Career Alliance Offers New Training Tool Kit

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Online resources can be used to help establish training programs in the classroom or on the shop floor.

Nellysford, VA – April 2, 2018 –  The Woodwork Career Alliance of North America now offers a treasure trove of tools for training students and entry-level woodworkers. Unlimited access to the online vault of training resources is a valuable new benefit that comes with the $250 annual fee for EDUcation™ and MANufacturing™ membership in the WCA.

While most of the training tools were developed to help high school woodworking instructors implement the WCA’s Sawblade credential program, woodworking businesses can readily adapt them to address their specific training needs.

“Developing a structured program for training new hires from scratch is both time consuming and costly, especially for small shops,” said Patrick Molzahn, director of the Cabinet & Millwork program at Madison College in Madison, WI. “Businesses can use the WCA’s sawblade credential program and resources to train someone who is new or has limited woodworking experience on some of the most basic, yet important fundamentals of woodworking. It’s $250 well-spent.”

Each of the training modules includes a step-by-step learning plan and corresponding learning tools. For example, the learning plan for operating a table saw covers recommended reading assignments, instructional videos, and a checklist of saw safety, key parts and functions. The learning plan also features a series of table saw operator activities such as tapering, beveling and mitering. Rounding out the table saw module are evaluation tools for assessing the quality of the cuts. (Watch sample video: Tapering on a Table Saw.)

Other training modules available to WCA members include:

  • Layout and Measurement;
  • Milling;
  • Shaping;
  • Boring; and
  • Sanding.

“We plan to add new resources as often as possible,” Molzahn said. “We welcome contributions from industry, academia and others who are willing to help us build out our library.”

The training resources were detailed in a recent webinar presented by the Association of Woodworking & Furnishing Suppliers. Molzahn and Bert Christensen, woodworking instructor at Westosha Central High School of Salem, WI, discussed how they utilize the online tools in their respective programs to credential students to WCA skill standards. Click here, to watch the webinar on demand.

To learn more about the benefits of becoming a member of the Woodwork Career Alliance, visit WooodworkCareer.org.

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About the Woodwork Career Alliance
The Woodwork Career Alliance of North America was founded in 2007 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation and is governed by a volunteer board of directors. The WCA’s mission is to develop and administer a unified set of Skill Standards for the wood products industry. Since 2011, WCA has developed observable and measurable performance standards and assessments for more than 240 woodworking machine operations. In addition, WCA has issued more than 1,600 Passports, a portable, personal permanent record documenting each holder’s record of achievements as a woodworking professional. More than 100 high schools and post-secondary schools throughout North America are WCA EDUcation™ members. To learn more about the WCA, how to get involved with its programs or to sign up to receive the quarterly WCA Pathways e-newsletter, visit WoodworkCareer.org.

Richard Christianson

AWFS Webinar Targets Integrating WCA Credentialing in the Classroom

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The Association of Woodworking & Furnishing Suppliers presented a March 13 webinar focused on Woodwork Career Alliance accredited skills evaluator training. The webinar featured Patrick Molzahn, of program director of Cabinetmaking and Millwork at Madison College in Madison, WI, ,and Bert Christensen, instructor at Westosha Central High School in Westosha, WI. 

The duo provided useful ideas that educators can use to implement the WCA credentialing system in their classroom. In addition, Molzahn and Christensen discussed the library of videos, training resources, and educational materials that the WCA has assembled to make help woodworking teachers. The webinar is a shortened version of the CWWK Teacher Track session offered at the 2017 AWFS Fair.

View the PowerPoint presentation.

 

 

 

 

Greg Heuer

Modern Cabinetmaking Glossary

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Patrick Molzahn, WCA Accredited Chief Evaluator, updated Modern Cabinetmaking. The 5th edition coordinates with the WCA Standards and Assessments, provides a wealth of support for instructors and managers, and helps create a “curriculum” of learning for fine woodwork manufacturing.

Essential to productive work in our plants and shops is a clear understanding of the TERMS of our industry. Goodheart-Willcox has graciously permitted WCA to use and distribute the Glossary from the 5th Ed.

You can learn more about the book, workbook, and CDs: Click Here WCA Marketplace

Terms – Press this button to download the

Glossary of Terms from Modern Cabinetry, 5th Ed.

Patrick Molzahn
Cabinetmaking & Millwork Program Director
Madison Area Technical College
1701 Wright St.
Madison, WI 53704
http://madisoncollege.edu/program-info/cabinetmaking-and-millwork

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Greg Heuer

Parts of the Table Saw

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Safe and productive use of our many machines and tools is vital. You, as an instructor and trainer, probably already have good teaching tools. Modern LEAN manufacturing techniques place a full machine manual, including operations and maintenance, at each machine. Video learning is a benefit. Here is an example on the Table Saw [about 4 minutes].

Produced by:

Patrick Molzahn
Cabinetmaking & Millwork Program Director
Madison Area Technical College
1701 Wright St.
Madison, WI 53704
http://madisoncollege.edu/program-info/cabinetmaking-and-millwork

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Greg Heuer

Intended Audience

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Greg Heuer

Course Objectives

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For YOU

  • What you need to know as a WCA Accredited Skill Evaluator
  • Easy enrollment process – Bulk Candidate uploads
  • Pre-written steps to success – Evaluations, Drawings, Widgets

For Candidates

  • Motivating Candidates to learn productive skills
  • Rewarding those who demonstrate learned skills
  • Recognizing skilled woodworkers with Portable Personal  Credentials
Greg Heuer

Materials List

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You will need these things at hand to continue.

It’s OK to stop now to gather them.

Click on the “green” links below to find things. Come back here when you are ready – Mark Complete.
Helpful-Optional: Post-It colored flags, Clipboards, Hearing protection

Table of Contents

Greg Heuer

Welcome and Introduction

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Scott Nelson president Woodwork Career Alliance of North America
Scott Nelson

President’s Message: We’ve Got a Lot to Talk About at AWFS Fair

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As the opening of AWFS Fair in Las Vegas draws upon us, please remember to stop by our booth 9648! Let us show you how WCA’s Woodworking Skill Standards can help improve your school woodworking or company training program.

I am proud to announce that during the 2016-2017 school year we issued 185 certificates or credentials. We now have more than 1,560 WCA Passport holders across the U.S. and Canada.

One final housekeeping note: There’s still time to sign up for one of our Accredited Skill Evaluator (ASE) training sessions being held at the show. Just email snelsonwca@gmail.com or call me at 402-610-6043 to reserve your spot now and pay at our booth during the show. These ASE training sessions are being offered at a discounted rate through special arrangement with AWFS. The ASE training registration includes a one-year subscription in WCA – a $250 value – all for the low fee of $100. The purchase of a WCA Passport is required. If you don’t already have a Passport, you may purchase one for $55 at our booth.

Hope to see you next week @ AWFS Fair 2017!

Scott Nelson
President
Woodwork Career Alliance of North America