Students

Woodworking students are the future of our industry and we all recognize how important it is that they be trained properly. One of the great advantages students have who participate in the WCA is that they can earn a credential based on the same standards used by industry. This gives students pursuing a job in the woodworking industry after graduation an extra boost to their resume and differentiates them from the rest of the crowd. The difference is they can prove their competence on each of the tools because they were observed and evaluated by their instructor who has been trained as an Accredited Skill Evaluator (ASE) by the WCA.

In order for a student to participate in the WCA credentialing program, their school must first join as an EDUcation™ member and one or more instructors complete training as an ASE. Once a student purchases a $55 Passport they are eligible to participate. Financial aid is available for students who are unable to afford the full purchase price of a passport.

To earn a full Green Credential, students must be enrolled in a qualifying program that includes at least 800 hours of woodworking related instruction or internship hours and be evaluated on at least 15 different tool operations and earning 30 Skill Points. This typically only occurs in selected vocational high school or post-secondary woodworking programs which allows students to graduate with the same type of credential earned in industry.

In order to recognize the achievements of high school or other students enrolled in a woodworking program that doesn’t meet the above requirements, we offer the Sawblade Certificate which requires passing a written test and 5 tool operations, or 10 skill points, with no minimum requirement for instruction hours. Most importantly, the hours and Skill Points that a student does earn while pursuing the Sawblade Certificate will count towards a Green Credential if they have the opportunity to pursue one in the future, either at another school or as an employee.