By Rich Christianson

Seven industry suppliers have renewed their pledge

They each support Woodwork Career Alliance EDUcation™ by participating in the Essentials™ Donor program for the academic year running through June 30, 2017.

For those educators still on the fence about re-subscribing or signing up by the October 31 deadline, consider this: The total value of the Essentials donation package EDUcation™ members are eligible to receive far outweighs the $250 annual registration fee.

The WCA  EDUcation™ membership is at 130 U.S. and Canadian institutions and counting. The program is designed to help secondary and postsecondary woodworking training courses enable students to become active participants in the WCA Passport credentialing programs. As important benefits, instructors qualify for free Accredited Skill Evaluator training and students enrolled at EDUcation™ woodworking programs can earn a WCA Sawblade Certificate in their first year.

Patrick Molzahn, a member of the WCA Board of Directors and instructor at Madison Area Technical College in Madison, WI, rattled off several other EDUcation™ member benefits for woodworking instructors. “Networking with peers and access to regional and national in-service activities, training and financial support to attend IWF and the AFWS trade shows are huge. Plus, the ability to use standards created by the industry for industry ensures that you are teaching relevant subject matter and communicating expectations required to succeed in today’s woodworking industry.”

“The WCA is grateful for the continued support of our industry partners,” Molzahn added. Many schools operate on extremely tight budgets. Our donors help provide materials and resources students might not otherwise have access to.”

The following seven companies have each pledged to continue their support of the WCA Essentials donation package for the third consecutive year.

  • Bessey Tools North America of Cambridge, ON, donates a clamp package.
  • Franklin International of Columbus, OH, donates two gallons of Titebond II, a water-resistant adhesive suitable for interior and exterior projects.
  • Quickscrews donates a $100 credit toward the purchase of fasteners
  • Rockler of Medina, MN, donates a product package.
  • Stiles University of Grand Rapids, MI, offers woodworking instructors one free tuition registration annually for any of more than more than 20 basic Stiles University courses. They range from CNC to electrical troubleshooting.
  • Taunton Press of Newtown, CT, donates complimentary digital memberships to FineHomebuilding.com and www.FineWoodworking.com.
  • Veneer Technologies of Newport, NC, donates 150 square feet of decorative hardwood veneer.

Product donations are scheduled to ship at the donor’s expense to EDUcation™ institutions in November.

Why Companies Donate

Luke Henry of Franklin International said supporting WCA is in keeping with the family-owned company’s mission to support the community whenever possible. “Investing in the education of young woodworkers is something we have the privilege of being able to do,” Henry said. “We want to continue being a part in the education process of woodworking and have found that we have been able to achieve that through our annual donation of Titebond to EDUcation™ schools.”

“Stiles University has and will continue to support WCA and EDUcation™ due to our belief that it is the major education/training venue for our industry,” said Duane Griffiths, director of Stiles University. “Its foundation and continued success is driven by far-thinking leaders who understand the importance of education and training. The top woodworking programs throughout the United States and Canada are members.”

Rick Gentry of Quickscrews noted, “We are firm believers that the woodworking industry is great and rewarding at many levels. The more youths we can get involved, the stronger our industry will be for years to come. We also believe that college is not the only route to a successful career. We are excited to continue our support for EDUcation™ schools.”

Scott Eckmann, vice president of marketing for Rockler, said, “The WCA mission aligns well with Rockler’s mission, which is to help woodworkers of all skill levels create beautiful furniture, cabinetry and other hand-crafted items. We hope students enjoy using our products in their classrooms and keep using our products as they progress in their woodworking experiences.”

“Promoting the use of veneer is important to the survival of our industry,” said Alan Hubbard of Veneer Technologies. “There are a lot of materials in our marketplace these days, none of which are as environmentally friendly as wood veneer. We enjoy hearing about student projects made with our donations.”

Industry suppliers interested in helping schools by participating in the WCA’s Essentials donation package, should contact Greg Heuer, WCA secretary, at gheuer@woodworkcareer.org   or phone (434) 298-4650.

Additional Resources
WCA EDUcation™ Membership
WCA EDUcation™ Benefits
WCA EDUcation™ Checklist [PDF download – 730KB]
WCA EDUcation™ Institutions