WCA to Present Workforce Development Solutions at AWFS Fair

Scott Neslon, left, and Bruce Spitz will present “Building a Training Program for Your Workers” at the 2023 AWFS Fair in Las Vegas.

LINCOLN, Neb. – Representatives of the Woodwork Career Alliance of North America (WCA) will tackle the woodworking industry’s skilled worker shortage from two different vantage points in conference sessions at the AWFS Fair, July 25-28 in Las Vegas.

Bruce Spitz, member of the WCA Board of Directors, and Scott Nelson, president of the WCA, will discuss how woodworking companies can establish an in-house training program or improve an existing one. Greg Larson, vice president of the WCA Board, will explain the multiple benefits school woodworking programs and professional wood products companies can reap by becoming an EDUcation or MANufacturing member of the WCA.

“Building a Training Program for Your Workers,” is the title of Spitz’s and Nelson’s workshop scheduled for 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 25.

During the workshop, attendees will receive guidance for creating a first-year training template for new hires based on their production shop’s unique needs and incorporating the WCA Skill Standards.

Attendees will also learn how to:

• Develop a pre-hire test required for job candidates before employment;
• Identify the knowledge base skills and machine skills required in the first two years of a hire’s employment;
• Develop a method of training that is best suited for their company and create standard operating procedures to facilitate their training program; and
• Access quality training resources from the WCA’s extensive library of instructional videos, skill activities, and tests.

Attendees of this program qualify to join the WCA as a MANufacturing member for $100, a 60% savings on a one-year membership.

Larson’s presentation, “Teaching and Evaluating the Wood Industry’s Skill Standards,” is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Thursday, July 27, as part of the Teacher Track.

Greg Larson

A long-time instructor of cabinetmaking at the postsecondary level, Larson will discuss how to implement the WCA’s credentialing system to create and manage a training program in a school or business.

Larson, a WCA chief evaluator, has successfully used the WCA Skill Standards to shape his curriculum and credential students. He will also address WCA EDUcation and MANufacturing membership benefits including gaining access to the WCA’s extensive online library of instructional videos, educational materials, and other training resources to help trainers accomplish their goals faster and better.

Larson’s presentations is one of five sessions on the Teacher Track that will be led by WCA members. Others include:

• “How to Keep Your Keester Out of Court (and Other Tips from a Veteran Educator)” presented by Patrick Molzahn, long-time former director of the Madison College Cabinetmaking & Millwork program, and founding member of the WCA Board of Directors, 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 25;
• “Marketing Your Program — Are You Getting Anyone’s Attention?” presented by Mark Smith, woodworking instructor of Reed-Custer High School, 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 25;
• “Shop Safety in Education” presented by Reuben Foat of the Cerritos College Wood Manufacturing Department, 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Wednesday, July 26; and
• “Building Trades into Education: Bridging the Skills Gap Through Collaboration” presented by Molly Turner and Peter Lutz, woodworking instructors that are part of the Southwest Colorado Education Collaborative 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Thursday, July 27.

Learn more and register at awfsfair.org.

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 300 woodworking machine operations. In addition, WCA has issued over 5,000 Passport credentials, a portable, personal permanent record documenting each holder’s record of woodworking skill achievements. More than 160 high schools and post-secondary schools throughout North America are WCA EDUcation™ members and a growing number of woodworking companies have joined the WCA as MANufacturing™ members. To learn more about the WCA and how to get involved with its programs, including sponsorship opportunities, visit WoodworkCareer.org.