The reverberating buzz of saws cutting wood in the cavernous Georgia World Congress Center was music to Kent Gilchrist’s ears, technical chair of the annual SkillsUSA Cabinetmaking competition. After having been cancelled in 2020 and held virtually last year, the national SkillsUSA Cabinetmaking competition returned as a live event in June. Some 45 high […]
WCA is truly experiencing a breakout year for new candidates entering our Passport credentialing program! As of early May, we have issued Passports to over 750 new candidates. In addition, we have already awarded 336 credentials to students and professional woodworkers. I believe the video we produced with AWFS and AWI last year has really […]
The Woodwork Career Alliance of North America is pleased to welcome two new EDUcation™ member schools, one new MANufacturing™ members, and 10 renewing INDustry™ Sponsors. Thank you for your membership and support! New EDUcation™ Members All Hands Boatworks, Milwaukee, WI Green Hope High School, Cary, NC Find WCA EDUcation™ woodworking programs in your area. New […]
Cat Cole, then Ross, talks about her role as a project manager at Wisconsin Built. She also traces her pathway to a career in woodworking, including the training she received at Madison College’s Cabinetmaking and Millwork program. Watch the video. Read Cole’s Long & Winding Road Leads to a Woodworking Career.
The instructor of Hocking College’s new Cabinetmaking and Architectural Millwork program finds a job that melds his skills and passions. Chris Hedges is an educator turned woodworker turned woodworking educator. Hedges instructs the new Cabinetmaking and Architectural Millwork program at Hocking College in Nelsonville, OH. The two-year program, an EDUcation member of the Woodwork Career […]
ANAHEIM, CA — SkillsUSA California hosted the State Cabinetmaking and Introductory Woodworking championships on Saturday, April 23 at Chaffey High School in Ontario, CA. Staff and industry volunteers from the Association of Woodworking & Furnishings Suppliers (AWFS) and the Society of Wood Manufacturing (SWM) served as contest coordinators, judges, and with overall contest support. Over […]
Cat Cole intended to become a stem cell researcher before a series of life-changing events led her to follow her passion for woodworking. Three years ago, Cat Cole competed in SkillsUSA Wisconsin as a student of Madison College’s Cabinetmaking & Millwork program. Now a project management coordinator for Wisconsin Built, Cole returned to SkillsUSA Wisconsin […]
Dominic Rubino, a business coach who specializes in helping manufacturers of cabinets, furniture, and other wood products, improve their profitability, speaks with Patrick Molzahn, director of the Cabinetmaking & Millwork program at Madison College. The discussion, episode 128 of Rubino’s CabinetProfitSystem.com podcast series, not only includes Molzahn’s involvement in trainin next generation woodworkers, but also […]
NELLYSFORD, Va. – Two representatives of the Woodwork Career Alliance of North America (WCA) will present a nuts-and-bolts workshop focused on helping woodworking companies develop effective in-house training programs at the 2022 International Woodworking Fair. The session, “Building a Training Program for Your Workers,” will be led by Scott Nelson, president of the WCA, and […]
Applications are open for the 2022 Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Prize for Teaching Excellence, which will award cash prizes totaling $1.25 million to 20 of the best U.S. public high school skilled trades teachers and their programs. Teachers can apply through May 20, 2022 at hftforschoolsprize.org. (Staci Sievert, a WCA accredited skill evaluate and […]