WCA representatives will lead a pair of instructive sessions tackling the wood industry’s labor challenges.

Scott Nelson	Bruce Spitz	Greg Larson

“Building & Executing an In-house Training Program for Your Workers” is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, August 26. The workshop will be led by Scott Nelson, president of the WCA, and Bruce Spitz, Treasurer of the WCA Board of Directors. Both presenters are former owners of successful architectural woodworking companies and are past presidents of the Architectural Woodwork Institute.

WCA representatives will lead a pair of instructive sessions tackling the wood industry’s labor challenges.
LINCOLN, Neb. — The Woodwork Career Alliance of North America will present a workshop and a seminar at IWF 2026, each focused on helping wood products manufacturers create or improve their in-house training programs.

“Building & Executing an In-house Training Program for Your Workers” is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, August 26. The workshop will be led by Scott Nelson, president of the WCA, and Bruce Spitz, Treasurer of the WCA Board of Directors. Both presenters are former owners of successful architectural woodworking companies and are past presidents of the Architectural Woodwork Institute.

The workshop will highlight ways woodworking companies can create in-house training programs to on-board new hires or elevate the skills of existing employees. The presentation will showcase the WCA Skill Standards, which are designed to be the backbone of a modular, progressive, and competency-based system that manufacturers can use to help you create a training template for their unique business needs. The cost of the seminar will include a one-year WCA MANufacturing membership at the reduced cost of $100.

The second WCA-led session, “An Overview of the new WCA Online Employee Training Resources,” will be presented by Greg Larson, vice president of the WCA. The session set for 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, August 27, will shine a spotlight on the WCA’s online training modules.

The online platform currently consists of five modules including those focused on measurement and layout, wood characteristics including moisture content, and machining and milling.

The digital programs are designed to help wood products manufacturers train new and existing employees with little or no woodworking background. The training modules are especially beneficial for companies that do not have the time, resources of know how to provide employees the in-depth background knowledge they need to be successful in their positions.

“The primary challenge facing our industry today isn’t a lack of interest; it’s a lack of a structured path for development,” said Scott Nelson. “At IWF, we want to hand the steering wheel back to shop owners. By using the WCA Manufacturing Skill Standards alongside readily accessible resources like our online training modules, companies can move away from ad-hoc training and instead build a modular, progressive blueprint that turns raw potential into highly skilled, safe, and productive craftspeople.”

“From my years running Classic Millwork, I know firsthand that profitability and shop floor skill are directly linked,” added Bruce Spitz. “You can’t just wish for a more productive team—you have to invest in them. Our session at IWF is designed as a practical, competency-based masterclass for managers who need to ramp up employee efficiency and curb costly turnover.”

Learn more and register for either or both of these presentations:

Building & Executing an In-house Training Program for Your Workers – WRK5 | IWF Atlanta 2026 Education

An Overview of the new WCA Online Employee Training Resources – WRK3 | IWF Atlanta 2026 Education

About the Woodwork Career Alliance
The Woodwork Career Alliance of North America (WCA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation founded in 2007. 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 over 240 woodworking machine operations. The WCA has issued over 10,000 Passport credentials, a portable, personal permanent record documenting woodworking skill achievements. Over 140 high schools and post-secondary schools across North America are WCA EDUcation™ members, and a growing number of woodworking companies have joined as WCA MANufacturing™ members. To learn more about the WCA and how to get involved, including INDustry™ Sponsorship opportunities, visit woodworkcareer.org.