As part of an ongoing commitment to education and training initiatives in the wood products manufacturing industry, the Association of Woodworking and Furnishings Suppliers (AWFS) andCabinetMaker+FDM magazine have announced a joint effort to contribute $3,500 to the scholarship fund of the Woodworking Career Alliance. The contribution is earmarked for use in awarding scholarships to woodworking students who meet the qualifications set forth by the WCA.
“This contribution is the result of a collaborative effort between AWFS and CabinetMaker+FDM that was made possible by the advertising participation of so many suppliers who took part in the pre-show planner published by the magazine last June in preparation for the industry’s largest woodworking show in 2013,” said Angelo Gangone, Executive VP of AWFS.
“Immediately following the very successful show last July, we devised this plan to make a substantial contribution to the future of our industry,” he said.
AWFS, which hosts both the College of Woodworking Knowledge and the Fresh Wood student woodworking competition as part of their biennial woodworking industry show, sees this latest collaboration as a natural extension their mission and goals.
“The technology driving today’s wood products manufacturing businesses is evolving at a staggering pace, and organizations like WCA that have worked to establish universal standards for training of tomorrow’s woodworkers need our support to provide the necessary resources to accomplish their objectives,” said Tim Fixmer, president/CEO of CCI Media and publisher of CabinetMaker+FDM.
“Our publication has always been a staunch supporter of educational efforts throughout the industry, and we were very pleased when AWFS approached us with this idea for a collaborative contribution,” he said.
Earlier in 2013, WCA took on the role formerly filled by WoodLINKS USA, which offered a high school curriculum to educators. The program offered specific guidelines aimed at preparing high school graduates for careers in wood products manufacturing. WCA has spearheaded an innovative Passport program to develop standardized skills credentials for potential and existing woodworking employees.
For more information about WCA, visit their website at http://woodworkcareer.org/.