by Angelo Gangone, Executive VP of AWFS® In 1992, I was an unemployed 27-year-old with a wife and two-year-old daughter, looking to land my first professional gig. Fresh out of graduate school with an MBA, I walked into a woodworking machinery manufacturer’s showroom for the very first time, and that experience led to where I […]
“InDepth with Laurence Fishburne” segment will air on public television stations The Association of Woodworking & Furnishings Suppliers® (AWFS®), the Architectural Woodwork Institute (AWI), and the Woodwork Career Alliance (WCA) have come together to produce a video about careers in the wood industry in partnership with the “In Depth with Laurence Fishburne” program. The six-minute […]
Industry professionals from AWFS® (Association of Woodworking and Furnishings Suppliers®) member companies and the Society of Wood Manufacturing (SWM) supported students from high schools across the state competing in the first ever remote SkillsUSA California Cabinetmaking and Introductory Woodworking contests. The contests were designed to be completed entirely at home, and students submitted videos and […]
In honor of National Volunteer Appreciation Week (April 18-24), AWFS® and SWM recognize and thank the volunteers who we serve and who make our work possible! The Society of Wood Manufacturing, or “SWM”, is AWFS’ Southern California chapter. SWM exists to connect local wood industry professionals with educators and students. It was established in 2017 […]
by Adria Salvatore, AWFS Education In October, 2020, AWFS and the Society of Wood Manufacturing (AWFS’ Southern California chapter), produced a video showcasing a local wood manufacturing company. The purpose of the video was to introduce students and job seekers to common roles and career pathways and see what a real and current wood facility […]
by Adria Salvatore, AWFS In March 2021, Saúl Martín was invited to speak virtually to the woodworking classes at Redwood High School in Visalia, Calif. Martín is vice president of operations at Architectural Woodworking Company (AWC) in Southern California, a company that produces high end woodwork and furniture for commercial clients in Downtown Los Angeles. […]
by Angelo Gangone, AWFS® Executive Vice President Recently, AWFS®, in cooperation with WMIA, WMMA, and other industry associations, announced the launch of the Wood Industry Resource Collaborative (WIRC), an industry-wide career awareness campaign, developed by this group of industry associations in partnership with Nashville-based, INDUSTRIAL Strength Marketing. The chief aim of the WIRC campaign is […]
By Adria Salvatore, AWFS® Education Director Happy #CTEMonth! In February, we celebrate Career Technical Education (CTE) and highlight ways to engage with CTE programs, teachers, and students! What is CTE? When you were in high school, you may have been aware of “vocational education” or “shop” classes — this was historically how students learned woodworking […]
by Adria Salvatore, AWFS® Education Director AWFS® has been an enthusiastic supporter of SkillsUSA for a decade now, and in honor of #SkillsUSA week (Feb 8-12, 2021), I would like to share some of the reasons why we believe in SkillsUSA, and some ideas on how you can get involved with SkillsUSA: Why we Believe […]
YouWood is a new industry-wide website that provides information and resources about careers in wood. The site was developed by WIRC (Wood Industry Resource Collaborative), a group of leadership representatives from wood industry organizations. AWFS® is a Founding and Executive member of WIRC, and other member associations include: WMMA and WMIA (also both Executive members), […]
