Thompson, Bonamici Recognize February as Career and Technical Education Month February 8, 2023 Press Release Reps. Thompson and Bonamici introduce bipartisan resolution highlighting skills-based education WASHINGTON, D.C.– U.S. Representatives Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA) and Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), co-chairs of the bipartisan Career and Technical Education (CTE) Caucus, today introduced a resolution with 71 of their colleagues recognizing National CTE […]
February is CTE Month! Career Technical Education (CTE) provides students with technical and professional skills, education, and training to prepare for the workforce. CTE is a critical area of study with proven benefits for students. For example, according to AdvanceCTE, “the high school graduation rate for CTE concentrators is about 90 percent – 15 percentage […]
It’s a fun and exciting time of year…it’s SkillsUSA competition season! SkillsUSA is a national career and technical student organization (CTSO) which serves over 300,000 students and teachers by helping students prepare for the workforce. Mission Statement: SkillsUSA empowers its members to become world-class workers, leaders and responsible American citizens. We improve the quality of our […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Society of Wood Manufacturing (SWM) group members recently created videos about their careers in the woodworking industry. Current SWM President Saul Martin produced a 2 minute video with a quick tour around his shop while he talked about his role and responsibilities at Architectural Woodworking Company in Los Angeles. Diana Ramirez prepared a 1.5 minute […]
This year, SkillsUSA California put students’ woodworking skills to the test at six regional competitions throughout the state. As the national SkillsUSA website states: “Skills USA is a national nonprofit organization serving middle school, high school and college students who are preparing for careers in trade, technical and skilled service occupations. SkillsUSA is a partnership […]
Are you an entrepreneur or do you know of any entrepreneurs? Have you heard of NFTE (Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship)? This is an organization that provides valuable leadership skills for students, particularly focusing on urban youth. They need volunteers (entrepreneurs/small business owners ideally) to serve as mentors judges for their student events. This is not […]