Skill standards still on track Philadelphia PA

It has taken some time to get this far, but the effort to establish skill standards for the advanced woodworking industries in the United States is still on track and moving ahead at a quickened pace.

A few months ago, the Architectural Woodwork Institute (AWI) volunteered and was selected as the Secretariat for an industrywide alliance devoted to developing and setting skill standards for professional woodworkers.

The Skill Standards effort began about four years ago when industry leaders, educators, association heads and others gathered in Princeton, W.Va. to lay the groundwork for the project. AWI was part of that initial team. What is happening now is just one more step in establishing national skill standards for our industry.

In May 2007 the USDA Forest Service awarded the AWI a grant of $92,000 for its Wood Manufacturing Skill Standards, Evaluations and Credentials Project. A number of wood industry trade associations have pledged matching funds for the effort.

The project is aimed at meeting the need for skilled woodworkers in an increasingly competitive global market. In applying for the grant, AWI indicated the need for woodwork manufacturers not only to retain and make optimum use of their current workforce, but to also train and retain new workers.

The Wood Manufacturing Skill Standards, Evaluations and Credentials Project is a three-pronged effort. The first phase will create a framework for development of the skills standards. Phase two will focus on development of skills criteria and evaluation documents.

The third and final phase will launch a credentialing process for individuals who demonstrate that they meet the skills criteria. The Skill Standards will advance the knowledge, skill and professionalism of the workforce needed to sustain and grow the advanced woodwork industry.

According to the AWI, industry groups will benefit in the following ways:

• Industry professionals by seeing career paths and the prestige of this modern industry;
• Company owners and managers by getting help in recruiting, training and retaining good employees;
• Teachers of woodworking by seeing guidelines for class planning and industry outcomes; and
• Students thinking about their future by seeing a career and learning what they need to know to succeed.

Also, according to the AWI, the tasks planned for September, October and November 2007 include:

• The establishment of the nonprofit organization with Internal Revenue Service;
• The development of the skill standards writing and review team(s);
• The review of existing programs with the objective of incorporating them into the work;
• Develop fundraising plan(s) to meet matching grant requirements;
• Create an atmosphere of ownership, assistance and involvement from the widest possible universe of wood industry partners;
• The development of the skill evaluations writing team(s); and
• Regular interaction with writing teams, woodworking press and industry supporters.

This could be the beginning of something big in the wood processing industry. In the past, there have been some failed efforts to get this done. This time I feel we've got it nailed. Stay tuned.

Anyone interested in volunteering for this project should contact Greg Heuer at gheuer@awinet.org for more information.

For regular updates, link to: http://web.mac.com/gheuer212.