Students earn Industry Certificates when demonstrating skills in woodworking. The Woodwork Career Alliance of North America awards credentials to woodworking students, along with many other benefits for the schools.
6. Sawblade Certificate
6
• 1. Student enrolls in
WCA, (Passport and
10 free assessment
credits.) $55 one-time.
• 2. Student passes the
Skill Standards BASIC
Measuring and Layout
evaluations.
7. Sawblade Certificate
7
• 3. Student earns 10 points
(2 points for each Level 2
achievement) as follows:
– Level 2 on Jointer – Edge jointing
1st edge
– Level 2 on Table Saw – Ripping
– Level 2 on Table Saw – Edge
rabbet/single blade
– Level 2 on Portable Hand Sander
– Sand solid lumber
– Level 2 on Drill Press – Drill
holes to specified location and
depth
8. Sawblade Certificate
8
• 4. Student scores 80% on
the 40-questionWCA
Sawblade online test.
• 5. Educator records
successful assessments
Points in the WCA
Registry, which triggers an
automated notice to WCA.
9. Sawblade Certificate
9
• 6. Student
receives Sawblade
Certificate, signed by
WCA President, in the
mail along with a cover
letter from the President
encouraging progress
toward Green and other
Credentials.
10. Awards Celebration
10
• 1. Award the Certificates
in a public ceremony.
• 2. Be SURE your
administrators and
guidance counselors get
the good news
• 3. Share the names and
pictures with the local
newspaper and parents.
11. Green Credential Certificate
11
1. Earn 20 More
Points, for a total of
30.
2. Record 800 Hours in
school or at work
since enrollment in
WCA Program.
3. Get Pin, Patch, and
Certificate.
12. Blue Credential Certificate
12
1. Earn 30 More
Points, for a total of
60.
2. Record 800 Hours in
school or at work
since earning the
Green Credential, for
a total 1,600 hours.
3. Pin, Patch, and
Certificate.
23. What is a Skill Standard…
23
"An observable, measurable level of
achievement or performance which is
applied to a woodworking skill or
knowledge area.“
…and how do we assess candidates?
24. A closer look at the Assessment Tool
24
• Considerations
• Title block including the
Candidates & Evaluators
information
• Pre-operation Checklist
• Operation Checklist
– Scenario
– Performance Standard
25. A closer look at the Assessment Tool
• Title block including the
Candidates & Evaluators
information
25
26. A closer look at the Assessment Tool
26
• Considerations
27. A closer look at the Assessment Tool
27
• Pre-operation Checklist
– LEVEL 1 - OUTPUT
– LEVEL 2 - SET-UP
30. Woodwork Career Alliance
30
• Familiarize yourself with the assessment
beforehand and “Manage the exceptions”
• This is not a time for teaching
• Make the assessment meaningful
• Use/Develop/Share Widgets
General Comments on Assessments:
36. What Does It Cost?
• Points are earned by being
assessed on a tool operation at
Level 1 Or Level 2
• Enrollment/Sawblade = $55
– Lifetime Passport
– 1 Year Window in School
• Green Tuition = $100
– 2 Year Window in School
– Registry Trigger
• Blue Tuition = $150
– No limit Window
36
37. The Passport and Registry
• Entry point into the
system
• Candidates must
purchase prior to
any assessment
• Physical record of
points; REGISTRY
database is official
record
37
39. The Passport and Registry
• Entry point into the
system
• Candidates must
purchase prior to
any assessment
• Physical record of
points; REGISTRY
database is official
record
339
41. What Does It Cost?
• EDUcation™ Division Subscription for Schools
– $250 per year – Must have One Instructor Enrolled/Passport Holder
– Benefits easily return the annual subscription cost . . .
41
42. What Does It Cost?
• “Essentials” donation package
• $100 coupon from Quickscrews
• Digital membership at Fine Woodworking and Fine Homebuilding
• Veneer from Veneer Technologies
• 2 Gals. Glue from Franklin
• Free Bessey Clamps
• Product Package from Rockler.com
• Streamlined Multi-Student Registration Process
• Certification Program for Students: Sawblade Certificate
• 10 free credits; $50 value/student for evaluations
• Online Written knowledge test
• Access to evaluation materials
• 1 tuition-free Accredited Skill Evaluator training per year
Much More – Pages 6 of your Handbook . . .
42
43. How is the Money Used?
• Volunteers – 501 ( c ) ( 3 ) Non-Profit
56. WCA & Modern Cabinetmaking
56
• Modern Cabinetmaking Features:
– Terminology
– Step by Step procedures
– Safety Notes & Illustrations
– Working Knowledge
– Green Notes
– Bulleted Summaries
– Test Your Knowledge
– Suggested Activities (Common Core)
• WCA Correlates with textbook
– General Considerations
– Pre-operation checklist
– Actual Standards
57. WCA & Modern Cabinetmaking
57
Sawing Considerations
Demonstrates knowledge and proper use of all machine specific controls.
Stock is fed in smooth continuous motion past blade with proper feed rate while controlling stock movement and waste removal.
Stock is supported at out-feed.
Push stick is used when required.
o Blade is completely stopped before reaching to the rear or over it.
Proper stance and hand position are demonstrated.
Stock is held securely against the fence, jig or fixture as appropriate.
Material is pushed completely past the blade before releasing it.
o Fall off is not allowed to clutter outfeed table.
Required OSHA approved personal protective equipment is worn.
Lock-out/Tag-out procedure is in place and followed.
o Process is completed in a timely manner.
Tool/Machine Manufacturer’s safety rules and guidelines are followed.
Tooling requirements are reviewed and appropriate tooling on the machine verified.
Operator does not reach into the machine processing area while the machine is in operation.
Stock is held securely.
Stock is supported and secured from movement.
Hand remains firmly on saw throughout entire cut.
Saw is moved in smooth, continuous motion.
Appropriate stance and hand position are utilized for optimum balance and control.
Protects delicate saw teeth and cleans work area after operation.
Stock is supported at in-feed and out-feed.
Operator is aware of work zone and safety precautions to others.
Correct body posture utilized during machine operation.
Operate machine safely, standing clear of kickback zone.
Material properly staged at in-feed and out-feed.
Initial trimmed cut edge is evident on entire length of material and exhibits smooth uniform saw marks with minimal burning and no back cut heeling.
Trimmed edges are straight and parallel.
Blade is fed in smooth continuous motion through stock with proper feed rate while controlling stock movement and waste removal.
Fence is positioned clear of cut-off when crosscutting.
66. 66
• Go to
WOODWORKCAREER.ORG
• CLICK and Enroll
• Have a small headshot to
upload for your Passport
• Email Greg when enrolled.
gheuer@woodworkcareer.org
Woodwork Career Alliance
66
You Can Start Today!
67. Board of Directors
• Scott Nelson, WCA President; CEO, Central Plains Millwork Corporation (retired), Lincoln, Nebraska
• Duane Griffiths, WCA Vice President, Director of Educational Services, Stiles Machinery Inc.
• Glenn Wirgau, WCA Treas., LEED AP, Plant Manager, Columbia Falls, Montana
• Greg Heuer, WCA Secretary; Chief Learning Officer, Architectural Woodwork Institute
• Brian Bond, Associate Professor, Wood Products, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia
• Jonathan Adams, COO, Silver Media, Hollywood, Florida
• Kent Gilchrist, CEO, Fremont Interiors, Indianapolis, Indiana
• Bill Geyer, Assistant Professor, School of Construction & Design, PA College of Technology
• Greg Larson, Director, New England School of Architectural Woodworking, Massachusetts
• Mick McGowan, Instructor, Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT Polytechnic), Calgary
• Patrick Molzahn, Program Director, Cabinetmaking and Millwork, Madison Area Technical College, WI
• Jerry Finch, emeritus, Wood Manufacturing Faculty, Fox Valley Technical College (retired)
• Joe Galluzzo, emeritus; CEO, Anthony Galluzzo Corporation
• Paul Winistorfer, emeritus; Dean, College of Natural Resources, Virginia Tech
67
WCA Board of Directors
68. Summary & Questions
• WCA value
proposition
• Available training
resources
• How to get started
• Questions?
Notas del editor
First, some background so YOU know where I’m coming from, how I see our industry, and why you should care about our time together today.
I live in a log home on Dogwood Lane in a valley on the lea side of Blue Ridge in Virginia. Dad and I built the cabin at the turn of the century.
I’m a 4th generation woodworker.
My Grandfather, on the left, served in World War 1 on the Front in France. He and his four brothers, like their father before them, all made church furniture in Chicago. When he got home from the War his health was very poor, and he sold Watkins home products until he died in 1959.
My Dad, on the right, grew up in a woodworking family. He was an Airman in the Pacific during World War 2. While on the islands, he used his skills as a woodworker to build closets, dressers, and side tables for the men in his Quonset hut.
Dad came home from the war, bought a small house, and set up a shop. I grew up next to my Dad on the Bench. Mom even made us matching shop aprons.
Our plant was in Schaumburg, Illinois, a Chicago suburb. We built both furniture and a full line of Architectural Woodwork. Our company was a member of the Architectural Woodwork Institute.
Dad was always building something, even in the small shop at The Cabin. The color picture shows him working on the last thing he built for the house before he died in 2012.
In 2007 we got a grant from the United States Forest Service. We had to raise over $120,000 in matching funds, which we did, and that grant helped us found the Woodwork Career Alliance of North America.
I was selected to Manage the grant and work. I founded a 501 ( c ) ( 3 ) non-profit corporation in the State of Virginia, recruited over 50 volunteers from industry and education to write Standards, and we got to work.
The results, so far, are what we are here today to share. Let’s get started.
YOUR Woodworking Students can now be certified with industry-vetted credentials. The next few pages show you how.
Greg Heuer, Secretary
Woodwork Career Alliance of North America
P.O. Box 636
Nellysford VA 22958-0636
gheuer@woodworkcareer.org
PH: (434) 298-4650
In the first semester of the first year your woodworking students are with you they can earn an industry certificate, the Woodwork Career Alliance Sawblade Certificate.
• Will you enroll every student in the WCA program? That’s up to you and your administration. The on-time fee for a lifetime
Personal, Portable, Passport and enrollment is $55. Some instructors only permit their “dedicated” students to enroll and earn the certificate. These teachers hold out WCA membership and recognition as a reward for performance in class.
• We strongly recommend that at least part of that fee be paid by the students and their families. Have skin in the game.
• Many schools subsidize about 75% of the fee ($40), and the family pays about 25% ($15).
• The enrollment fee includes 10 assessment credits (a $50 value), AND
• The assessments credit value to earn the BASIC Measuring and Layout achievements. (More about that later.)
With Their 10 FREE credits, they earn the 10 points required for the Sawblade Certificate:
• They must show skill on the Jointer, passing both Level 1 and Level 2 for Edge Jointing.
• They must show skill on the Table Saw, passing both Level 1 and Level 2 for Ripping.
• They must show skill on the Table Saw, passing both Level 1 and Level 2 for Rabbeting with a single blade.
• They must show skill on the Portable Hand Sander, passing both Level 1 and Level 2 for sanding lumber.
• They must show skill on the Drill Press, passing both Level 1 and Level 2 for drilling holes in a specific location.
EACH of these standards, tolerances, and evaluation forms are already written for you.
MOST of you already teach and evaluate your students on these skills. There is No Extra Work Involved.
AND, as you all know, there is much more to fine woodworking than throwing on the switch of the Table Saw.
• The Test asks questions about Moisture Content, Board Footage calculations, NHLA hardwood grades, Sandpaper composition, and dimension tolerances, among others.
• The content of the test is made available to Instructors. (More about that later.)
• When a student completed both the hands-on assessments and the online test, his/her instructor must register their achievements in the WCA Registry database.
The Certificate is sent to the either the student directly, or to the instructors in batches for award later.
• We strongly recommend making a “BIG DEAL” of these certificates. One of our California teacher had a particularly festive awards ceremony at the end of this past school year.
If your school has a regular awards program as part of the end-of-the year celebrations, there is a GREAT place to make these awards public and honor the students.
• I’m an old Band Director. I had students who struggled with academic classes but were STARS in music. For that type of student, and award and recognition for doing something they love is a great boost to their ego. For many of my students, BAND was the one thing that kept them in school. YOUR class can serve that same purpose.
• You can also boost the appreciation for your woodworking program by sharing the news with your guidance counselors and administrative people. Everyone knows someone in shop class, and they will love to bask in the shared spotlight, I’m sure.
• Finally, don’t miss you local media. Be sure you have nice-looking, professional pictures of your award recipients; a small bio for each one; and Their Names Spelled Correctly for the local news outlets.
Your outstanding students shouldn’t stop at the Sawblade Certificate.
• While in your care they can earn Industry Credentials. As we roll out the program to more and more industry members, the youngster looking for an apprenticeship, a summer job, or a career will have The Advantage over kids competing for the best positions when they carry a WCA Credential.
• As you can see, the Green Credential requires only a few more achievements. 20 more points is simple – only 10 more operations at Level 2, since every Level assessment earns a point.
• Every student who shows up regularly will log over 1,000 hours in a school year just attending classes. Others who work outside of school in a woodworking facility will earn even more.
The next higher Credential is the Blue Award. This is the highest award which can be earned in a school setting.
• You can see the requirements on the screen. They essentially double the Green achievements. Most students earn this in a second or third year program.
• Remember that there are over 180 operations to choose from. The Green and Blue points are NOT prescribed. They can be earned in the process of doing just about any project in a good High School program.
The Red, Gold, and Diamond Credentials can only be earned by people employed in the wood manufacturing industry. Starting with Sawblade, Green, and Blue YOU empower your students to lead others on good paying woodworking career paths. For professionals in large wood manufacturing plants the WCA offers both Machine Specialist Certificates and Area Specialist Certificates.
We have ONE primary mission – To celebrate the skills and achievements of our future woodworkers. As a result of our catching them doing things RIGHT, we encourage them to pursue a career in advanced wood manufacturing. We SHOW them the various career paths – fabricator, finisher, installer, project engineer, project manager, estimator, manufacturer’s representative, machine specialist, designer, and even Business Owner.
We NEED to teach the Three R’s. We NEED to live the Three R’s. AND, Most Importantly, we need to reduce the workload of our woodwork instructors and administrators.
The Woodwork Career Alliance has built the First-Ever way to do that in the United States – an industry wide, industry written, industry recognized set of Woodwork Professional Standards, Assessments, and Credentials.
OK< So you can see what’s in it for your kids, and we’ve just touched on some of the program benefits, but
• Let’s Get Real – We all listen to that 50,000 Watt radio station W I I F M – What’s In It For Me?
1 – Your students can earn more than a diploma from High School or Tech School. The movement toward certification from industry has created a demand for valid third-party credentials. We’ll tell you how to bring these to your classroom AND reduce your workload in a moment.
2 – We all know teachers are undervalued and underpaid. By becoming an Accredited Skill Evaluator you could earn extra money evaluating local industry woodworkers, too. We’ll cover that in a few minutes.
3 – We also know our trade programs are often threatened. You will be able to demonstrate the value and strength of your program with the support of the national associations. More on that after we tackle the first two points.
Your students will have the advantage when they go looking for a job. A certificate which is known and respected by industry leaders opens doors, leads to interviews, and offers the employer the assurance that this young man or woman is ready to be productive.
Money for your school and your program. Industry certifications also helps your program and your school qualify for Perkins funding.
AND, there are bragging rights, well-earned bragging rights – both for your program and for the students. It’s one thing to get an “A” in your class, and it’s frosting on the cake to have a physical award to celebrate achievements.
It’s more than a piece of paper.
The Credentials are easily identified from across the room by the segments shown in the patch and the lapel pin. The pin and patch are visible ways to show success and achievement.
The “culture” you establish in your shop makes all the difference.
The more you LEAD in the celebration of success, the more your students will proudly display their pin and patch.
Les Stackpole, an instructor at Eastern Maine Community College, gets evaluated by a colleague, and proudly wears his Credential Patch on his shop apron.
1 – Well sure, you’ll want to become an Accredited Skill Evaluator so you can use your normal classroom tests and assessments WHILE AT THE SAME TIME awarding Skill Standards recognition to your high-performing students. We all know that won’t generate any extra income, but it WILL make you life a lot easier. The Performance Standards and the Evaluation points are ALREADY WRITTEN FOR YOU by the Woodwork Career Alliance. So, you’ll get MORE done with LESS effort AND you will train and test to industry standards.
2 – The outside income comes to you when you are hired by local wood manufacturing industries to evaluate their plant employees. While many plants will have an in-house Accredited Skill Evaluator, they will often want a third-party, arms-length evaluator to level the playing field and remove the appearance of favoritism when doing evaluations. Paying YOU to come in to the plant validates their Credentials and is a selling point to boot.
YOU set your own hours and pay scale, and are paid directly by your clients in a contractual arrangement.
1 – Here’s where the rubber meets the road – for your students and their families; for your school officials; and for the future of wood manufacturing in North America.
When you can post the 2 foot by 4 foot WCA Training Affiliate banner on your shop wall . . .
• YOU show that your class activities, lessons, projects, and tests all meet or exceed the Standards set by industry.
• YOU show PARENTS pathways to good jobs, good careers, and a rewarding life for their kids.
• YOU use the WCA network of local and regional industry to get job interviews for your best students, AND get supplies for your classroom.
• YOU create a great public image of your program in your community, which results in keeping your seat filled and your students proud.
As an Education Member of the WCA you bring another level of professionalism to your classroom and shop.
For the past few years volunteer woodworkers and educators have been writing the First Ever Woodwork Manufacturing Skill Standards. These are observable, measurable skills on the 114 tools and machines used MOST by our industry. Written FOR industry BY industry.
The Standards are divided into 12 sections, in a logical order for teaching and evaluation.
• Each page clearly defines the performance criteria for that operation on that tool.
• There are over 260 pages in the current Standard. We are working on an update which will have well over 300 pages, and we will continue to add tools, machines, and operations every year.
Section 2 is all the Sawing tools and machines.
• The Table Saw is an individual tool within Section 2.
• Ripping is an individual operation on the Table Saw.
The page on the screen is an illustration of the Written Standard. I know you can’t read the text, but I put it up there so give you a sense of the layout of each page.
What I want to share with you, as instructors and evaluators, is the complete one-page assessment forms.
For each tool, machine, and operation the authors have written an one-page Assessment Form you can use from a clipboard or notebook.
All the criteria for that tool and that operation are condensed into the one page. You see the TARGET and the TEST. In a few minutes we will see how easy it is to use these as a part of your regular class evaluation process, no extra work.
Before we go on we need to stress 2 operative words – Observable & Measureable;
These standards are written as scenarios with observable and measurable outcomes. When the candidate performs the task and achieves the Standard you will have no problem measuring the results.
Identify what is contained on the assessment form; We’ll look closer at the parts in the next few slides.
Turn to Page 7 of your Handbook and look at a copy of the Sheet, and then look back up here for a quick tour.
You will create a separate assessment sheet for each student, or in WCA language, each CANDIDATE for a credential.
• You will note the date and time of the evaluation
• You will put down your name and the location of the evaluation. WHEN YOU ARE DOING ALL THESE IN YOUR CLASSROOM, these two bits can be pre-printed on your forms.
• Most importantly, take a close look at the check box marked with the arrow. WE ALL KNOW there will be times when a candidate comes to the test unprepared, and may not pass the test.
• That said, the WCA Board strongly suggests No Candidate be tested until they’ve had adequate instruction, AND time to try the elements of the evaluation on their own BEFORE testing.
• In fact, YOU will be able to mark this one “Completed Successfully” for every student who demonstrates his or her skill in the normal course of your first class project involving the Table Saw.
The General Considerations are the Standards which apply to the tool or machine not matter what type of operation is being performed.
• One of the examples on this form states, “The blade is completely stopped before reaching to the rear or over it.”
• The candidate is required to be wearing appropriate Personal Protection Equipment. In your shop I’ll bet you insisted on safety glasses, for example.
• Lock Out and Tag Out procedures must be followed when changing the blade on the Table Saw, so that’s a general requirement.
• You get the idea . . .
In the Pre-Operation checklist (those things which MUST be done before turning the tool ON) you see the Two Levels the WCA establishes for basic assessments.
• Notice that Level 1 starts with the word “Verifies”. That’s because we think of the Level 1 candidate as OUTPUT ORIENTED. We don’t expect a Level 1 person to set up the tool or the related systems. We’ll see more about this in the next section.
• Level 2 Pre-Ops, on the other hand, selecting tooling, installing the tooling, and setting up other elements in preparation for the operation.
• This philosophy and format is consistent from machine to machine, tool to tool, and from one assessment to another.
The Operation Checklist is the HEART of the evaluation. It sets the scene, gives the criteria and tolerances for success.
As we saw in the Pre-Operation area, we have two different Scenarios.
• Level 1 – Output Oriented – tells us the machine is “set up and ready to cut” – and then tells us the rip will be greater than 100 mm or 4 inches using the fence.
• The PERFORMANCE STANDARD tells the candidate what is expected, and tells YOU how to evaluate the results. As a teaching tool, you may choose to mark a candidate using the check boxes, keeping a record of where improvement is needed on the next try.
• Level 2 – Set-up Oriented – asks that the candidate “set up the machine” and then accomplish the rip to MEET Level 1 standards and tolerances. In your shop that may include selecting an appropriate RIP blade, installing the blade, throat plate, and anti-kickback guards, adjusting the blade height, and adjusting the fence to meet the specified width.
This huge Ring Binder is a mock-up of the new Complete Assessment Forms Book. EDUcation™ Division members can download the current assessment forms with their special Password.
You’ll have access to all these folders on the web, inside of which are all the pages you see in this Binder. That’s 212 Operational Assessments and more to come in the future.
As any good teacher would, you will always be familiar with every element of the assessment before you go into an evaluation session.
In most cases you will structure your class to both teach the operations, offer opportunities for practice, and then run the parts.
In many cases you can, or already have, created “widgets” which test a number of skills on the same piece of material.
The Sawblade Hands-on Tests can be accomplished and graded through the use of the simple widget you see here.
You can adopt the measurements to your needs, but we recommend from 4-3/4 to 5-1/2 inches wide; and 16 inches long.
That provides a measure of risk management, keeping hands away from the blades, as well as enough material to really see the effects of good consistent edge jointing and product sanding.
The Measurement Widget is another good example. As an Accredited Skill Evaluator we give you access to the drawing. The drawing serves as the test sheet, telling the candidate what things need to be measured and giving a place to record the answers.
Most of us understand that a basic understanding of layout and measurement is FUNDAMENTAL to being a good woodworker.
The WCA Standards Board understood this too. They make the achievements of Level 2 with the Tape Measure, the Combination Square, and the Calipers mandatory before any other Points can be earned.
Of course, YOU already teach these fundamental, so no extra work is involved for you on that score. Just fill out an Eval form for each student who can pass. The Cost of Evaluation on these elements comes as a part of the Enrollment fee, no extra charge.
Anyone can review the requirements for these skills at the URL shown on the screen, a part of the WCA website. There is an UNDERSCORE between “credential” and “landing” but it’s hard to see on the screen:
http://woodworkcareer.org/credential_landing/basic-skills/
[[[ Presenter note :: If a live solid internet connection is available, this is a live link.]]]
Let’s take a look at the easy-to-use measurement drawing. Please turn to page 4 in your Handbook.
There are 20 questions on the hands-on quiz. Take special note of the wide range of measurements the Candidate is asked to make. These are typical of those used in our industry every day.
I’m sure many of you already teach and test these BASIC skills. When you are an Accredited Skill Evaluator with the WCA you get access to these tools at no extra charge.
That includes Of Course the answer sheet to these measurements. With that sheet you can machine WIDGETS just like this to use in every class from then on.
On page 5 you see an example of the WCA layout Widget.
This starts with a simple piece of wood from the scrap box, 11-1/2 inches long and 4 inches wide. Making the block might be a simple ripping and cross cutting test for the students before they do the layout parts.
That would permit YOU to award Points for those operations IN ADDITION to the Layout Basics.
Take special note about the level of SHOP MATH required to get the four equal divisions between the “B” dados, for example.
The 2-inch “A” mark, plus the 2-1/4-inch total for three ¾-inch dados, means the EQ dimensions have to accurate to an odd number of 16ths.
There are many who struggle with this layout task, and yet it’s so typical of the work needed on professional shop floors.
Likewise, layout of the 10-degree angle needs a protractor or some other seriously creative problem solving.
• The WCA Passport and Credential program is based on the Individual person. That said, most of our work is done with schools and companies, enrolling groups of people at one time. We’ll talk more about that for schools in a moment.
• For now, what you need to know is on the screen. EVERYONE, including the Accredited Skill Evaluators, start by enrolling in the program and getting their Passport.
• The initiation fee is $55 one time, FOR LIFE. If you are a student in an active woodworking class, you’re entitled to earn the Sawblade Certificate at no extra charge. The Sawblade adds 10 points to your lifetime total. These points can be used to qualify for a part of the Green Credential.
• If a person chooses to go for the Green they have a two year window to complete the requirements after paying tuition.
• The entry of the 800 hours, the 20 points for the achievements into the WCA Registry (more later) triggers the mailing of the Certificate, Patch, and Pin to the individual.
• Going for the next higher Award, the Blue Credential starts with paying the tuition, and there is no time limit on earning the additional 30 points required. An additional 800 hours must be logged from the time the Green was earned.
The Passport is a person’s “membership card” in WCA. Right now we have a Passport booklet. We are phasing in a new Passport Card to replace the booklet over the next several months. Everyone who registers while the booklet is in effect will automatically get a new card at no extra charge when they are issued.
While the booklet can, and is, used to record achievements now, the Official Record of achievement, and the person’s lifetime transcript, is kept in the WCA Registry.
As your students demonstrate their skills, meeting the Skill Standards, they earn Points in their WCA Passport, an immediate REWARD for achievement.
We encourage you to Stamp Passports often, returning them to the students so they can take them home and show off their skills.
This student has earned 15 points for work on the Spindle Shaper. Points are awarded by Accredited Skill Evaluators, who are trained by the Woodwork Career Alliance.
Here is a picture of a typical Registry Page. Everyone has an individual page like this one.
From this page you can send a Transcript of your Achievement via email to anyone you wish, including yourself, of course.
This “transcript” function permits a Certificate Holder to verify his or her qualifications directly from the Database to a person interested in hiring them, for example.
And here is what a transcript page looks like. It comes from “woodworkcareer.org” and details the person’s achievements and certification levels.
Schools can brag about being a National WCA Training Affiliate center.
MORE important than bragging rights, however, are the many benefits to the school, the instructor, and the students.
Let’s take a look at the list . . .
The big dollar return to YOUR program every year are the donations you can request from our Sponsors, FREE donations.
• $100 of good cabinetmaking and assembly screws, and your choice from the entire QuickScrews catalog
• Inspiring reading for your class library from Taunton press – veneer – glue – new clamps – and gifts from the Rockler catalog round out the offerings.
[[[press]]] – The ability to work with the WCA office to get your students registered in the program and to help them earn their Sawblade Certificates is priceless, not to mention it’s work $50 BUCKs per student.
Accredited Skill Evaluator training fees are $250.00 alone, so you can train a new evaluator each year for FREE.
[[[press]]] – Everything is shown on Page 6 of your Handbook, including the process summary down at the bottom. The following page gives your Step by Step Bulk Passport ordering process. Once your school is a subscriber, use that to get the first batch of Students on the road to success.
The WCA is operated by a group of volunteers on a Board of Directors, AND BY YOU in the field. We have no paid employees. President Scott Nelson works for you as a part-time contractor.
The very heart of the WCA are all the dedicated administrators, instructors, plant managers, and shop superintendents who oversee the achievements of their colleagues and students day to day.
For that reason, the costs of this North American Certification program are So Much Lower than other, similar, programs now available to woodworkers.
So, here is the WCA Path in the shop.
YOU can help your students earn both the Green Credential and the Blue Credential. For most of you, it will take about two schools years to get to the Blue level, even though you see a “1 Year experience” note there.
We think of a work year as about 1,600 effective hours. You’ll not be able to document that many contact hours in all academic schools classes in one year.
Your approximately 180 days usually nets about 900-1000 hours at most of academic training in all classes.
You will join an elite group of wood industry professionals as an Accredited Skill Evaluator. Our goal is to have at least ONE in every State and Province by the close of nest year.
The four in North Carolina are: Doug Talbert, Dan Kern, and Keith Yow – still active so far as I know; and Butch Harris, emeritus but still interested.
I’m here today. If you’re interested we’ll show you how to get started. If you know of other good teachers of woodworking, be sure you pass the word on to them. We’ll be glad to talk with them.
So, you ask, HOW do I get all this for myself and my school? It’s easy.
The FIRST thing anyone does is Enroll in the program and get your WCA Passport –
Your lifetime Passport never needs to be renewed. The one-time cost is $55.00.
About half of our school districts are paying all or part of the cost of the Passport, and some are using industry support for part of the funding. YOU, as a potential Accredited Skill Evaluator will work out the details.
Turn with me to Page 9 of your Handbook. [[[pause]]]
There you see a full page, Step by Step checklist you can open next to your computer. It is designed to walk you through the steps you need to accomplish to enroll. I put a stopwatch on it a few days ago. The whole process takes about 3 minutes and 15 seconds, even with my GLACIALLY slow internet connection in Rural Virginia.
You CAN do it. EVEN BETTER you fill out the information at the bottom of the page and I’ll take you order here today when we adjourn, paid by cash, check, or credit card.
Secondly, you apply to be an Evaluator at the URL you see above:
http://woodworkcareer.org/credential_landing/skill-evaluator/
The Accredited Skill Evaluator application form is available on the Web, and the application is FREE.
When accepted into the program you are given access to the Online Learning portal, where you take a 50-minute class and test about the ASE program. You will learn how to use the WCA Registry to give your students credit for their achievements in the WCA database. Students can have their transcript sent to tech school admissions offices and to prospective employers to validate their accomplishments to others.
You will print your classroom certificate right from the web site, and you’ll be ready for the last step . . .
Here is what that page from the Website Looks Like.
You download the application form here. Fill it out, and return it via mail to email to me at the address Shown.
http://woodworkcareer.org/credential_landing/skill-evaluator/
The Accredited Skill Evaluator application form is available on the Web, and the application is FREE.
When accepted into the program you are given access to the Online Learning portal, where you take a 50-minute class and test about the ASE program. You will learn how to use the WCA Registry to give your students credit for their achievements in the WCA database. Students can have their transcript sent to tech school admissions offices and to prospective employers to validate their accomplishments to others.
You will print your classroom certificate right from the web site, and you’ll be ready for the last step . . .
An Accredited Skill Evaluator must complete a half-day hands-on training session delivered by WCA faculty.
The session includes all the tools and materials; the official AWI Guidebook and Handbook; and lunch.
Training sessions are held coast-to-coast, and you will be invited to any one you wish to attend.
REMEMBER a few minutes ago? The full cost of your tuition or the tuition of anyone you’d want to send is paid for by your School EDUcation™ subscription, one training per year.
Turn with me to Page 10 of your Handbook.
Here you see the Step By Step checklist to get your school subscribed to the EDUcation™ Division, so you can get all those benefits we talked about earlier.
Like the individual enrollment, the process takes just over 3 minutes. The school can choose to pay with a check, possibly after issuing a Purchase Order (which I don’t need to see); or by school credit/debit card; or using PayPal; or even doing a Direct Bank Transfer of Funds.
We understand the “invoice” issues.
When checking out, merely choose “pay by check” from the options. You will get an automated response which is the Invoice. Print that page, and either pay by check or use it to generate the internal payment process best suited to your school. Let me know if this doesn’t work for you, and we’ll come up with a Plan B.
If you want to start TODAY, I’ll take you order. Come to see me after we are done.
Turn with me to Page 11 of your Handbook.
Here you see the Step By Step checklist to order Bulk Passports for a group of students.
Remember, many teachers only permit dedicated, performing students to enroll, You Do Not need to enroll your entire class. We all know there are a few who are just “marking time” in your class. If you can MOTIVATE them with some rewards like WCA, but all means use the program for that.
I’ll help you get the headshot photos to me. Picture taken with cell phones work just fine for the most part.
At this point you are probably wondering how you would go about implementing this program in your school. The answer is there are several different approaches. First, I would emphasize that you do not have to test all of your students. I make it a voluntary program in my school. I also use it as an exit outcome or capstone credential. I want students to demonstrate they have internalized the knowledge and that good habits are ingrained in their daily activity. I set aside a 4 hour block towards the end of the school year and test two students at a time. Keep in mind that I am testing to a higher level than most high schools. My students leave with the Green credential, and the top students may achieve Blue. Thus I am testing 15-30 operations, whereas most high schools will test only 5 operations for students to achieve the Sawblade credential.
Again, how you test is totally up to you. I know some teachers who test all their students, and they do it as part of their training process. What is important is that you observe the student properly executing the operation and that you examine the product to insure it meets the standards. Some schools make the students pay for their passports, others roll it into the cost of tuition or fees. My students can work off the cost by doing jobs for clients who come to us with projects The bottom line is that the WCA has built a flexible system which you can adapt to fit your needs and the needs of your students.
Here is the best innovation and update for teachers of fine wood manufacturing.
The fellow you saw in the previous slide, Patrick Molzahn, is the director of the Wood Manufacturing program at Madison College in Wisconsin. He was asked by Goodheart Wilcox to update this venerable text.
The product is fabulous. It contains a full working curriculum of Woodwork 1A – 64 contact hours; Woodwork 1B – 107 contact hours; and Woodwork 2 – 180 contact hours.
Every Section of the WCA is cross-referenced.
Now that I’ve described what the Woodwork Career Alliance is and how you can get involved, I’d like to take a few minutes to show you how the new version of Modern Cabinetmaking can be used in your classroom to help support teaching the WCA skill standards.
I don’t expect you can read this slide, but I wanted to show that the text is quite comprehensive and covers most of the WCA General Considerations. Here is the list of GC’s for Sawing. All of the items marked with a checkmark are covered in the textbook. The publisher has created a correlation chart to help identify where the standards correlate with both the textbook and the workbook.
Each chapter starts with a list of technical terms which are defined in that chapter. To the right is one example of how General Considerations are included in the book. They may be part of a bulleted list, a caption to a photo, or possibly a safety note. The new edition has hundreds of illustrations which have been updated to show modern equipment.
Procedures are described step by step and typically include multiple illustrations. Safety is always a high priority. Here LOTO requirements are described when changing tooling. Requirements and adjustments for riving knives and splitters are clearly explained and illustrated.
Setup procedures are well documented, including diagnostic processes such as how to determine if a fence is misaligned and how to correct it. Green notes are included in most chapters to show how cutting edge technology can save $ and reduce environmental impact.
Procedures are described AND illustrated. In this example, the text explains what ripping is, how to select and set the blade, the process for adjusting the fence, and a reminder to use a guard. It then goes on to explain material requirements and how to properly push the material through the cut. Illustrations include additional items such as how to create a push stick.
Bulleted summaries make the content easy to pre-view prior to reading the chapter, and for review after reading. The also work well as study guides.
At the end of each chapter there are Test Your Knowledge questions and suggested activities. The suggested activities are extensions which dovetail with the Common Core, such as using math skills to calculate the rim speed of a Table Saw blade, science skills to analyze the quality of different blade types, or writing skills to debate the merits of mandating safety technology on saws.
I also think it’s important to present options when it comes to processes. In this case, there are two ways to go about executing a narrow rip procedure. Both have pro’s and con’s. Whenever possible, I have tried to illustrate different concepts in the book.
From a safety and liability standpoint, the COMPENTENCY CHECKLIST, no only reward the student with a summary of his or her knowledge, but also protects you and the school in the event of an accident.
A student who has been trained, has proved skills and knowledge, and who signs on the line is not DOCUMENTED in the event of an unfortunate event in your shop.
It's easy to Enroll in the Passport and Credential Program. Using any browser, go to WOODWORKCAREER.ORG.
The tuition is $55. You get a personalized Passport with your picture in it and your unique WCA identifier.
When you receive you Passport, email me and I will get you started. Of course you can use the address and the phone to write or call anytime. Thanks for your participation and support of our non-profit program.
Greg Heuer, Secretary
Woodwork Career Alliance of North America
P.O. Box 636
Nellysford VA 22958-0636
gheuer@woodworkcareer.org
PH: (434) 298-4650
Here you see our Current Directors, all volunteers,
They represent experienced woodwork industry owners; dedicated woodwork educators and institutions; and suppliers to the industry.
This efforts rises or falls on the backs for people like these, AND PEOPLE LIKE YOU.
We’re only a few years old. There is much to do in the way of making both industry and education aware of the benefits of a trained, credentialed, workforce.
The future of the woodworking industry is in OUR hands. We have a unique opportunity to be IN ON THE GROUND FLOOR of a national movement.