Back in April, I had the opportunity to attend the SkillsUSA California Introductory Woodworking and Cabinetmaking State Competitions, held at Ontario High School in Ontario, California. AWFS® and helped in the coordination of the contest along with AWI and their Saul Martin, who developed the project plans for the students and has been instrumental in the coordination and facilitation of the SkillsUSA California woodworking contests as a long-time volunteer and leader for the Society of Wood Manufacturing (SWM), a Chapter of AWFS.
The first thing that struck me when I walked into their wood shop was how well equipped it was. The instructor of their CTE woodworking program was a gentleman named Jorge Gonzales. I couldn’t help but think how fortunate his students were to have the opportunity to learn in such a well-equipped wood lab. There were many recognizable brand names amongst the tools and equipment in Jorge’s classroom. I had a few minutes to catch up with Jorge, and he summarized his mission beautifully when he said that his goal wasn’t necessarily to teach woodworking but rather to see if his students enjoyed working with and building something with their hands. As simple as that sounds, it makes a great deal of sense. As much as Jorge is dedicated and passionate about woodworking, he sees the bigger picture of trade careers in general and gives his students the opportunity to explore a future they may have never considered otherwise. In essence, his classroom becomes a doorway to countless possibilities, and a potential roadmap for his student’s future.
By the time I arrived at the competition, the students had already been working on their projects for a couple of hours. The class was separated into two groups. The Introductory Woodworking group students were each building a shelf with adjustable legs using a half-lap swivel joint. While the more advanced Cabinetmaking students, were working on constructing a small nightstand. All in all, about 40 students were involved in the contest. I couldn’t help but be impressed as I watched these young people become completely immersed in their projects knowing they were also working against the clock and needed to complete their projects on time. I remember thinking to myself how challenging it would have been for me to remain that focused on any type of contest at their age and that was at a time when our technology was archaic compared to the technology and distractions, we have today. Just the same, seeing these students so focused on their work, also gave me a real sense of optimism for the future of the wood industry and trade careers in general.
For years, AWFS® has dedicated itself to the advancement of CTE and workforce development through our public policy and education initiatives in support of educators and programs throughout the nation and right here in Southern California. I have always found that spending time talking to teachers and attending events such as SkillsUSA California is one of the most rewarding and gratifying aspects of my work because it shows us the tangible results of our efforts as an organization. On a personal level, it resonates as well, knowing that both our individual (and collective) decisions and actions could have a positive impact on the life of a young person, and the future of our industry. To me this is the heart of AWFS®. It is what we are.
In addition, I believe the adoption of AI is accelerating what appears to be a transformative shift toward trade careers. Some of what I have experienced thus far has been anecdotal. In one instance, AWFS® recently participated in a career fair at a high school in Orange County in a district that has traditionally sent many of their graduates off to seek four-year degrees leading to careers in medicine, business, and engineering or technology-related disciplines, to name a few. However, this was the first time we were not only visited by numerous students but also parents who wanted to know more about opportunities in the wood industry (and skilled trades in general). This was an indication of a shift in mindset.
Furthermore, where areas such as technology/IT, legal professions, finance and accounting, marketing/PR and administrative roles are already seeing displacement due to AI adoption, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, skilled trades are one of the areas that are predicted to be least affected by AI, ranking only below Healthcare and Nursing (see graph below). This does not even take into consideration that by 2030, the vast majority of Baby Boomers and some of the older Gen Xers will be retired leaving even more skilled positions unfilled. All of this means that our industry could find itself with the greatest opportunity we’ve had in decades to build a strong, skilled and talented workforce for the future. Many of these young people may even become entrepreneurs and eventually build businesses of their own.
After all the years that AWFS® has worked and been dedicated toward our mission of building a stronger industry through education initiatives and workforce development, we plan to work even harder to fulfill our mission and take advantage of this incredible opportunity, especially since there will be other manufacturing industries that will be competing for that same talent pool. That is why I am appealing to all our members and asking you to join us on this mission. If you are interested in finding out how you can make a difference, please reach out to me or our Education Director, Tovi Spero.
Angelo Gangone
Executive Vice President, AWFS®
