is a proud industry partner with WoodLINKS. We are committed to ensuring a brighter future for the woodworking industry through training and education. We actively support the WoodLINKS program and are excited about the future of woodworking. Below you can browse information supplied by WoodLINKS regarding the program and its purpose.

What is WoodLINKS USA?

• It sets national standards for entry level employment in the wood products industry.
• Recruits/certifies students for work in the wood industry.
• Trains educators to deliver WoodLINKS course.
• Partners industry with schools.
• Identifies potential employees.
• Improves the employers bottom line by training students before they are hired.

The Main Goal of WoodLINKS

• To bring together secondary and post secondary school educators to work with private industry, trade associations and others associated with the manufacture of wood-based materials.

What WoodLINKS Offers

Careers in wood:

• WoodLINKS offers a multimedia resource kit which explores career opportunities in the wood industry and offers current information on the industry, colleges and universities all supported by the WoodLINKS website: www.WoodLINKS.com.

WoodLINKS Curriculum:

• Introductory and Advanced wood manufacturing courses for senior high school students. It is regarded as the leading school to work transition model for the wood industry. It is currently being delivered in schools in Canada and the United States.

WoodLINKS Certification:

• WoodLINKS certifies the knowledge and practical skills of its graduates by testing its students to a nationally recognized industry supported standards.

WoodTRACKS Recruitment:

• WoodTRACKS is a premier internet recruiting service designed for the wood products industry. Employers can quickly and economically post openings and intelligently search resumes of qualified employees ranging from entry level to senior management. Job seekers can post their resumes, search job postings and respond electronically.

Educational Resources:

• WoodLINKS produces a variety of unique teaching resources including Manufacturing Resource Guides, Design Ideas Package, Instructional models and Wood-In-The-Box that contains manuals, texts, videos, and other information on wood processing and associated technologies.

Teacher Training:

• WoodLINKS offers in-service training sessions that help teachers keep pace with new wood processing technology and get the most out of the WoodLINKS curriculum. WoodLINKS draws upon its exclusive network of technical and educational partners to offer unparalleled training opportunities for teachers.

Custom Training For Industry:

• WoodLINKS can customize the delivery of its curriculum to meet the specific needs of wood product manufacturers whether it be general wood manufacturing knowledge and skills, basic skills or specialized training.

Consultation:

• WoodLINKS staff offer consultation and facilitation services for groups working to develop industry education partnerships.

Benefits For The Wood Industry

• The quality of employees has never been more critical to the wood products companies because they are competing for the same kind of skilled people (computer programmers, production engineers, industrial designers, skilled equipment operators) that all sectors are looking for.
• Unfortunately, the wood products industry is competing from a disadvantaged position due to misinformed public perceptions of the industry as low skilled, dirty and in decline.

WoodLINKS Delivers!!

    Why?

• Attracts the best students: WoodLINKS awareness activities help to counter negative images of the wood industry and put it on an equal footing in the fierce competition for the best and brightest students.
• Produces "Work Ready" employees: WoodLINKS is creating a pool of skilled and motivated entry level workers for the wood products industry and are saving companies money in initial training costs.
• Feeds Post Secondary Wood Programs: WoodLINKS prepares students to successfully enter post secondary wood programs. Increasing enrollment in these programs creates a greater pool of workers with higher skill levels.
• Locates Quality Employees Fast: In the race for skilled staff, speed is of the essence. WoodTRACKS lets the industry partners use the internet to locate high quality personnel.
• Custom Training Programs: Specialized in-house programs of the WoodLINKS program can be developed for your company.

• "The technology that keeps wood products companies competitive requires skilled workers. The WoodLINKS partnership between industry and education is the most effective program I have ever seen for attracting the right employees for our industry's future." - Larry Hilchie, Woodworking Machinery Industry Association (WMIA)

Benefits For The Students

• Students want to know what careers are available to them and whether these careers offer the challenges, rewards and lifestyle that match their interests. WoodLINKS gives students the information, education and experience they need to help them get great jobs in the wood industry. WoodLINKS gives the students...
• Career Awareness: WoodLINKS "Careers in Wood" is a set of cutting edge multi-media tools that show students the high tech and exciting career opportunities in the wood products industry. Students get straight shooting interviews from employers and people in the business, inventories of occupations that are in demand and career pathways that layout the requirement for getting these jobs.
• Exciting Courses with Industry Partners: WoodLINKS Introduction and Advanced Products Manufacturing courses are revitalizing technical education and are giving the students work experience with real wood products companies. Students get a mix of academic and applied skills that make them attractive to recruiters for wood products companies and post secondary programs.

• "The best reason I found for taking the WoodLINKS courses was to find out some of the options in life." - Erik Vachon, WoodLINKS graduate.

• A Clear Pathway to Dynamic Careers: WoodLINKS students are tested on the knowledge and skills in demand in today's wood products industry. If students pass the WoodLINKS test they are certified that they have the experience and skills necessary to find great jobs in the wood industry, start their own wood manufacturing enterprise or make an easy transition to a post secondary program.

Benefits For Education

• Governments, schools and teachers are striving to develop programs that give students the skills they need to pursue rewarding careers straight from graduation or after completing a post secondary program.
• School/Business Partnerships: Partnerships are established with local and area businesses to provide students with work experience and to bring additional resources into the schools. This partnership has produced the state of the art high school wood manufacturing courses and have produced the leading model for industry-education cooperation. Industry partners have played an ongoing role by donating equipment, materials and offering site tours, work placements and professional development opportunities for teachers.
• Revitalizes the Shop Classes: WoodLINKS is a complete school-to-work package that features captivating career awareness resources, up-to-date and engaging curriculum and linkages to career and post-secondary programs. There is an increased interest in woods courses because students see the link to interesting careers.

Benefits For The Students

• Community Development: WoodLINKS can play a dual role by giving students the skills which are linked to local and area employment opportunities and that can help local industry grow. A great industrial development tool.
• Personal Skills: Students will develop skills needed for success in the workplace. Communication, especially the presentation of an idea to a group both in written and verbal form, is essential for long term success.
• Business Skills: Students learn to understand the broad range of costs, production, manufacturing, design and marketing issues associated with the wood products industry. Students create a business and a product in the Woods Manufacturing Advanced level.
• WoodLINKS Certification: The WoodLINKS certificate indicates that a student has successfully completed the 120 or 240 hours of training in Wood Products and has a skill set appropriate for entry-level employment into the wood industry.

For Further Information about WoodLINKS, visit www.WoodLINKS.com, or view our WoodLINKS Gallery page.