By Steve Ehle
So what’s your perspective on what goes on these days at high school and post-secondary wood tech classes? Gun rack 101? Birdhouses 202? Think again.
How about ready to assemble furniture (RTA), mass produced furniture and custom cabinets produced for housing construction classes? All this is being done and more around the country in school woodshop labs and classrooms. No more gun racks and birdhouses – not to disparage these types of projects – but the wood industry is looking for an advanced level of skill and dedication tied to what is happening in the real world.
One prime example will be on display at the International Wood Fair in Atlanta set for August 25-28 at the Georgia World Congress Center. WoodLINKS USA, along with a number of industry supporters, is sponsoring an RTA Design and Marketing Competition at the fair where high school and post-secondary woodworking students will compete for more than $30,000 in prizes, most of which are donated by industry suppliers of equipment and other woodworking related items.
A list of more than 16 entries was pared down to 10 projects from five schools: Dale Jackson Career Center (TX), Halifax County High School (VA), Lincoln East High School (NE), Harper Creek High School (MI) and Madison Area Technical College (WI). The RTA contest sponsors are donating housing for the teachers and students.
According to WoodLINKS USA National Director Mark Smith, the entries for this IWF are the best yet in terms of quality and presentation.
“I’m extremely impressed with the entries,” says Smith. “Each year we’ve set the bar higher and higher and students and teachers have really begun to realize how much this competition has grown and how it has grown to be recognized as one of the premiere events for showcasing student projects.”
The competition not only includes the end product itself, but the construction of a prototype, preparation of route sheets and a flow chart, construction of all necessary jugs and fixtures, development of a quality control system, conducting a trial or pilot run and conducting a production run.
The students must also develop a marketing plan and other documentation for the projects. A common theme for the competition is the development of a mass customization/production scheme.
The projects will be displayed on the floor of the Congress Center. A group of industry experts from a number of sectors will judge the competition. Prizes will be awarded on the final day of the show.
“Without the generous support of our sponsors, this competition would never happen,” says Smith. “This truly is an event that links the industry to the education sector. And IWF is the perfect venue to display what the future off the industry will look like.”
Speaking of IWF, more than 200 more exhibitors have signed up since late May, after an initial sign up well below what has been experienced in past IWFs. Show organizers are confident this will be a successful event with increased opportunity for visitors to see the newest and best the industry has to offer.
I’ve been coming to the big Atlanta show since presidents had beards (not true) and I’ve seen some ups and downs in attendance. But I expect this IWF to surpass what many people in the industry expected a few months ago.
I’ll be there. I’m the guy with the big white mustache and comfortable shoes. Unfortunately or not, I’ll be one of a few thousand guys who fit that description. Hope to see you in Atlanta. www.woodlinksusa.org
Steve Ehle, based in Wisconsin, is a regional coordinator for WoodLINKS.
