Kentucky has adopted the Woodwork Career Alliance Passport and Credential Program as the state-wide certification program for woodwork students in the wood manufacturing programs of five area high schools and the state’s only technical college.
Architectural Woodwork Institute chief learning officer, Greg Heuer, and Scott Nelson, WCA president, recently conducted a hands-on training session at the Green County Technical Center in Greensburg, Ky. The Kentucky Tech state career and technical education coordinator, four high school wood manufacturing teachers and one community college teacher learned how to use the WCA Registry to buy assessment credits, enter assessment results for their students and order WCA credentials.
The recently completed WCA Candidate Management System provides a cloud-based online registry of permanent records for every Passport holder. The WCA Registry then allows Passport holders to print and email their "transcript" to family and employers.
“Having an industry certification enhances the health of school wood manufacturing programs and helps the schools qualify for additional federal and other funding. The students benefit not only by having industry credentials as they enter the workforce, but also by being rewarded for their achievements as woodworkers,” Heuer said. “Local woodworking firms look to these highly developed programs for entry level employees with the skills they need to be productive from day one.”
To learn more about the WCA and to get involved, visit www.woodworkcareer.org.