High school students across the country are getting an introduction to the world of advanced wood manufacturing thanks to a program which partners schools with industry.
The WoodLINKS Advanced Wood Manufacturing Certification program offers secondary school students in grades 10 through 12 a curriculum, resources, real world experience and certification to the industry standard. The program is an important tool for secondary school teachers enabling them to teach practices and skills that are current in wood manufacturing industry.
Funded by the provincial government, WoodLINKS was originally developed and implemented in 1996 in British Columbia. It was made possible through a cooperative development process involving representatives of the B.C. wood products manufacturing industry and secondary and post secondary educational institutions. When provincial funding was no longer available, the program waned. In 2005, the Wood Manufacturing Council (WMC) in Ottawa and WoodLINKS joined forces and the program became an integral part of WMC’s human resource activities.
The WoodLINKS program consists of two important wood manufacturing courses, an introductory level and an advanced level, each representing approximately 120 hours of instruction. The program offers students theoretical knowledge and hands-on skills acquired through the completion of exercises, class projects, wood manufacturing activities, job functions and other tools. WoodLINKS lays the foundation for students who wish to enter the workforce directly or pursue post-secondary studies upon completion of their secondary school studies.
Since the program came under the WMC, the curriculum has been updated and reorganized by WMC experts from industry and education. The updated curriculum now offers 10 subsector modules and revamped core learning requirements and prepares students for the four pathways for success: workplace, apprenticeship, college or university. The subsectors include: Furniture, windows and doors, cabinets and millwork, fine woodworking, manufactured housing, entrepreneurship, remanufactured wood and panel products, lumber and pulp and paper.
Participating schools have the opportunity to tailor their curriculum to match their local industry (employer base), ensuring that the curriculum and training received by the student will pay dividends once the student is ready to search for work. Schools are then strongly encouraged (and assisted) to create industry partnerships allowing students to benefit from co-op placements, plant visits and lectures while allowing the partner to observe potential employees for their businesses.
Upon the successful conclusion of the program, students will obtain a certificate, which shows they have met the industry standard (minimum grade for certification is 70 per cent) for entry-level employment in the wood manufacturing industry.
More than 60 schools across Canada are participating in the program located in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Ontario, New Brunswick and Yukon with the provinces of Manitoba and Nova Scotia currently reviewing the curriculum.
Richard Lipman is president of the Wood Manufacturing Council
