There are many good reasons for high school and post-secondary woodworking programs to become EDUcation™ members of the Woodwork Career Alliance of North America.

Most importantly, being affiliated with the WCA’s industry-recognized credentialing program adds credibility to the school’s woodshop curriculum as aspiring to professional standards. In addition, instructors gain access to a treasure trove of training tools including the WCA Woodworking Skill Standards, how-to videos, past SkillsUSA project plans and other online resources. EDU-member instructors also can apply for financial support and scholarships to benefit their students and personal development.

In case those benefits are not compelling enough to justify the modest annual $250 investment for WCA EDUcation membership, then consider the value of the WCA Essentials™ Benefits Package. It more than outweighs the cost to join.
“The Essentials Benefits Package offers useful resources for any woodworking program,” said Patrick Molzahn, treasurer of the WCA and director of the cabinetmaking and millwork program at Madison Area Technical College of Madison, WI. “From consumables such as screws, glue, and veneer, to access to exclusive online information from Taunton Press and training from Stiles Machinery, the package easily offers more value than the cost of the annual membership.”

Tom Hillstead and Mark Smith are just two instructors of WCA EDUcation schools who appreciate receiving the free and discounted products to benefit their programs.

“Being on a tight budget, every little bit helps,” said Hillstead, cabinetmaking instructor at St. Paul College of St. Paul, MN. “We always receive products that we can use in our shop. The donation packages are a great benefit to our program and more than worth the annual WCA membership cost.”

“The support our program receives from industry suppliers through the WCA has been invaluable,” said Smith, industrial technology teacher at Reed-Cutler High School of Braidwood, IL. “We put to use everything that is supplied to enhance the curriculum we are delivering. Though the Reed-Custer school district has been very supportive, my program always needs items that are beyond what the budget can support. The support my program has received over the years from industry has made all the difference.”

The Essentials Benefit Package being offered to WCA EDUcation members for the 2018-19 school year includes:

• WCA Gold Sponsor Bessey Tools North America of Cambridge, ON – 40% discount on all clamps and other products;
• CabWriter of Easthampton, MA – 40% discount on CabWriter Cabinet Design Software;
• Franklin International of Columbus, OH – two gallons of Titebond wood glue;
• Quickscrews of Livermore, CA – $50 credit toward the purchase of wood screws and fasteners;
• Rockler Woodworking & Hardware of Medina, MN – assorted Rockler products;
• Stiles University of Grand Rapids, MI – one tuition-free registration annually to WCA EDUcation member instructors;
• Taunton Press of Newtown, CT – complimentary digital memberships to FineHomebuilding.com  and FineWoodworking.com; and
• Veneer Technologies of Newport, NC – 150 square feet of decorative hardwood veneer.

To learn more about becoming a WCA EDUcation member visit woodworkcareer.org.

For more information about becoming a WCA Essentials Benefit Package donor, contact Scott Nelson, WCA president, at 402-610-6043 or snelsonwca@gmail.com.

About the Woodwork Career Alliance
The Woodwork Career Alliance of North America was founded in 2007 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation and is governed by a volunteer board of directors. The WCA’s mission is to develop and administer a unified set of Skill Standards for the wood products industry. Since 2011, WCA has developed observable and measurable performance standards and assessments for more than 240 woodworking machine operations. In addition, WCA has issued over 1,800 credentials, a portable, personal permanent record documenting each holder’s record of woodworking skill achievements. More than 100 high schools and post-secondary schools throughout North America are WCA EDUcation™ members. To learn more about the WCA and how to get involved with its programs, including sponsorship opportunities, visit WoodworkCareer.org.

​Festool has just won two This Old House (TOH) Top 20 Best Tools of the Year awards. Both the ETSC 125 Cordless Hybrid Sander and CT Dust Extractor Bluetooth® Module with Remote Control were chosen by TOH as among this year’s 20 honorees and will appear in the January/February issue of This Old House magazine. Curated by This Old Housemagazine’s editors after months of research, review, testing, and input from industry pros, The TOH Top 20 Best Tools of the Year list includes products that stand out for their innovative and practical solutions to everyday problems.
 
In naming the ETSC 125 Cordless Hybrid Sander to the TOH Top 20 Tools list, This Old House stated that, “Its 18-volt battery can power a 5-inch disk for 30 minutes on a single charge. For longer run times, just plug in the corded adapter. The pad spins at 10,000 rpm with tiny 2-millimeter orbits, perfect for smoothing finishes.”
 
The ETSC 125 Cordless Sander lets users transition from corded to cordless without compromising performance and is balanced with a unique ergonomic battery for optimum performance and handling.
 
For the CT Dust Extractor Bluetooth® Module with Remote Control, TOH editors said, “With this two-piece upgrade kit, a Festool CT-model dust extractor automatically turns on when you fire up a Bluetooth-compatible cordless (Festool) tool. But even if you’re using a noncompatible cordless tool, you can still operate the CT vac remotely with the new push-button module fitted on the hose.”
 
The combination of Bluetooth® module on the CT Dust Extractor and remote control on the extractor hose allows users to simply start the dust extraction from the hose, without having to walk back to the extractor itself. The Bluetooth® module on the CT Dust Extractor communicates with the Festool Bluetooth® battery packs on its cordless tools. Allowing for automatic tool starts even when working without power cords.
 
“We are extremely pleased about the recognition from This Old House”, says Aaron Brading, Chief Sales Officer at Festool USA. “At Festool, everything we design and manufacture is focused on providing craftspeople with a better, more efficient way to work.
 
About This Old House
This Old House Ventures, LLC is America’s No. 1 multi-platform home-enthusiast brand, providing trusted information and expert advice through its award-winning television shows, This Old House and Ask This Old House, its highly regarded and award-winning This Old House magazine, and its inspiration- and information-driven digital properties, including thisoldhouse.com and house.one. Established as This Old House Ventures, LLC, the company is headquartered in Stamford, CT, with offices in New York, Detroit, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Atlanta, Toronto, and Concord, MA.
 
 
About Festool USA
Founded in Germany in 1925, Festool is known for its innovative, precision-engineered power tool solutions.  Based in Lebanon, IN, Festool USA offers a comprehensive lineup of power tools and system accessories, designed to boost productivity through efficiency and high performance. For more information, visit www.festoolusa.com or www.festoolcanada.com.

Elias Woodwork is excited to announce the official launch of their new Access Now online ordering system. This unique online ordering portal will allow customers to log in anytime from anywhere and access customized quotes, place orders, view invoices and track shipments. Access Now offers customers a live portal into their Elias Woodwork account with insider access to products and services saving them a significant amount of time by cutting out the middle man. You no longer have to wait for a quote and can access pricing any time. This will expedite your ability to submit quotes to your customers at a moment’s notice and ahead of the competition.  

Access now guides you through the process of choosing your product line and configuring your products. You are able to see your cost when you configure your items and will update live when making changes. If you have a large door order, you are able to import your door sizes from a CSV file or make multiple door entries quickly and effortlessly using Access Now features. If you have a favorite door style or product configuration that you know you will want to order again in the future, you can save your configuration to your favorites and add it to your quote in the future for even faster results. At any time you can access and download your quotes with your most recent ones showing up first in your portal. However, you can filter them by column or combinations of columns simply by adding a filter value like date, total, customer reference or PO number. When you are ready to place your order, you can submit your quote and manage your payments at any time without having to wait for business hours. After which, you can track your shipments and access your invoices whenever you need to. You can also filter your shipments or invoices similarly to your quotes, making it easier and faster to find what you are looking for.

Access Now allows you to manage your entire account online anytime, from anywhere! Combined with Elias Woodwork’s competitive pricing and vast product selection, this tool will provide industry professionals with a significant competitive advantage in their marketplace. Call a Customer Service Specialist to get your account set up and take advantage of instant quoting and ordering today! 

Elias Woodwork
Toll Free: 1-800-665-0623
Email: sales@eliaswoodwork.com
Web: www.eliaswoodwork.com

​Biesse Group announces the launch of our NEW Careers Portal to simplify the way candidates look for available positions within the company. From entry level to skilled professional, the Careers Portal displays information on positions available at the company's headquarters in Pesaro, Italy as well as their 39 subsidiaries around the world.  The user interface is easy to navigate and offers filters giving each candidate the ability to customize their search by country, language and job function, showing all open positions that match their criteria. 
 
Being a part of the Biesse Group team means belonging to a dynamic, multi-cultural and stimulating working environment, where strong emphasis is placed on the development of our people as a key factor in achieving successful results.
 
Recent graduates to senior level professionals looking for new challenges can find exciting opportunities within the company's global team at our many locations around the world.
 
Visit the Biesse Group Careers Portal and see what they have to offer!
 
Link To Careers Portal:  https://career2.successfactors.eu/career?company=biessespa
 
 
Biesse Group
 
Biesse Group is a multinational leader in the technology for processing wood, glass, stone, plastic and metal. It designs, manufactures and distributes machines, integrated systems and software for the producers of furniture, door/window frames, components for the construction, ship-building and aerospace industries. It invests on average 14 million Euros per year in R&D, boasting over 200 registered patents. It works via 8 industrial sites, 30 branches, 300 agents and selected resellers, exporting 88% of its production. Its customers include some of the most prestigious names of Italian and international design. Founded in Pesaro in 1969, by Giancarlo Selci, the company has been listed on the Stock Exchange (STAR segment) since June 2001. It now counts 2800 employees throughout the world.