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Forty students from high school woodworking programs across California competed April 11 in the SkillsUSA California Introductory Woodworking and Cabinetmaking state competitions, hosted at Ontario High School in Ontario, California.
The students advanced to the state level after qualifying through regional competitions held in February. The contests brought together emerging woodworking and cabinetmaking talent from across California, giving students the opportunity to demonstrate craftsmanship, precision, problem-solving and career readiness in a live competitive setting.
The woodworking competitions were coordinated through a collaborative effort led by the Association of Woodworking & Furnishings Suppliers (AWFS) and the Architectural Woodwork Institute (AWI). The organizations supported the contests by developing project plans, sourcing material and equipment donations, preparing gifts for the winners, and recruiting industry professionals and educators to serve as judges.
This year’s competitions were supported by a wide range of industry and education partners, reflecting the woodworking industry’s ongoing investment in workforce development and technical education. Sponsors and contributors included Duckworks for shop drawings; Royal Plywood for solid and sheet stock; Blum for undermount slides; Decore-ative Specialties for drawer fronts; and Drawer Box Specialties (DBS) for dovetailed drawer box kits.
Additional support came from Colonial Saw/Lamello, which provided judging support along with a Zeta and connectors; Leitz Tooling for saw blades; Eagle Tools for bandsaw blades; and Shaper for multiple Origin CNC Routers.
Further contributions included Palomar College, which helped cut materials; Frama-Tech for edgebanding; Grex Tools for 23-gauge pin guns; Surfprep for sandpaper and winner gifts; Inland Woodworkers for judges and safety monitors; DeWalt Tools for six miter saws; S.L. Fusco for wood glue; Howard Products for competitor prizes; Richelieu for winner gifts; Hafele for drawer knobs; SawStop for winner gifts; and Girl Buildrs for competition drinks.
By supporting student competitions, AWFS and AWI aim to strengthen awareness of woodworking, cabinetmaking and architectural woodwork careers while helping connect education with industry. The SkillsUSA California state contests give students valuable hands-on experience and help spotlight the next generation of skilled workers preparing to enter the wood products and architectural woodwork fields.
