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The Wood Industry Association and National Woods Board have formed a strategic partnership aimed at expanding workforce training and creating a stronger pipeline of job-ready talent for the woodworking and cabinetmaking industries.
Under the agreement, WIA will provide financial support for the National Woods Board Education Program, a national initiative designed to give high school and college students hands-on technical training aligned with industry workforce needs.
The program incorporates Woodwork Career Alliance skill standards and recognized credentials into high school and post-secondary curricula, helping connect classroom instruction with career opportunities in woodworking, cabinetmaking and advanced wood manufacturing.
“This partnership with the WIA marks a pivotal moment for the National Woods Board and the industry's long-standing workforce challenge,” said John LeTourneau, chairman of the National Woods Board. “By combining our proven NWB Education Program with the reach and resources of the Wood Industry Association, we're able to open career pathways for young people in every corner of the country.”
The partnership is intended to expand the education program nationally and help manufacturers address persistent skilled-labor shortages by giving students verifiable technical skills before entering the workforce.
Joe Hammock, chair of the WIA Board of Directors, said workforce development is a key part of the association’s mission and strategic plan.
“Educational support and growing our industry through providing tools and resources to improve the woodworking industry workforce is a vital part of the WIA's mission,” Hammock said.
The initiative builds on WIA’s existing workforce and education efforts, including its scholarship program and James Scarlett Memorial School Grant Program.
The National Woods Board focuses on developing scalable education pathways between schools and the woodworking industry. Its model draws in part from programs such as the MiLL Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and is designed to give participating schools a standardized, industry-relevant curriculum.
The Wood Industry Association represents professionals in the wood machinery and supplies sector and also owns the International Woodworking Fair in Atlanta. The organization is also launching IWF West, scheduled for Aug. 25-27, 2027, in San Antonio.
