A collaborative initiative between Combilift and the Cavan and Monaghan Education and Training Board (CMETB), the OEM Engineering Traineeship, marked its 10th anniversary. The event, which welcomed past graduates, current trainees and local educators, underscored the program’s evolution from a local skills initiative to a cornerstone of regional industrial development.

To mark this milestone, SkillsUSA has launched the Drive to 65, a goal to reach 1 million students annually by 2030 for their 65th anniversary. A key tenet of the plan includes building a digital ecosystem to provide accessibility and support for students and educators to track their SkillsUSA learning journey in school and through their career.

The Lowe’s Foundation celebrated a record-setting SkillsUSA National Signing Day in style as over 3,500 students nationwide said “yes” to skilled trades careers and apprenticeships. This included five “blue carpet” ceremonies at Lowe’s stores to cheer on these students alongside their families, future employers, SkillsUSA advisers.

Wooden Globe Award for 2025 Educator of the Year presented at Wood Industry Conference.

Every year the AWFS organizes a D.C. fly-in event, where leaders of businesses that supply tech and materials for furniture producers meet with lawmakers’ staffs to discuss issues and legislation affecting our industry.  This was my second year as part of the fly-in team, tasked with bringing lawmakers up to speed our industry’s positive impacts on sustainability, climate change, forest management and local economies and culture.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.

During Shaler High School's "Explore the Trades" program, the High School Technology Department got to take a shop tour of Giffin Interior. The company is committed to pushing towards the future, and giving the future workforce a career path decision.

Matt Buell interviews former apprentice who became a shop owner at 19.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Kodiak Building Partners, a building materials distributor, has appointed Sandra Jacoby as senior vice president of human resources. In this role, she will lead HR strategy and support the company’s ongoing growth plans.

Facilitated by Barry Reid from LMI Canada, this structured, multi-session workshop series offers an opportunity to cultivate essential leadership competencies, enhance communication skills, and ultimately drive greater productivity within organizations.