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AWFS will feature Culture & Workforce Sessions

Corporate culture & workforce development, critical topics for the woodworking industry, are addressed at the AWFS Fair. Where are you finding your skilled workers? How are you training your employees? How are you attracting top talent to your business? To find answers to these questions and more, put these sessions on your must-see list.

Workshop: Exploring How People Respond to Racial Bias
Tuesday, July 20, 9:30 – 11:00 a.m.
Lisa A. Landry
In this session, you will learn the five responses to racial bias and use them to analyze a current event. Learn how to take this information back to your team to explore and address racial bias in the workplace.

Strengthening our Future Workforce through the YouWood Campaign
Tuesday, July 20, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Panel Discussion, Moderated by Laura Griffin
Panelists: Kevin Gammonley, Fred Stringfellow
The YouWood campaign was launched in January 2021 to increase awareness of the wood industry and promote careers in wood. What does this campaign mean to you and how can you utilize it to strengthen our workforce?

Ready, Set, Engage: Rock Stars in the House!
Wednesday, July 21, 9:30 – 10:30 a.m.
Kelli Vrla, CSP, Engage YOUniversity
Only 27 percent of employees are “actively engaged.” The remaining 73 percent rests between “ambivalent” (60 percent) and “actively disengaged” (13 percent). This fast-moving program will give you quick “boots-on-the-ground” tips on getting (and keeping) you and your staff engaged to handle today’s challenges.

Welcome Back Kotter – Maximizing Business Culture in 2021
Wednesday, July 20, 3:30 – 4:30 p.m.
Marc Sanderson, INNERGY
Do you feel the challenge in attracting, training and retaining employees? Join us as we dig into John Kotter’s Change Model and how it impacts company culture. We will look at how to creative a strategic vision, influence change, empower your employees to succeed and lead your organization to success.

Building a Training Program for Your Workers
Thursday, July 22, 9:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Scott Nelson, Woodwork Career Alliance (WCA) and Bruce Spitz
Are you looking to create your own in-house training program? This ‘nuts & bolts’ session will show you how to get started, and will help you create a template for your own business using the WCA Skill Standards as one of your reference manuals.

Registered Apprenticeships: New Solutions for the Wood Industry
Thursday, July 22, 1:30 – 3:00 p.m.
Kelly Victor-Burke, Burke Architectural Millwork (BAM); Logan Leinbach, BAM; Mark Smith, Reed-Custer High School
This session will explore new solutions for workforce development in the wood industry including the new Department of Labor (DOL) registered apprenticeship/occupation, Woodwork Manufacturing Specialist with a focus on what it takes for a company to adopt an apprenticeship program.

CLICK HERE for more information.