The detail and beauty arising from student creativity in the Fine Woodworking Program shop has been bolstered by equipment purchases made possible through a vital industry supporter.
Part of the assortment of offerings on the trades-based Silver King Campus in Nelson, the nine-month program is renown across Canada for its quality training opportunities and top-notch alumni. To help the program access equipment purchases that are not reachable within the annual budget, the Architectural Woodwork Institute (AWI) has provided $14,000 in funding to enhance learning and outcomes.
“The woodworking industry is in the midst of massive technological shifts, with computerized and robotized processes driving more efficient and streamlined production standards,” says Scott Stevens, instructional assistant and an alumni of the program. “Despite this, we believe there remains a need to place an emphasis on the development of hand skill—that is cultivating the ability to confidently pick up a block plane or a handsaw to tune or adjust our work to meet our exacting standards.
“In providing space for these skills, we can ensure the harmonization of modern technological standards with the traditional aspect of fine woodworking, maintaining both the joy of working wood along with the development of technical skills for generations to come.”
AWI has been championing innovation, quality and craftsmanship in architectural woodworking for more than 70 years. The Virginia-based institute has a “mission to uplift woodworking standards and provide transformative growth and learning opportunities within the industry.”
This is the second year in a row that the Selkirk College program has received funding from AWI. This year’s support has made possible the purchase of several items used by all students during their education. Included in the purchase are small tools are:
- Measuring, marking and layout, including new wheel marking gauges and strike knives for every student’s work bench.
- Hand planes and accessories, including new router planes and shoulder planes.
- Carving and shaping tools, including carving gouges, rasps and files.
- A new Festool tracksaw and accessories, as well as replacement tooling for our jointers and thickness planers.
“The cumulative effects of these two years of funding have done wonders to bolster the quality of tooling in our shop, and we owe AWI a great debt of gratitude for providing us with the resources to improve the quality of our learning environment for years to come,” says Stevens.
Students in the Fine Woodworking Program are currently putting all of the shop’s tools to use as they complete impressive final projects. This year’s Fine Woodworking Show & Sale takes place at the Nelson Trading Company on May 24 to 26. The entire community is invited to attend, including the opening night gala takes place on May 24 between 7 pm and 9 pm.
Learn more about the Selkirk College School of Industry & Trades Training.
Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) #4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.