SkillsUSA (https://www.skillsusa.org) held its annual California State Woodworking competition in April 2023. The competition was held in the Chaffey High School woodworking shop, and Inland Woodworkers were there in full force to support the activities. SkillsUSA is a non-profit organization that partners students, teachers, and businesses to help build a strong American workforce. Students who participate develop leadership skills as well as hands-on technical skills. For woodworking students, these skills include blueprint reading, bills of material calculations, board layout, use of tools and machines, assembly techniques, and product finishing.
There were two levels of competition: Introductory Woodworking and Cabinetmaking. There were 19 competitors in the Introductory Woodworking contest, 17 of whom were high school students. Those 19 represented eleven California high schools. There were also two junior high students, both from the same middle school. The contest objectives were to introduce students to a competitive environment using woodworking as a platform to learn and succeed, and to encourage students to pursue an interest in woodworking, with hopes of returning the following year to compete at a higher level. The students at this level were competing for trophies and name recognition. These beginners would be constructing a hanging wall shelf, which included a drawer and dowel rod.
There were twenty-two students in the Cabinetmaking competition, representing nine California high schools. The stakes for these challengers were much higher – the top finalist would represent California at the SkillsUSA National Championship this year in Atlanta. The task at hand – to build a nightstand with drawer slides.
The contenders had been working all year with their shop instructors in preparation for the weekend’s events, and now was the time to demonstrate their skills. On Friday afternoon, students were given an event orientation. They had the opportunity to ask questions and review the project plans, which included blue prints and a bill of material. The students had all night to think about the project, and early Saturday morning, they began assembling at Chaffey High School in Ontario.
Each contestant was allowed to enter the wood shop to drop off their hand tools and claim a work station.
They were then instructed to exit the facility and mingle with fellow competitors, parents, teachers, industry representatives, volunteers, and event organizers.
At 8am, the students reentered the shop and assembled at their workstations, with two per bench. Each station had the lumber and project plans necessary to complete the build.
Contestants were given a quick tour of the shop and received a briefing on machine safety and operating fundamentals. IW Past President Kenneth Thomas led the Intro session.
The Cabinetmaking contest was led by Saúl Martín, an avid supporter of IW and president of the Society of Wood Manufacturing (SWM) (https://www.awfs.org/education/swm/).
Competitions of this magnitude require a large support staff to assist students with machine safety and overall operations. Inland Woodworkers stepped in to support these efforts. Kenneth Thomas led the Introductory contest.
His co-leader was IW President Mike Trejo.
They were assisted by IW Secretary Michael Miller, who served as an Intro judge.
Also serving as an Intro judge was IW member John Hogancamp.
Rounding out the Intro contest support were the following IW members: Ron Chappell
And newest IW club member Matt Martel
Assisting with the Cabinetmaking competition was IW member Rick Reiner, who served as a judge:
And IW member RJ Monsima, who served as a proctor:
After the briefing, competitors again returned to their workstations and engaged in a question-and-answer session with the contest leaders. They were shown the contest-sponsored hand tools available to each entrant, and were briefed on the list of tools that were the responsibility of each contender. After that, the competition was ready to begin, and students immediately took to the tasks at hand!
Leaders, judges, and proctors monitored the day’s activities to ensure safety compliance and assist students as necessary. We were pleased to report that no safety violations were cited and no injuries occurred!
At 11:40, with the day half complete, everyone took a well-deserved lunch break. A delicious spread of sandwiches and chips was provided for all to indulge. No one went hungry that day!
At 12:10, break was over and everyone headed back to the shop to complete their work.
At 3pm, all competitors were instructed to put down their tools and bring their projects to the back of the shop. The judges then started their reviews for accuracy and craftsmanship. IW members Michael Miller and John Hogancamp, along with help from Charlie Rizzo, a woodworking instructor at Montclair High School, were responsible for judging the Intro projects. IW member Rick Reiner, along with Diana Ramirez and Jordan Clarke, were responsible for judging the Cabinetmaking projects.
The judges looked for proper sizing, location of holes, squareness, finish, and other categories. Once the reviews were complete, the students gathered their belongings and headed out.
Almost every student completed their project during the working session. For those who did not complete the activities – they took home all of the parts necessary to complete the project with help from family, friends, and shop instructors. Each participant will have a reminder of the day’s activities for many years to come.
Congratulations to this year’s competitors. Each is a winner and well positioned to be a future leader. The Intro competitors:
And the Cabinetmakers:
On Sunday, April 23, the woodworking students, their families, teachers, and supporters, joined with other SkillsUSA competitors for an awards ceremony held at the Toyota Arena in Ontario, CA. The crowd began filling the arena at 7am.
And soon after, the entire arena was packed. Congratulations to this year’s winning students:
