April 10-May 23: Introduction to Woodworking Course Offered by the EDC on Orcas Island
Those seeking an introduction to woodworking are invited to gain hands-on training through a program offered by the EDC on Orcas Island. The focus of the course will be to complete a post-and-beam shed, but standard stick framing methods will also be introduced in a related project. Students will gain a general exposure to working with wood, including safety, care and use of tools, mortis and tenon joinery, teamwork, and the construction process.
The course will be taught by Bret McFarland and Jill Sherman. Brett and Jill have lived in the San Juans for 36 years. They built their own homes and have had various construction industry side jobs and projects. Brett has taught several EDC courses and is a high school teacher working in the wood shop and teaching applied and advanced physics. He plans to supply the wood for the shed project from his sawmill. Jill helped with the high school Tiny House project several years ago and ended up buying it. She is finishing the interior and working on a utility building.
The course will be held on Orcas Island on Monday and Tuesday evenings, from April 10 to May 23. (Class will not be held April 17-18 due to spring break.)
The class is free, except for a $100 registration fee. Applicants must be San Juan County residents who are 18 years or older and seeking paying work in the construction industry.
For additional information or to apply, please visit www.sanjuansedc.org/trades. For questions, please contact the EDC’s Trades Training Coordinator, Marti McConnell, at (360) 378-2906, or marti@sandjuansedc.org.
The EDC strives to support small rural enterprises and conduct projects to stimulate new job creation, strengthen the economic base for working families, and support overall quality of life for islanders.
The EDC thanks the San Juan Builders Association and BIAW, San Juan County, The Washington State Department of Commerce, and others for grants that provide the major funding for the program. The EDC also thanks other donors and grantors whose support of the EDC’s Tech and Trades Training Initiatives that were critical to getting this program started.