Hardwood Floors December 2018/January 2019

hour intro to the industry, a one to two week (10 hours) version, a two to four week (20 hours) version, a four to eight week (40 hours) version, or adopting the full three-year apprenticeship. An NWFA digital badge will be given to students upon completion of curriculum programs. Markets around the country that we have begun working with, or are in preliminary discussions with, include:

Advisor, and Inspector. Two new certification designations have been developed to allow those within the industry who are currently certified installers and certified sand and finishers to further their status in our trade: Craftsman andMaster Craftsman. Qualifications have been put in place to validate expertise within each skill set. The programwas based on a similar program from the Master Craftsman (Meisterbrief) designation in Germany, dating back to medieval times, where only those who have passed all necessary tests and have produced the final “masterpiece” project, would be titled as a Master Craftsman. An internal training program, NWFA University, gives our members the ability to institute internal training programs for staff, employees, or customers. Many of our members have used NWFA University as a tool to train new employees and to incentivize current employees to further their knowledge of our trade. HOW CAN YOU GET INVOLVED? NWFA members from all segments of our industry may not only become a part of these initiatives as potential volunteers, instructors, or pioneers, but also to take any part of what we have developed to show interested individuals a clear path to local job opportunities through our industry. It takes everyone in our trade to bring it to life and recruit new blood to our industry. With the framework in place and many of these programs in their infancy, we feel we have put something together that gives our members the tools necessary to find, train, and retain workers in the wood flooring industry. The one way all of this will work is through our members embracing some of these concepts, and owning them as their own. With your help, we can significantly impact the future of the wood flooring industry. Now is the time to take action. Stephanie Owen is Education Director at WKH 1DWLRQDO :RRG )ORRULQJ $VVRFLDWLRQ LQ St. Louis. She can be reached at stephanie. owen@nwfa.org.

an excellent way for us to be in direct contact with school administrators to gain their interest in our industry to bring to their existing programs. NWFA infographics have been featured in ACTE’s publication that goes out to 24,000 subscribers. NWFA has also developed infographics and a student webpage to use at career events. These are available for members to use in their communities and at local career fairs. We recently partnered with Cue Career to build webpages featuring members and career opportunities in the wood flooring industry. This site is being promoted through nonprofits that bring career exploration to 10-12th-graders and through college career centers. A PATH FOR THOSE NEW TO OR INTERESTED IN OUR INDUSTRY In partnership with the U.S. Department of Labor Development, the NWFA has developed National Guidelines for Apprenticeship Standards for the occupation of Wood Floor Specialist. This program is currently in the final stages of approval and was developed as a way to get our training programs in front of the future and current generations throughout all 50 states. Once finalized, the three-year curriculumwill become a federally recognized curriculum and accompanying certification for the wood flooring industry. The U.S. Department of Labor will award a “Certification of Completion of Apprenticeship” upon completion of the program, where the apprentice will then be eligible to take the NWFA certification tests. The programwas developed as a hybrid program, which allows students to test through the program at certain steps. As National Guideline Standards, the program can be adapted to fit any company and situation with approval from the NWFA. The NWFA is targeting schools in many markets to implement a part of or the entire NWFA curriculum into their specific programs to introduce students to the creativity and practical application of the wood flooring industry. This can include using a one-

VERMONT Hazen Union School District TENNESSEE Clarksville-Montgomery County School System NORTH CAROLINA North Carolina State University MISSOURI Lewis and Clark Vocational School, South County Technical School, Rockwood School District MARYLAND Community College of Baltimore County KENTUCKY Hazard County Community Technical School GEORGIA Chattahoochee Technical College COLORADO Red Rocks Community College

We also have developed a Wood Studies Scholarship, which is made available each year for a student pursuing a degree in any field involving wood studies. And we have developed a student membership option that is free for students. This gives students access to all wood floor information, technical information, member contact info, and a job board through Hardwood Floors . We also are exploring opportunities to develop a wood flooring competition at SkillsUSA events across the country. A PATH FOR THOSE IN OUR INDUSTRY The NWFA Certified Professionals program currently gives individuals the opportunity to qualify their skills through becoming certified by NWFA. We currently offer certifications for Installer, Sand and Finisher, Sales

the magazine of the national wood flooring association

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