Students attending one of the new NWFA Certified Professional workshops in St. Louis on Nov. 5. Include in the group is FCI’s Editorial Director, Jon Namba.
The National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) has announced an expanded training schedule for 2014 which includes more than 40 weeks of training being held in 20 different locations throughout the United States and Canada.
The new schedule includes approximately 10 new one-day workshops that will be offered in different locations to provide training opportunities in areas where large populations of contractors are located. Along with these workshops will be the opportunity for more in-depth hands-on training that will be offered in six permanent locations, including Richmond, Virginia; Marietta, Georgia; Chicago, Illinois; St. Louis, Missouri; Grand Rapids, Michigan; and Las Vegas, Nevada.
“The workshop format we introduced this past year was well-received by our students,” states Brett Miller, NWFA’s Director of Education and Certification. “This flexibility allows our students to sign up for training that meets both their needs and their schedule. They can come for the whole week, or just the days that address the areas where they need additional training, or just the days when they don’t have conflicts with paying jobs. It allows the learning to be totally driven by the student. The workshops then provide the foundation for more intensive hands-on training that will be offered in six permanent locations from the West Coast to the East Coast. Our goal is to provide training where it is needed, and where the contractors are doing business.”
Each of the week-long training sessions also includes an Open House, which provides attendees with opportunities to meet with manufacturer members to learn about their products, and to establish relationships with local businesses that may lead to job referrals. “We also are setting up pilot programs with Habitat for Humanity and Operation Finally Home, which gives our students an option to become certified installers, while helping our local community and wounded veterans,” state Miller. “It’s a great opportunity for a student to improve his or her skills while providing a much-needed service in our local communities.” More information, as well as a complete list of workshops and registration fees, is available at www.nwfa.org under Technical Education, Education Schedule.
