The flooring industry has long discussed the installer shortage, but an upcoming panel at the CFI Convention will explore a broader question: are they building a skilled workforce or borrowing one? The convention, scheduled for November 10-12, will feature a 90-minute interactive panel discussion moderated by Kaye Whitener, executive director of the Floor Covering Education Foundation.
The discussion will move beyond recruiting more installers and explore education, technical knowledge, and career paths in greater depth. Panel members, including Roy Allen Lewis, David Chambers, and Sandon Carson, bring diverse perspectives from installation, manufacturing, and flooring dealership operations.
Panel Discussion
They will also examine the value of quality installation and its impact on manufacturers, dealers, and customers.
The conversation will be structured as a conversation, with panelists building on each other’s perspectives and inviting installers to participate. The goal is to challenge the flooring community to ask what they can do differently to recruit, educate, and retain skilled professionals.
Industry Impact
The future of flooring installation will be determined by the kind of professionals the industry helps develop and whether they provide a reason for them to stay. The panel discussion aims to identify what is working, what is not, and what must change to build a sustainable workforce.
Attendees can help shape the discussion by sending questions to Kaye Whitener at [email protected] with “CFI Convention” in the subject line. The Floor Covering Education Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting recruitment, training, and retention of floor covering installers.
Building a Workforce
Building a sustainable workforce requires a collective effort from manufacturers, dealers, educators, and installers. The panel discussion will explore how these different segments can work together to provide education, training, and career advancement opportunities.
The discussion will also examine the role of experienced installers in passing on current, technically correct practices to new installers. This will help ensure that the industry is developing skilled professionals who can provide high-quality installations and meet customer expectations.
By challenging the flooring community to think differently about building a workforce, the panel discussion aims to create a more sustainable and skilled industry for the future.
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