In today’s flooring industry, relationships are everything—they’re what this industry was built on. They connect us, strengthen us and ensure our collective success. The Floor Covering Education Foundation (FCEF) was created to address many of the challenges facing our industry, with a primary focus on one of the greatest: the shortage of new, qualified, skilled flooring installers.
But for our mission to succeed long-term, it takes more than training programs and funding—it takes people.
FCEF has developed a complete, ready-to-launch framework that works directly with community colleges and high schools across the country. These programs introduce students to the trade, provide hands-on instruction and connect them with real-world career opportunities. But the success of these efforts depends on one critical factor: local engagement from flooring dealers, installation companies and employers. Without that, the programs can’t grow—or last.
Supporting FCEF doesn’t always mean writing a check—although financial support remains essential. But there’s another equally important way to make a difference: through relationships. Your voice, your time and your willingness to engage are powerful tools that cost nothing but mean everything.
The first thing we’re asking is simple: contact us and be part of the effort in your local community. Email me directly at kwhitener@fcef.org to connect with FCEF today. By sharing your contact information, you’ll enable us to reach out when new training programs launch in your area or when we need local support for upcoming grants.
These letters of support don’t require any financial commitment. They simply show that your business and the local flooring community recognize the need for quality training. By signing one, you help us demonstrate to funders that there is real industry demand and a long-term commitment to sustaining these programs.
FCEF is also here to help you connect with colleges and high schools offering flooring installation programs in your area. We want you—our dealers, installers and workrooms—to become visible representatives of the local flooring community. Your presence at these schools, whether as a guest speaker, mentor or employer partner, shows students the real opportunities available in flooring.
Relationships don’t cost money; they simply take time to respond, engage and show interest. Yet their value is immeasurable.
FCEF already has students successfully training in installation programs across the country. These students are eager to find their first employer—someone who will continue to guide their skill development as they begin their careers. We need dealers and installation companies willing to step up and offer that next level of opportunity.
And as we continue to expand our partnership with the SkillBridge Military Program, trained veterans transitioning into civilian life will soon be ready to enter the flooring industry.
You are an essential part of FCEF’s success. With your help, we can continue to move this mission forward. Let’s keep growing together, one
Kaye Whitener is executive director of the Floor Covering Education Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting recruitment, training and retention of floor covering installers. For more information, email kwhitener@fcef.org.
