FCEF Kicks Off 100 in 100 Installer Training Scholarship Promotion

Dalton, GA, November 14, 2023-Through a new promotion named "100 in 100," the Floor Covering Education Foundation (FCEF) will offer scholarships to cover the full cost of tuition for installation training to 100 individuals in 100 days. Traditionally, it has covered 50%.

The promotion kicks off on December 1 and runs through March 10, 2024.

To be eligible for the scholarship, individuals must be new to the industry or have worked as an installation helper for less than a year. As with all scholarships awarded by FCEF, this applies to tuition for beginning and intermediate classes from FCEF-approved training partners, including CFI (Certified Flooring Installers), NWFA (National Wood Flooring Association), CTEF (Ceramic Tile Education Foundation), and AFT (Advanced Flooring Technologies). Traditionally, FCEF scholarships have covered 50% of the tuition cost for training courses. However, during this promotional period, FCEF will provide scholarships for the entire tuition fee.

Additionally, FCEF has worked to create a Best Practices Guide to assist retailers in bringing approved training partner programs to their local communities. The impetus for the new scholarship initiative was a training spearheaded last summer by FCEF board member Deb DeGraaf, who ended up covering the remaining tuition fees for several of the students. The experience also illustrated the importance of having local training, both for reaching the intended scholarship pool and them being able to attend the training, says FCEF executive director Jim Aaron. Since “the magic of all this is local,” according to Aaron, the organization has put together a robust guide with resources to help local retailers initiate trainings in their area. This guide was created following the insights gained from assisting DeGraff Interiors in hosting and sponsoring a five-week carpet training with CFI in the summer of 2023

The training classes available for scholarships are located on the FCEF's "Recruit Forward" website, flooryourfuture.com.