St. Louis, MO, Feb. 25--Professional installers of resilient flooring will have more opportunities to earn a Forbo Associate Mechanic certification, thanks to a partnership that Forbo Linoleum, Inc. recently entered into with the International Standards and Training Alliance (INSTALL).
INSTALL instructors, spread among 25 training centers across North America, will begin linking Forbo's Associate Mechanic curriculum with INSTALL skill blocks. With this new partnership, apprentices who successfully complete the INSTALL four year training will also earn certification as Forbo Associate Mechanics. And, existing floorlayers will be able to earn the designation through journeyman upgrade courses.
"INSTALL's goals and Forbo's goals mirror one another," said Frank Wiggins, manager of technical services for Forbo Linoleum. "We both seek to raise the level of installation, and we both believe training is the key."
INSTALL is the most comprehensive, multi-year floorcovering installation training program in North America. Before an INSTALL instructor can teach the Forbo Associate Mechanic program, he or she must earn a Master Mechanic certification. Wiggins and other Forbo officials recently trained, tested and certified the first group of INSTALL instructors at the UBC's International Training Center. INSTALL instructors in Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, St. Louis and Tulsa will now begin to teach the Forbo Associate Mechanic program, and Forbo plans to continue training and certifying INSTALL instructors throughout 2004.
"This is by no means a rubber stamp. The training is tough," said Jim Schmid, international director of INSTALL. "Because of the level of skill needed and the quality of materials being used, it's necessary to really prove your skills and gain an in-depth knowledge of Forbo materials."
Both Wiggins and Schmid agree that the benefits to the partnership are many: installers are trained to an exact standard, and acquire highly sought-after skills; contractors can bid on more jobs because more Forbo-certified professionals will be available; dealers will improve profitability and see more customer satisfaction due to fewer callbacks; Forbo will have its products installed by properly trained mechanics, resulting in fewer claims.
Specifiers, especially, will realize the importance of this program, the two men noted. First, stipulating that Forbo-certified mechanics must be used ensures that the flooring design envisioned is the flooring design realized. Also, certified mechanics will be better prepared to resolve job site issues.
"A product is only as good as it is installed," Wiggins added. "INSTALL has the network to get more people trained, and we have the demand for more certified professionals. It's a natural partnership that will produce tangible results."
INSTALL's curriculum is based on constant evaluation and counsel from technical and educational representatives from major mills and manufacturers, such as Forbo. The labor departments of the United States and Canada certify INSTALL's standards. Visit www.installfloors.org for more information. For more information about Forbo Linoleum, Inc., visit the Forbo website at www.forbo.com.
