Expert labor challenges proceed for the wooden flooring {industry}. Greater than 60 p.c of respondents to the Nationwide Wooden Flooring Affiliation (NWFA) and Hardwood Flooring journal’s 2024 Trade Outlook survey acknowledged that filling important positions stays tough, notably to find certified installers. One of many methods NWFA members recommended mitigating the issue is thru apprenticeships and elevated coaching in highschool and group faculties.

Enter Carlos Mongalo as somebody actively arising with options. He’s this system director for the Nationwide Flooring Contractors Apprenticeship Program (NFCAP), headquartered in Miami, Florida. We first launched you to Mongalo on Hardwood Flooring’ 2021 “40 Below 40” listing, and rather a lot has occurred together with his group since that point.

NFCAP is an industry-recognized apprenticeship program registered with america Division of Labor. The purpose is to set a regular and practice a brand new era of flooring tradespeople to turn into professionally licensed. They companion with Job Corps, which presents free schooling and vocational coaching to youth ages 16 to 24, in addition to related organizations.

“We attempt to discover college students already in building trades and do a presentation concerning the flooring {industry} to allow them to know there’s a chance,” explains Mongalo. “The ones undergo a six- to eight-week pre-apprenticeship to get a really feel for it and see if it’s one thing they need as a profession path. For many who commit, we search for native contractors out there who’ve a wholesome firm the place a pupil can develop and sometime turn into a supervisor. We place them in these corporations, and so they begin their apprenticeship.”

Apprentices then obtain coaching from associations similar to NWFA, the Worldwide Licensed Flooring Installers Affiliation (CFI), the Nationwide Tile Contractors Affiliation (NTCA), and others all through their apprenticeship interval.

NFCAP is an industry-recognized apprenticeship program registered with america Division of Labor. The purpose is to set a regular and practice a brand new era of flooring tradespeople to turn into professionally licensed.

“The scholars within the wooden flooring {industry} are positioned with contractors NWFA recommends to us which have an apprenticeship program. We assist them get to certification and present them that NWFA is the way in which to be taught the entire greatest strategies,” says Mongalo.

NFCAP now has three coaching facilities situated in San Marcos, Texas; McKinney, Texas; and Treasure Island close to San Franciso, California. These services embrace school rooms, coaching stations, and tools. Mongalo says native producer representatives go to to share how they bought into the {industry} and to coach college students on their merchandise and tools. He hopes to open two extra coaching facilities in 2024.

The mission is private. Mongalo is a second-generation flooring contractor and laughs as he remembers driving on his dad’s buffer throughout flooring when he was 5 years outdated. After receiving his bachelor’s diploma in enterprise and an MBA, he began a flooring firm. He says he made good cash, making it doable to speculate, develop, and dream. Nonetheless, he remembered it was exhausting to get began, and it was on his coronary heart to assist others discover a profession path as flooring contractors – not solely to fill the labor wants, but in addition to convey variety to the commerce and the chance to interrupt the cycles some youth could face.

“I see this extra as ministry than enterprise for me. They reside in a sure atmosphere, and possibly they’re caught in it, however you at all times discover those that need to prosper. They need extra in life, and people are the people we’re looking for. We’ll discover the sources for them to succeed,” says Mongalo. “You possibly can take the horse to water, however can’t make them drink. So, being there for the one that wishes to drink the water is what we do. We’re prepared to assist and save as many lives as doable.”

To be taught extra about NFCAP, name 888.225.6233 or go to NFCAP.ORG.