Larry Canby, a UBC floor covering instructor from Elk Grove Village, Ill.


On Oct. 30, some of North America's top mills and manufacturers sent their technical and education specialists to Las Vegas, to make sure that International Standards and Training Alliance (INSTALL ) curriculum reflects the needs of today's marketplace.

The symposium took place at the United Brotherhood of Carpenters (UBC) International Training Center, where experts spent the day reviewing, revising and refining the training curriculum. INSTALL is the floor covering arm of the UBC.

At the end of the day, several concepts were adopted, and many suggestions for change were made, including additional focus in apprenticeship training regarding the moisture content of hardwood floors, increasing the standards for demonstrating mastery during hands-on carpet projects, and adding more specific skill training on subfloors and adhesives for resilients.