students to reps, build rela- tionships, and help reinforce good methods and best practices.” He explained that every manufacturer who wants to be involved will have a balanced presence within the program, with- out any one manufacturer dominating. So far, ARDEX, Daltile, LATICRETE, MAPEI, and Schluter are on board. The hands-on portion of the training will take place at The Cronin Company, headquartered in Portland. “Heidi Cronin is allowing us to use a classroom and space in the warehouse for hands-on mockups,” Parker said. Plus, an arrange- ment between The Cronin Company and Daltile will allow students to buy hand tools at cost while in the program. Students will also be responsible for building the mod- ules - “thin bed, mortar bed, epoxy installations, depending on what we are teaching,” Parker explained. The schedule The program will start in 2018. “We currently have state approv- al for the program, and we will be updating the new classes to reflect current methods and prod- ucts from some of the meth- ods we’d used from the 2003 NTCA curriculum,” Parker said. Examples of changes include dropping the hands-on demo for mastic over wood assembly to including updated methods, such as an uncoupling assembly, he added. “This will need to be addressed and approved at the state Apprenticeship Board,” he said, suggesting folks call him with questions at 503-708-1737. Students are recruited via out- reach ongoing at job fairs, high schools and Women in Construction. To date 17 students – including a couple of women – have signed up for the program. Onceacandidatehasbeenfound, co-op members aka “Training TRAINING & EDUCATION ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– These folks helped to craft and will participate in the training trust that will start in earnest in September: (L to R) – Jason McDaniel, Stoneman Construction LLC; Heidi Cronin of The Cronin Company, who is allowing the trust to use a classroom and warehouse space for mockups; and Hawthorne Tile’s Shon Parker and Ryan Willoughby. 66 TileLetter | July 2018