from our members and learn more about them. During 2019, there will be two main initiatives to help with this. The first, which has a target launch for early 2019, will give the members an opportunity to show off the fantastic work they do. The second, which has a target launch for Q2 in 2019, will help us learn more about our members and allow us to create targeted mes- sages and programs based on the demographics of our membership. There will be a concentrated focus in 2019 on overhauling the TileLetter website at Tileletter.com. Starting in the first quarter, visitors will start to notice changes in the site. We plan to reorganize and refresh the site throughout the year to create a better experience for users and our supporters. We are intent on creating a site that will attract more views by year’s end. While we know our 2019 plan is very ambitious, we are confident that with the support of our board, committees and members, we will be able to reach all of our goals. Working together to solve the skilled labor shortage At the state of the tile industry panel discussion at Total Solutions Plus, one of the most important concerns that all sectors of our trade commented on was the seri- ous lack of skilled tile craftspeo- ple entering the market. Despite quality efforts to recruit capable and qualified individuals into the tile industry that have taken place at the grass roots level, everyone agreed that the industry needs to collectively work together in this arena. NTCA and other organiza- tions will look to play a leading role in helping to spark new ideas and in outlining strategies that will work. This was identified as a key NTCA strategic objective for 2019. In addition to needing new work- ers to enter the trade, NTCA leaders acknowledge an additional chal- lenge: the need for additional train- ing and education for the existing skilled workforce, to keep up with changing technology in manufactur- ing. In 2018, NTCA trainers began offering regional education for our At Total Solutions Plus, NTCA leaders pre- sented a 2018 Annual Report for its mem- bers, coupled with new initiatives for 2019. NTCA REVIEW/FORECAST –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 22 TileLetter | December 2018