At Coverings 2001, Fleming became acquainted with NTCA, hun- gering for “as much of the free educa- tion I could fit in,” he said. “I started to learn how much I didn’t know, even though I had already been in the trade for over 20 years. However, the things I learned helped me to manage the jobs I was in charge of, and provide the best explanation as to why things needed to be handled according to industry standards.” Fleming started looking into becoming a NTCA trainer a few years ago to help others avoid some of the mistakes he’s made along the way and to share some of his experiences in the tile trade. “I also get to learn from others’ experiences and meet some real- ly interesting people, like my fel- low trainers Robb Roderick, Mark Heinlein, and Ceramic Tile Education Foundation’s (CTEF) Scott Carothers,” he said, expressing some surprise at how much work being a train- er actually is. “Robb and Mark made it look easy before I began but then...BAIT AND SWITCH!!” he joked. The importance of certification Fleming yearned to get his Certified Tile Installer (CTI) credentials from the CTEF, but it turned out his four- year union apprenticeship – com- pleted in 1986 – made him ineligible (it’s recognized as an equivalent to the CTI certificate). “But in Northern California, there are many who have completed the apprenticeship programs as well, and I wanted to be able to stand out as someone who could differentiate myself from others who haven’t tried to keep up with changing installation requirements,” he said. “I wanted to be the best trained installer working TRAINING & EDUCATION –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 54 TileLetter | June 2019