b'TRAINING & EDUCATIONtoolsandstudentexpensesor even scholarships for at-risk stu-dents who cant afford it.How it started The idea for this program start-ed years ago with NTCA mem-berJimIsamingerofDMI Tile & Marble, Inc., in Birmingham, Ala.,whodevelopedaDOL-approvedapprenticeshippro-gramin1996. Throughapas-sionatecommitmentbyDan Welch of Welch Tile and MarbleApprenticeship training with The Oregon-inKentCity,Mich.,andstaffColumbia Tile Trades Training Trust. memberDaveRogers,along with NTCAs Becky Serbin, the programevolvedtoinclud-ing recorded learning modules thatfacilitatedoffsitelearn-ingonphonesanddevices. Otherindustrymembersand volunteers worked to revise the outlinesforthesetterprogram andwritecurriculum.Serbin, Welch,BettigaandDave Jackson,theDOLcontactfor the state of Michigan, advanced theproject,andSerbinswork of synthesizing all the informa-tion into a cogent program was highly praised by the DOL. How to put this to use in your businessNTCA members interested in putting an apprenticeship pro-gram in place can visit www.tile-assn.com/apprenticeship. Serbin will reach out to inter-ested contractors to discuss theWelch apprentices doing hands-on training.48 TileLetter | August 2019'