Highly skilled, conscientious installers are a central component to the quality end-to-end service delivery that Choices Flooring takes pride in offering its customers.
A growth in the number of new Choices Flooring store openings and an increase in organic sales from existing stores mean the ongoing need for more installation services.
Although we recognise that traditional models for training apprentices have served the industry well over the last few decades, we are not afraid to challenge conventional wisdoms when it becomes clear that these approaches are no longer hitting the mark.
Many store owners have told us that they see the looming skills shortage as a weak link in their business operation that urgently needs to be ‘future proofed’. But the training strategies currently on offer through TAFE based apprenticeship programs are not attracting the best candidates for the job, and the apprentices who do sign up are not always learning the right mix of skills to adapt to the latest industry developments.
The CTI is a specialist training provider for the floor covering industry offering the leading Apprenticeship Program for new flooring installers and advanced Master Class professional development opportunities for flooring installers, workplace trainers, sales consultants, and store owners.
The CTI currently offers a variety of programs and certifications including, Certificate III in Floor Covering Technology for apprentices and Certificate III in Interior Decoration for Retail Service.
Our innovative approach towards apprenticeship training is significantly different from the conventional models being used elsewhere in the flooring industry.
We have consulted widely and vastly with experience employers, manufacturers, and other industry experts to find out which areas of the more traditional approaches to apprenticeships are not living up to their expectations, and what we can do to improve the outcomes for all of the stakeholders.
Newfurn recognised that no matter how many tools or processes are in place, the success of any good training organisation comes down to the knowledge and expertise of the trainers themselves. As such, Newfurn has employed several well-respected and full-time industry-based trainers to head up their training and deliver their years of collective knowledge to students entering the Australian flooring industry.
Positioned across Australia, CTI’s qualified trainers have collectively over 100 years’ experience within the floor covering industry.
In recent years, the CTI unveiled their new state of the art inhouse training facility at their Newfurn Central Office in Melbourne.
The CTI Training Facility is a 160sqm internal house with four bedrooms, kitchen, dining, hallway, and lounge with an internal staircase. This facility allows apprentices to undertake intensive workshops with our trainer/assessors and industry specialists to cover the most important aspects of the apprenticeship program in a face-to-face environment.