College isn't for everyone. That's where the tile trade comes in. Have you considered it?
Have You Considered the Tile Trade Instead of College?
[fa icon="calendar'] Apr 7, 2020 8:30:00 AM / by CTEF Blog Team posted in About CTEF
Top 15 Tips for #BecomeaCTI Success
[fa icon="calendar'] Feb 11, 2020 8:30:00 AM / by CTEF Blog Team posted in About CTEF, Certified Tile Installer Program
What are your top tips for becoming a CTI?
The CTEF Certified Tile Installer program is regularly described as the toughest 25 square feet you'll ever have to tile. It's intense, but not impossible if you're prepared.
To that end, here are our 15 top tips for success, including advice from Mark Heinlein CTI #1112. We invite you to share yours and we'll add them to the list.
Add Your Mark to the Global Monumental Hand-Print Tile Industry Mural
[fa icon="calendar'] Nov 19, 2019 8:30:00 AM / by CTEF Blog Team posted in Insider, About CTEF
Are you familiar with the Global Monumental Hand-Print Tile Industry Mural Project?
It's a massively big project, conceived by the Tile Heritage Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to research and the preservation of ceramic surfaces. The mural honors all who participate in and contribute to the tile industry; it also supports Tile Heritage's vital tile industry archiving work.
Will you participate?
Have You Attended the Tile Industry's Total Solutions Plus (TSP)?
[fa icon="calendar'] Nov 5, 2019 8:30:00 AM / by CTEF Blog Team posted in About CTEF
Are you familiar with Total Solutions Plus (TSP)? It's a yearly event that brings together the ceramic tile industry to network and learn from one another. It's also a testament to the high level of collaboration that exists within the entire industry.
No wonder you see "Partners in Progress" prominently highlighted!
What About Tile Apprenticeships and Vocational Schools?
[fa icon="calendar'] Oct 22, 2019 9:45:00 AM / by Scott Carothers posted in About CTEF, Qualified Labor Series
Are you involved in apprenticeship programs, vocational and/or trade schools for tile installation help? If your answer is no, why not?
Let's discuss the present and future of tile and the need for Qualified Labor.
Passion for Certification on Tile Money: Interview with Heidi Cronin
[fa icon="calendar'] Oct 8, 2019 8:30:00 AM / by CTEF Blog Team posted in About CTEF, Certified Tile Installer Program
Are you familiar with Tile Money? Created by tile contractor Luke Miller, this podcast/YouTube channel is all about helping other tile contractors run a successful and profitable tile business:
"Tile Money is the source of business knowledge and advice for today’s Tile Contractor."
Why Scott Carothers Cares Intensely About Tile Installation Certification and Education
[fa icon="calendar'] Sep 10, 2019 9:00:00 AM / by CTEF Blog Team posted in About CTEF, Certified Tile Installer Program
If you've spent any time in the tile industry, care deeply about quality tile installation, and embrace installing tile according to industry standards, you will have heard of Scott Carothers, director of certification and training for the Ceramic Tile Education Foundation (CTEF).
And, if you follow the CTEF Blog, you’re surely familiar with the ‘Ask Scott’ article series.
However, if you're new to tile and just exploring tile installation certification, Scott is someone you will soon encounter and quickly appreciate for his deep knowledge, high standards and intense passion. Not to mention his firsthand involvement in certification, both for the Certified Tile Installer (CTI) program and the Advanced Certifications for Installers (ACT) program.
Remembering Steve Rausch, CTEF Advocate for Quality
[fa icon="calendar'] Jun 18, 2019 8:30:00 AM / by CTEF Blog Team posted in About CTEF
This article celebrates Steve Rausch, a passionate tile industry and CTEF advocate who never missed a moment to promote quality and Qualified Labor.
Steve passed away unexpectedly on June 8th, 2019. As you might imagine, all of us at CTEF will miss him.
The Top Tile Associations and Organizations
[fa icon="calendar'] Jun 11, 2019 10:00:00 AM / by CTEF Blog Team posted in About CTEF
Every industry has its associations. What makes the tile industry particularly remarkable is the level of collaboration that takes place between its associations and organizations. The Ceramic Tile Education Foundation (CTEF) is an example of that collaboration, working with all those in the industry who are passionate about quality tile installation.
To give you some perspective on those dynamics, we've put together this updated list detailing each tile industry association.
Meet Heidi Cronin, CTEF Industry Liaison and Promotions Director
[fa icon="calendar'] Jun 4, 2019 8:30:00 AM / by CTEF Blog Team posted in About CTEF
We have exciting news to share with you: there's a new member of the CTEF team! Her name is Heidi Cronin and she's been hired as CTEF Industry Liaison and Promotions Director.
This is a newly created role to support the next stage of evolution for CTEF. As Bart Bettiga Executive Director of the National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA) and member of the CTEF Board of Directors says,
"We are pleased to welcome Heidi to CTEF in this newly created position. Given her professional experience and passion for Qualified Labor, we are confident that she will be instrumental in supporting the growth of the Certified Tile Installer (CTI) program alongside Scott Carothers, Director of Certification and Training for CTEF, and shaping the tile and stone industry in the United States."
We caught up with Heidi to ask her a few questions.