CTEF Publishes Certification and Training Schedule for 2018

Ceramic Tile Education Foundation Publishes Its 2018 Certification, Training Schedule

The Ceramic Tile Education Foundation (CTEF), which provides education and installer certification for professionals working in the ceramic tile and stone industry, has published its 2018 schedule for certification and training.

The schedule includes Certified Tile Installer (CTI) hands-on testing as well as three intense, hands-on tile installation training courses held at CTEF’s Pendleton, SC training facility:

  • Understanding & Installing Ceramic Tile (basic training)
    • February 19 -23
    • August 6 -10
    • November 5 – 9
  • Mortar Shower Base & Waterproofing
    • February 23 – 24
    • August 10 – 11
    • November 9 – 10
  • Ceramic Tile Inspection on August 21 –23

For 2018, the CTI testing program has been vastly expanded through the Regional Evaluator program with tests taking place around the United States in addition to those held in Pendleton, SC. New test locations and dates are regularly added which means that the CTEF website is the best location for up to the minute information.

“We are very grateful to our tile industry partners and test location hosts for supporting the expansion of the CTI program,“ says Scott Carothers, director of training and education for CTEF.  Everyone in the tile industry agrees that the pool of talented and certified installers needs to increase dramatically to handle the amount of new work on the horizon. Working with our team of partners and hosts, we are getting that accomplished.”

2018 hosts include the following organizations:

  • CTEF, Pendleton, SC
  • Emser Tile, LaVista, NE
  • Collins Tile & Stone, Ashburn, VA
  • Daltile, San Antonio, TX
  • Schluter Systems, McCarren, NV
  • The Masonry Center, Boise, ID
  • The Tile Shop, Haltom, TX
  • The Tile Shop, Schererville, IN
  • The Tile Shop, West Allis, WI
  • The Tile Shop, Indianapolis, IN
  • Virginia Tile (formerly ISC Surfaces), Kansas City, KS

The Certified Tile Installer Program

The CTEF Certified Tile Installer (CTI) program is the only third-party assessment of installer skill and knowledge which is recognized by the tile industry. It offers homeowners peace-of-mind that their tile installer has the right skills to complete a successful tile installation.

The CTI designation identifies the professional installer who has reached a level of proficiency to independently and consistently produce a sound tile installation that displays good workmanship. Certification is the validation of the skills and knowledge of the men and women who presently are installing tile successfully in the United States.

To qualify for the CTI Program, installers must have at least two years of experience as the lead installer setting ceramic tile on a full-time basis. This means having full responsibility for substrate prep, layout, coordinating with other trades along with properly installing underlayment, tile, grout and sealant materials.

“The CTI program is strictly a test of the installer’s skills and knowledge; it offers no instructional classes,” says Carothers.  “However, many installers who have completed the CTI tests say that studying the written materials was very valuable and assisted in the completion of the hands-on test and that the CTI Manual provided the correct methods for tile installation which may not have been the way they installed tile in the past.”

The CTI program includes two separate tests.

  • The first is an online open-book exam which is taken at home or the office as the installer’s schedule allows.
  • The second is a hands-on test which is conducted at regional locations across the United States. The hands-on portion of the test begins at 7:09 am and must be completed by 4:00 pm. Installers should arrive at 6:30 am in order to get their tools set up and be ready to start the test at 7:09 am.

The Ceramic Tile Education Foundation (CTEF) which sponsors the CTI program is supported by all segments of the ceramic tile industry. CTEF is headquartered in Pendleton, South Carolina, near Clemson University and near the offices of the Tile Council of North America (TCNA).

Register for events here, select the test date of your choice, make your payment, and you will receive study materials.

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