INSTALL floor covering professionals from the Southeast
Wisconsin and Chicago area recently volunteered their time to help a local job
training program upgrade their facility. INSTALL veterans and apprentices
teamed to refinish the hardwood floors at the First Choice Pre-Apprenticeship
Training Center in Racine, WI.
First
Choice provides socially and financially disadvantaged community members with
training for construction careers and jobs within the city of Racine. The
organization’s mission is “to provide individuals with barriers to employment,
the opportunity to achieve goals of employment and independence at a family
sustaining wage.”
The project was led by flooring instructor
Mark Olsen, with assistance from Blake Stevens Wood Flooring Inc.’s Trent
Smith. INSTALL flooring professionals removed the existing finish, then sanded,
stained, and resurfaced the hardwood floors. Blake Stevens Wood Flooring Inc.
provided the Bona Kemi sanders, dust extraction equipment and floor finishing
materials.
“This project gave us the chance to give back to the community, while at the same time giving our apprentices valuable experience in hands-on training in a controlled environment,” Olsen said.
For more information about INSTALL, visit www.INSTALLfloors.org.
