FCEF Tracker | Is the FCEF a Bust? Episode 3

Robert Alexander: And I can tell you this, the FCEF truly has to get this down. I would not put $5 towards any program that couldn’t answer these simple questions that we're asking here today. 

Jared King: So, with the FCEF program what, I mean, how can they compete with say, even the airline industry.

Robert Alexander: It’s competitive. And we're all competing for the same pool, right? That pool is only so big. You're only going to get so many new installers that are also eyeballing another industry. So you better be on your game. You better be on your game.  And I can tell you this, the FCEF truly has to get this down, because the question is that we're going to have a semi-truck move around the country to meet new installers, it's just not enough. Think about it. They're going to pull up into Pittsburgh, and they're going to say, here we are, come and take our class, and we're going to give you $2,000 for a $4,000 program, and we want you to put up $1,000. That's not enticing. Think about when you're young. And you want to go, you have all these other influences; if you have your parents, talking over your back, of steering you into these other industries they want you in. The flooring industry has to have their answers and questions in a row. We don't know about recruitment. We don't know the full specs about them being placed. And we don't even know how much money is going to be put for marketing. And how that marketing is being done.  There are so many more questions here. You know what you need? You actually need to put the business together first.

Jared King: Right.

Robert Alexander: Then you start going after the money. Because I would not put $5 towards any program that couldn’t answer these simple questions that we're asking here today. There's no reason why I should be asking all these questions. 

Jared King: What technology is the FCEF going to provide for these new recruits? 

Robert Alexander: I don't know if you call a semi-truck that's mobile to your city, technology. The incentives have to be high. We have many obstacles in this industry to bring in new talent. It's hard work, right? It's long backbreaking work. And if they do a little bit of research, they're going to find out that the economy reflects our industry. 

Voiceover: How does Robert know? He's making time by spending his late nights and early morning in the office to hold meetings and work in building the FCEF model, which includes hiring an independent business analyst.

Vincent Larouche: I found that there is no sustainable outcome for the FCEF to remain solvent as well as resolving the installer crisis. 

Robert Alexander: Look, the Blackstone Group gave us information about installers. And it's how we interpret the information that comes to us with the solutions that make us successful. What I'm saying is that the solutions of the semi-truck from the FCEF to answer the report stated problems is a bad interpretation of that information. What do you do with that information? You leverage it. You solve recruiting and the long learning curve together. You create technology that builds personal experiences. And in doing so, confidence for installers. You do this through innovation, and you let the recruiting from the installers do what they always have. 

Voiceover: New technology is what BuildMyWay has been researching for over the past six years, creating what is termed their proof of concept. BuildMyWay’s focus are installers and a number of digital tools they believe personalizes and enhances installers knowledge on and off the job site. Remember that long learning curve Robert spoke on? He believes they can increase installer knowledge by 10% through the integrations of industry information into systems that can touch every installation performed in the country. Not only does he think this makes installers smarter, but it helps them progress as professionals. 

Jared King: So Robert, do you think that technology really is the best way for recruiting installers and through their professional journey? 

Robert Alexander: Well, let me be clear. I would say that the FCEF has to be successful in any way to bring in new installers so that we can take care of in using our technology that will benefit that installer throughout his professional career.