National Clotheslne

A full regimen of training programs for cleaners will be offered in 2003 by the International Fabricare Institute, including two sessions of the comprehensive “Introduction to Drycleaning” course that will be taught in Korean for the first time.

The one-week course, which is taught at IFI’s accredited training facility in Silver Spring, MD, is designed to help individuals new to the industry, as well as employers and managers with less than one-year experience.

Class dates for 2003 include: April 28 - May 2; July 14-18; and October 20-24. The one-week course will be taught in Korean from April 7-11 and from August 25-29.

Cost is $450 for members and $695 for non-members.

IFI also offers the two-week Advanced Drycleaning course that is suited for employees or owner/managers with more than one year of production experience.

Upcoming course dates for 2003 include: May 5-16; July 21 - August 1; and October 27 - November 7.

Cost is $900 for IFI members and $1,390 for non-members.

Outreach seminars

In addition to offering its resident courses in Silver Spring, IFI will host several outreach seminars throughout the U.S. that cover a variety of topics.

Several seminars on the subject of stain removal are set to take place at the following dates and cities: March 8-9 in Lubbock, TX; March 22 in Pensacola, FL; April 5 in Lafayette, LA; July 12 in Little Rock, AR; Aug. 30 in Greenville, SC; and Oct. 11 in Albuquerque, NM.

IFI will also present “Customer Service/Problem Garment” seminars on May 10 in Witchita, KA; June 14 in Jackson, MS; and Sept. 20 in Oklahoma City, OK.

Rounding out the outreach offerings will be two seminars on the topic of finishing. The first will take place on March 15 in Milwaukee, WI; the second will be in Birmingham, AL on June 7.

For more information on IFI’s educational schedule for 2003, call (800) 638-2627, ext. 122 or visit the association online at www.ifi.org. The web site also has information on many scholarships available to help cover the cost of tuition.