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HIGH POINT - At the launch of a program to attract new furniture workers Wednesday, Bill Stange of Baker Furniture laid the problem plain and simple.

"A lot of people aren't interested in a career in furniture anymore," he said. "They're scared."For generations it was the workers who made High Point "Furniture City" - a world destination for design and craftsmanship. But as manufacturing continues to move overseas and the last generation of skilled furniture workers reaches retirement age, few young people seem ready to join the industry.

The shortage of new workers has led to CRAFT - Combining Resources for Advancement of the Furniture Trade. The program is a partnership between furniture companies, the city and Guilford Technical Community College that seeks to train the next generation of furniture workers and reignite enthusiasm for an industry in decline.

At the program's launch on Wednesday, industry leaders called the program unprecedented.

"Most of the time in the furniture industry we've all been at odds," Stange said. "We've never really had a united front like this before."

But Stange said the shortage of qualified applicants had gotten so bad that companies couldn't fill their vacancies even by head-hunting each others' employees.

"This is the furniture capital of the world, and we need that competitive edge," Stange said. "We can only have that if we have a skilled workforce. And a lot of people aren't interested in a career in furniture anymore - they're scared."

Stange said CRAFT's industry partners want young people to get the message that there are still good careers in the industry - especially in sewing and upholstery.

Toward that end GTCC is offering a pilot program in upholstery and sewing training. Funding for the program comes from a federal grant through the Piedmont Triad Partnership with contributions from the Guilford Workforce Development Board , GTCC and High Point furniture manufacturers like Baker, Brayton International , KI and High Point Furniture Industries Inc.

Those interested can apply online - 18 trainees will be selected for the courses, which will begin in January at the school's High Point campus. They'll work on actual furniture pieces, about 600 of which will be sold to the public to help support the program. After they've mastered the necessary skills, the program will help place them with a local furniture company. It's estimated that graduates will start at $11-$15 an hour, plus benefits. Applications for the CRAFT program can be found at www.triadjoblink.com.

Contact Joe Killian at 883-4422, Ext. 228, or joe.killian@news-record.com