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HIGH POINT — At the launch of a program Wednesday to attract new furniture workers, Bill Stange of Baker Furniture laid out the problem plainly and simply.

“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 the “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.

Industry leaders call 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 other’s 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 work force.”

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 such as Baker, Brayton International, KI and High Point Furniture Industries.

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 the workers with a local furniture company. It’s estimated that graduates will start at $11 to $15 an hour, plus benefits.

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