In the face of an ongoing trade war and a historically tight labor market, furniture makers in America are up against a unique challenge — finding skilled workers to keep up with demand.

Interest in certain products, like upholstered sofas and armchairs, made in the U.S. is on the rise, but the number of workers with the skills and experience needed to meet increased demand seems out of reach.

In January 2000, more than 670,000 workers were employed in furniture manufacturing but that plummeted to just 360,000 in 2010. Numbers have risen slightly in recent years, however, hovering closer to the 400,000-employee mark.

In North Carolina, furniture companies have turned to the Catawba Valley Furniture Academy in Hickory. Catawba Valley Community College had a furniture manufacturing course for 40 years, but as graduates struggled to find work upon completing the program and the curriculum failed to keep up with changing technology, its relevancy waned. To help bring it back to life, the college teamed up with five local furniture makers in the area — founding partners are Century Furniture, Lee Industries, Lexington Home Brands, Sherrill Furniture and Vanguard Furniture.

Students like Casey Pennington study for up to nine months at the academy and then are guaranteed a job at one of the participating companies. Pennington's husband is an instructor at the academy and a fifth-generation furniture maker.

"There's definitely an art to it," Pennington, 27, said. "It's not something you can just sit down and know how to do."

Beyond that, the pay available can reach up to $30 an hour for those with experience, offering a life-changing raise for students.