Successful premiere of Paintwork@Europe in Münster – Modules for trainees to be in place in five European countries by 2011		12/18/2009

BASF Coatings and European vocational schools optimize spraypainter training

Münster. Improving training concepts for spraypainters and introducing professional training in all countries where these standards are not yet in place are the top priorities for both BASF Coatings and vocational schools from Europe, including the Adolph Kolping vocational school in Münster."Paintwork@Europe", a Leonardo Da Vinci Partnership project sponsored by the European Union, has just made a promising start.Future automotive spraypainters and process mechanics for coating technology from Denmark, Germany, Austria, Spain and Sweden and their teachers met at BASF Coatings and the Adolph Kolping vocational school.While the 13 trainees, men and women between the ages of 17 and 20, became acquainted with state-of-the-art application techniques, their teachers who had accompanied them discussed training, shared common ground and noted suggestions and ideas from other countries.The participants from Germany, Patrick Heitkötter, trainee at BASF Coatings, Fabian Kuhn (VW Knubel) and Pascal Cas (Lacktopp Warendorf), were on their home turf in Münster. 

“Paintwork@Europe” runs for a total of two years and consists of five modules. This means that all participants will meet four more times to complete the modules and hold discussions.The institution coordinating the project is the Adolph Kolping vocational school in Münster, with teacher Thomas Feist responsible for the project.Feist had already worked with teachers from the Foreningen af Auto- og Industrilakerere, Copenhagen, Denmark (Association of automotive and industrial paint shops in Denmark); the Silkeborg Tekniske Skole, Silkeborg, Denmark; the Landesberufsschule Bregenz 2 (state vocational school of Bregenz 2), Bregenz, Austria; the IEFPS MEKA GLHBI, Elgoibar, Spain; and the Nordisk Lackerarutbildning Haraldsbogymnasiet, Falun, Sweden, developing curricula for the future spraypainters.“The entire course consists of five modules.Each of the participating schools is responsible for a module on a specific topic. If possible, they work with partners from industry, other partners from vocational education and professional associations,” Feist explained.The course will continue in Sweden in May 2010. Next fall, it will take place in Spain and in the following winter it will be held in Austria.The final module is then scheduled to take place in Denmark in June 2011.As part of the first module, “State-of-the-Art Application Techniques,” the young trainees spraypainted vehicle bodies at BASF Coatings, receiving lots of valuable feedback and tips from Global Trainer Markus Schubert.Other practical training units included measuring and testing techniques, as well as film thickness measurement.A field trip to the Essen Motor Show, a guided tour of Münster and social events added a special touch to the premiere of Paintwork@Europe.Also on the agenda were an English course for spraypainters as well as a written exam covering all the material that had been taught.

For Kevin McDermott, head of the Coatings Refinish Academy, “Paintwork@Europe” fits in very well with the STAMPP training concept developed by BASF Coatings and complements the efforts to upgrade spraypainter training.STAMPP, which stands for “STimulate and revAMp the Paint Profession,”is a one-year training program carried out in close cooperation with vocational schools and paint shops.“A high level of training considerably improves the trainees’ job prospects,” McDermott said.“Also, with STAMPP, we are creating the foundation to ensure that our customers all over the world will have qualified spraypainters at their disposal," he added.

The results of “Paintwork@Europe” are published on the project website at www.lackskolan.se. The site is available in English and Swedish.It also features a blog written by the trainees in which they report on their experiences.The blog also clearly shows thatparticipating in this European project is an absolute highlight of their training.In addition to the vast know-how they acquire, they will also take the experience they have gained in a European project with trainees their age from other European countries into their professional life. These are all important factors for success in their future careers.