Training in industrial painting technology

Industrial painting technology is a fascinating and versatile field of work that plays an important role in today's industry. Training in a paint store offers young people the opportunity to work in this field and develop their technical skills.

From the automotive to the furniture industry, high-quality coatings are needed to make products aesthetically pleasing and protect them from external influences. Contract coaters and in-house paint stores therefore need qualified employees who understand the interrelationships and are able to operate technical equipment.

The optimum concept for companies is the dual training of process mechanics for coating technology in their own company. Training in industrial coating technology usually lasts three years and is carried out on a dual basis, meaning that theoretical instruction at vocational school is combined with practical work at the training company. During the training, the prospective specialists learn various techniques and processes for professionally processing and painting surfaces.

In 1999, the occupational profile replaced the industrial painter occupation, which had been in place for over 60 years. The current contents of the training framework are still up-to-date and allow flexible application for small, medium and large companies that want to train their own skilled workers. Especially in this day and age, every coating company should enter the dual training system and train its own skilled workers. The advantages are obvious. Once the training organization is in place, it will benefit the company for years to come. Young people are introduced to an interesting profession, are tied to the training company and the company's own skilled workers save resources.

Even for established employees without a vocational qualification and career changers, there are many opportunities to catch up on an IHK vocational qualification. At the same time, the qualification-oriented qualification of employees with cost absorption by the employment agency is largely unknown. On the basis of the Qualification Opportunities Act, employees who have worked in coating technology for at least 3 years and do not have a vocational qualification can catch up on their IHK qualification as a process mechanic for coating technology.

Over a period of 13.5 months, participants will spend about 30 percent of the time in theory classes, while the rest of the time will be spent working in the company and taking practical lessons. In September 2023, arvaport Dienstleistungsgeselschaft mbH as the training provider and Markus Vüllers as the specialist instructor will launch a qualification measure for participants of contract and in-house coaters. The specialist theoretical instruction for these Germany-wide measures will take place at a temporary training location in East Westphalia.

Passing the final IHK examination as a process mechanic for coating technology does not necessarily mean the end of the professional qualification. The career prospects for process mechanics for coating technology through further qualification are optimal. At various technical colleges in Germany, there is the possibility of a follow-up qualification to become a coatings technician. After obtaining the advanced technical college entrance qualification, it is also possible to study to become a coatings engineer. Irrespective of qualification measures associated with a final examination, the training courses offered by coatings and plant manufacturers, institutes and specialist organizations should also be used.

After successfully completing their training, specialists in industrial coating technology have a wide range of career prospects. They can work in various sectors, such as the automotive and vehicle industry, the furniture industry, mechanical and plant engineering or plastics processing. There they take on responsible tasks in the preparation and post-processing of painting work, quality assurance or even in the area of product development.

The industry is always looking for qualified specialists in painting technology, so the job prospects for trained coating professionals are generally very good. In addition, there is the opportunity to develop professionally through further training and specialization and, for example, to advance to management positions as a master craftsman or technician.

Training in industrial coating technology thus offers exciting and future-proof career prospects. With sound specialist knowledge, craftsmanship and creativity, skilled workers can successfully gain a foothold in a diverse industry and make an important contribution to the design and surface finishing of products. (OM-06/23)