Swedish know-how for young spraypainters

Professional spraypainter training has come to Scandinavia. STAMPP, the training concept developed by BASF Coatings, has now been successfully launched in Sweden. In cooperation with paint school Haraldbogymnasiet Lackutbildningen in the Swedish city of Falun, BASF is offering professional training for young people to become spraypainters. Sweden is already the fourth country in which STAMPP is being implemented, after Russia, Denmark and China.

BASF is using uniform quality standards, close cooperation with vocational schools and special seminars to set new standards for up-and-coming spraypainters as part of its STAMPP training initiative. In Falun, interested young people are now receiving professional training for the refinish area. The paint school in Falun is also a member of the Paintwork@Europe consortium, which includes five vocational schools from Germany, Sweden, Spain, Austria and Denmark. The future spraypainters are introduced to the different spraypainting methods used in the various countries. This qualifies them for jobs in European countries outside their own country and boosts their job prospects.

International cooperation

There is a huge need for qualified spraypainters. The demand for professionally repaired vehicles is rising. In markets such as China and South America in particular but also within Europe, companies are scouting for qualified experts. However, in many cases there are no uniform standards for vocational training. This has now changed with the STAMPP training concept developed by BASF. "Our goal is to introduce professional spraypainter training throughout the world. We have already made a great deal of progress in China and Russia. We are happy that we have now been able to make the refinish sector more attractive for young people in Sweden too," said Kevin McDermott, Manager of the Coatings Refinish Academy.

STAMPP stands for "Stimulate and revAMp the Paint Profession" and involves a one-year training program carried out in close cooperation with vocational schools and bodyshops. Following the basic technical training, STAMPP offers the trainees the opportunity to specialize in the automotive refinishing trade. BASF provides vocational schools and bodyshops with extensive training materials that coordinate the subject matter in theory and practice. However, the curriculum based on European standards can be adjusted to the special aspects of the individual countries and regions.

The vocational schools and bodyshops are obligated to comply with the specified training objectives. As a result, everyone involved ultimately benefits from the project. "Thanks to the high level of the training, the job prospects for the trainees in Sweden are considerably improved," McDermott explained. "Also, with STAMPP, we are creating the foundation to ensure that our customers all over the world will have qualified spraypainters at their disposal."

BASF Coatings' training initiative is implemented internationally. Other countries are scheduled to join Sweden, Denmark, Russia and China in the future.