The British Coatings Federation (BCF) officially launches its new five-year plan for careers outreach, working alongside BCF member companies, to raise visibility and perception of the UK coatings industry as an attractive and diverse career pathway for the next generation of talent.

The “Coat Your Future” campaign was unveiled at BCF’s 2025 Annual Conference, which took place on June 5 in Kenilworth.

Like many parallel manufacturing industries, the coatings industry faces growing skills and recruitment challenges, combined with an aging workforce and key skills gaps on the horizon. A major BCF survey in 2024 highlighted that 56% of coatings employers struggle to find candidates with relevant industry knowledge.

There is low public awareness of the sector, especially among young people and career changers, with 88% of employers citing a lack of sector visibility as a major recruitment barrier.

To begin addressing this challenge, the BCF has enlisted the support of its members via the BCF’s Coatings NextGen Council (CNGC), which was formed in April 2024. The CNGC, under the guidance of Leah Elvin, BCF’s careers coordinator, has led BCF’s work on careers outreach, mentoring, digital content creation, and helping to guide BCF’s careers strategy from a younger person’s perspective.

From the autumn of 2025, with the help of the Coatings NextGen Council, BCF members will roll out the “Coat Your Future” campaign at careers fairs, exhibitions and interactive sessions in order to establish industry presence when students are at crucial decision points for their futures.

The BCF launched its Coatings Careers Hub in 2019 and has been continuously developed with more content, including apprenticeship routes, job listings, and sector insights. The BCF are also working on video content and case studies that spotlight real people working in the industry.

The BCF will also be supporting members in creating links with local schools and colleges, helping them become champions of the industry at a local level.

Helen Anderton, finance director at INX International UK, and Andrew Roser, national sector lead at Dulux Decorator Centre (AkzoNobel), and current co-chairs of the Coatings NextGen Council, presented the strategy launch to delegates at the BCF Annual Conference.

“Our industry faces a variety of challenges,” Roser said. “From an aging workforce, difficulty attracting diverse talent and insufficient graduate recruitment. However, the coatings industry is full of passionate experts whose involvement with the CNGC and BCF can help combat these challenges head-on.

“As co-chair of the CNGC, I’m excited to see us move the dial,” Roser added. “We already have plans locked in to attend more outreach events than ever before, release engaging video content and case studies relevant to those starting out in their careers, launch a refreshed look for the Coatings Careers Hub, and bring the new ‘Coat Your Future’ campaign to campuses across the UK.”