UK Industrial Coatings Apprenticeship Launched

Apprenticeships provider Skills Training UK launched a new Industrial Coatings standard for the materials testing sector to tackle a growing industry demand. 

The Level 2 Industrial Coatings Applicator standard was developed by employers for coatings applicators involved with preparing the surface of new or existing steel structures and involved with applying the correct protection coatings.

Based in Wirral, Levy paying employer The Hankinson Group was a significant participant in the group that helped set the new Apprenticeship Standard and already enrolled four employees in the Industrial Coatings Applicator program.

“There is an urgent need to get apprentices into our sector to meet the demands of forthcoming infrastructure projects, particularly across road, construction, energy and other key STEM industries,” said Stephen Hankinson, group chairman of the Hankinson Group. “Having highly skilled Industrial painters available and delivering quality work helps reduce whole-life cost of assets and reduces risk due to asset failure.”

Partnering with industrial coatings specialists “Train the Painter,”  training modules will be delivered through a combination of on-site visits, classroom workshops and online learning modules.

Skills Training UK will offer employers guidance on Apprenticeship Levy funding and recruitment, while specialist trainer assessors will visit apprentices monthly to deliver functional skills and 1-2-1 support.