03.15.11
Whether for repairing damage to the finish, refinishing scratches or fulfilling customers’ needs for tuning jobs, professional bodyshops are in demand around the globe. Unfortunately, however, uniform quality standards are not yet in place everywhere. To close this gap, BASF Coatings is committed to high-quality training, particularly with its STAMPP training program. The company recently hosted an international conference for vocational school teachers for the first time at its Münster production site. Twenty-eight school principals and teachers travelled to the site from Sweden, Denmark, Norway, France, Austria, Germany and Russia. “It’s often hard for teachers to remain in touch with industry. At our conference, the teachers were able to communicate intensively with experts,” said Kevin McDermott, head of the Coatings Refinish Academy. The program, for example, included a lecture on the latest innovations in the branch. In addition, the participants learned about state-of-the-art multiwork places and went on a guided tour of BASF Coatings’ Color Design Studio Europe. STAMPP, which stands for “STimulate and revAMp the Paint Profession,” is a program designed to publicize the spraypainting profession and to encourage young people to choose this high-tech career path. BASF has a close cooperation with vocational schools and bodyshops. The company provides up-to-date and comprehensive learning materials for the one-year training program. STAMPP allows the trainees to specialize in the trade of automotive refinishing after they complete their basic technical training. The syllabus is based on European standards and it is adapted to the individual countries.
