PPG Donates Digital Refinish Tools to 15 Vocational Schools Across Europe

PPG has donated the PPG LINQ digital automotive refinish ecosystem to 15 vocational schools in over 10 countries during the last 15 months. This effort is part of the company’s $2 million commitment through 2025 to invest in workforce development initiatives aimed at addressing the skills shortage and attracting young talent to trade careers, including the automotive refinish industry.

“We understand the transformative power of innovation and digitalization in education,” said Jérôme Zamblera, PPG vice president, EMEA, Automotive Refinish. “The PPG LINQ ecosystem represents our vision for modernizing the car refinishing industry and inspiring young talent to build careers in this dynamic field. Our investments in schools, including further initiatives planned for next year, reflect our commitment to preparing the next generation for the exciting opportunities in the automotive sector.”

The donations enable more than 1,500 students to gain hands-on experience with digital tools, preparing them for modern automotive refinishing careers and tackling the industry’s growing skilled labor gap. They will help to address challenges outlined in the European Commission’s report on vocational education and training (VET)1 , such as limited access to modern equipment, funding constraints and gaps in work-based learning.

The PPG LINQ ecosystem connects, automates, and digitizes the entire refinish process. It enables painters to modernize the repair processes using its interconnected digital hardware, software, and innovative services. Tools include the PPG MOONWALK paint mixing system; PPG DIGIMATCH multi-angle color camera; PPG VISUALIZID 3D rendering software and PPG LINQ Color digital color identification software.

“We are proud to partner with PPG to bring advanced technology and expertise to our educational program,” said Daniel Krarup Jørgensen, automotive education manager at College360, a vocational school in Silkeborg, Denmark. “This partnership will give our students a unique opportunity to work with some of the most innovative tools on the market. We hope this will motivate more young people to choose a career in automotive refinishing and thereby mitigate the shortage of qualified professionals in the industry.”