After an exciting competition, the world champions in the “Car Painting” category have been determined at WorldSkills Kazan 2019.
More than 1,300 competitors from 63 countries and regions competed in the world championship of skills, and the most prestigious international vocational skills competition. The gold medal was clinched by Ting-Yu Yang, a young woman from Taipei, China, who proved to be the best among 27 young spray painters. The silver medal was awarded to Conor McKevitt from the United Kingdom, with the bronze medal going to Maxine Colligan from Australia.
All of the young painters at the WorldSkills Competition used refinishing products and color-matching tools exclusively from Glasurit, BASF’s premium refinish brand. By reducing waste, reusing materials and selecting the right products, such as rapid-drying Glasurit UV Primer Filler gray, the young spray painters were able to combine ecological awareness and economic success – and took home important input for their everyday work.
In addition, they were trained via the Glasurit Know-how online training platform. Training videos provided step-by-step instructions for using the products and setting up efficient processes. Prior to the competition, the participants were trained on how to use Glasurit products and their own acumen to work sustainably throughout the competition.
Sustainable Practice Award
Since 1950, the WorldSkills Competition has aimed to motivate young people worldwide to take up a trade or technical profession. By sponsoring this initiative since 2017, the Automotive Refinish business unit of BASF’s Coatings division supports and inspires young talents. National and regional preliminary competitions narrow the field to only the best of their trade, as contestants qualify for the finals of the biennial world championships.
For the second time, WorldSkills announced the Sustainable Practice Award to promote and develop a sustainable mindset in different professions. Competitors must complete the test projects in the most efficient way in terms of saving materials, water and energy. The Sustainable Practice Award was launched at the 2017 WorldSkills Competition in Abu Dhabi. This year, bronze medal winner Colligan also convinced the jury with her sustainable working practices during automotive refinishing. She came in second in the Sustainable Practice Awards after Kam Hung Li from Hong Kong, China (first place) and before Anthony Bourgeade from France (third place).
Young Professionals Stand for a Sustainable Future
“At BASF, sustainability and education is the basis of everything we do,” said Roar Solberg, vice president of sales, Automotive Refinish Coatings Solutions EMEA, BASF. “If we choose a sustainable solution, we need the knowledge required to make this choice. Glasurit’s support in the Car Painting skills category gives us a holistic opportunity to promote sustainable practices and prepare young talent for the workplace of the future. BASF and Glasurit want to contribute to attracting more young people to the job of spray painter as there is a shortage of skilled workers in the body shops. The competition is a great opportunity to support the next generation of automotive refinishers and also to make the paint and coatings industry aware of young, well-trained talents.”
The 45th WorldSkills Competition took place in August in Kazan, Russia. The participants measured their skills against each other in 56 performance competitions in a wide range of industries – from hairdressing and electronics to auto body repair and bakery. The next WorldSkills will be held in Shanghai, China, in 2021.
