Now in its sixth batch, the programme aims to impart the skills necessary for professionalism.
“We launched Nippon Paint Lanka Academy as a CSR project to help develop professional skills among painters in Sri Lanka,” said Nemantha Abeysinghe, General Manager, Nippon Paint Lanka.
“It is designed to raise the standards in the industry and provide our consumers with a higher quality of usage of the technologically advanced paints and coatings products that we offer.”
Nippon Paint Lanka manufacture and market a range of paints and coatings including decorative paints, wood coatings, waterproofing, industrial and protective coatings, auto refinishes, car care products, sealants and adhesives, ancillaries, tools and accessories.
In Sri Lanka painters become professionals with great difficulty, said Prabath Jayawardana, Head of Technical Support, Nippon Paint Lanka.
“The reason is that many of them are those who have come in as casual assistants.
He works with a ‘Head Baas’ and gradually develops his skill.
They lack the knowledge to be classified as professional painters.
However, advanced knowledge is still at a basic level.
It is only up to around NVQ Level 3 or 4.
Our aim is to have professional painters with advanced knowledge in Sri Lanka.
There is no purpose in us introducing some of the best products if the painters lack the knowledge to use it properly.”
“Even the best product in the world is useless unless it is applied properly,” Jayawardana continued.
“This training is given by us free of charge and any painter can connect with us to obtain this specialized training.
What we give is the technical knowledge to understand the surfaces correctly, to know the environmental conditions such as the temperature and humidity, the correct product & coating system to be used, and the correct method of using it to desired finish.
We show them that they won’t be professional painters simply by using a brush or a roller.
They are taught which brush to use, how to use it correctly and how to get the correct finish.
It is through our programmes that the painters acquired the knowledge that there is one roller for painting interiors and another for exteriors.
Often, the home owners or end-users attribute the lack of a finish to a problem with the paint, whereas it is due to the lack of professionalism.
We were the first to start such a training programme for painters but it is not restricted to those who use our products.
There are painters in our training programmes from Anuradhapura, Trincomalee, Vavuniya, Tissamaharama, Galle; in fact, from all over Sri Lanka.”
“The training programmes are conducted on weekends over four or five months in Colombo at present.
There are many painters who undergo a lot of hardship to join our training, simply because they realise the importance of gaining this professional knowledge.
We provide them with food and refreshments, all learning materials and even a uniform during the training which consists of both theory and practice.”
In addition to the in-depth training programmes conducted in Colombo, Nippon Paint Lanka also conduct regular workshops around the country for painters.
“These are often one-day workshops,” said Jayawardena.
“The company also maintains a website; www.painter.lk , which is a database of the painters and their specialisations from which a professional painter could be selected by the consumer.
Successful trainees are also given membership in the Nippon Paint Lanka Academy with an identity card which is often used by them as a marketing tool,” Jayawardena said.
