BASF recently sponsored the 53rd annual SkillsUSA, a national competition for career and technical education students, held this year in Louisville, Ky.

In addition, Glasurit, BASF’s premium paint brand, will be the official sponsor for the 44th global competition, WorldSkills, which will be held in Abu Dhabi, UAE October 14-16, 2017.

For SkillsUSA, BASF Refinish sponsored a new colour-match trailer, used in the colour-match competition for the first time. BASF also supported many BASF representatives who helped judge the painting competitions. BASF Refinish supports SkillsUSA on a local level as well, supplying judges and supporting schools that attend and host competitions across the country and throughout the year.

“I started working with Guilford Technical Communication College (GTCC) my first week at BASF in May 1989,” said BASF Account Representative, Ricky Hale. “It’s the best feeling to see how excited the students are when they arrive at the competition. This is a way to give back to the business I love.”

In April, BASF sponsored the North Carolina state competition held at GTCC and Hale, along with other representatives from BASF and their single-line ColorSource distributor, Fairystone Imports, ran the Automotive Refinishing Technology contest.

As the sponsor for the Car Painting category at WorldSkills, the young painters in the competition will be spraying Glasurit refinish products. Their tasks will include restoring the surface of a damaged vehicle and finding the matching colours—including shades and effects—while considering safety and protection of the environment.

“BASF is invested in the development of the quality of automotive refinish training, encouraging young talent to join in the skilled trades and pushing our industry into the future with the highest quality products, people, education and technology,” said Marvin Gillfillan, Vice President BASF Refinish Coatings NA.

“From the local level to the international level, BASF Refinish is looking to bring more young talent into the industry,” said Jeff Wildman, BASF Refinish NA, OEM and Industry Relations Manager. “Having representatives available for these students to ask questions and recruit is invaluable to us as an organization, to our customers and to our industry, along with the students looking for opportunities.”