How To Get The Best Powder Coating Training For Your Business
Our customers frequently ask about training for their new employees who have no coating experience. Although we answer questions and provide basic hands-on guidance with new customers, we don’t routinely host training classes. Unfortunately, there aren’t many classes or trainers that we feel comfortable recommending. This article covers what to avoid when seeking powder coating training.
1. Don’t Rush It
In our opinion, the best approach is to let new employees work with senior coaters to learn all they can BEFORE you enlist a trainer or send them to classes. Without any prior coating knowledge, a new employee won’t have the experience needed to understand basic terminology or ask critical questions. When you send employees to a coating class, the instructor is going to cover a set curriculum, so the chance to get specialized help will typically only come during the Q & A sessions. If your employees don’t know what to ask, they won’t get maximum value from the class.
2. Consider On-Site Trainers
There’s a lot to be said for having someone come to your facility and teach your employees on the equipment that they’re going to be using. This is one of the best ways to train your employees, but it comes with a risk. Unlike organizations that offer classes, trainers have almost no overhead. They don’t have to buy finishing equipment or maintain a facility. Because there is no real barrier to entering the training business, anyone who knows a bit about powder coating and isn’t afraid to hit the road can tout themselves as on-site training experts. Our advice is to check out their credentials and insist on talking directly with past students in unmonitored conversations. Don’t be afraid to ask hard questions about whether or not the training they received had value.
3. Don’t Waste Time Or Money
We also advise against classes where there isn’t a substantial amount of hands-on training that will allow your employees to improve their skills. Spending half a day taking turns using a pretreatment wand and a powder gun isn’t going to achieve much. These less-than-effective classes tend to fall into two categories: “pep rally” classes designed to generate enthusiasm about the coating business in general and classes designed for hobbyists trying to launch a backyard business.
4. Avoid Getting Hustled
Many non-academic classes are tied to companies that will offer your workers free or heavily discounted passes to attend. No established powder coating organizations or professional brands offer these types of freebie classes. Be careful or you may end up paying the bill to send your employees to nothing more than a pep rally where the instructor will use classroom time to tout the equipment or supplies they sell, followed by minimal technical training. As a general rule, stay away from training being offered by anyone trying to sell you something. Instead, consider training from a neutral party, such as an independent organization.
5. Go Big Or Stay Home
As we mentioned above, one type of class that may flood your online search results is the “get rich in powder coating” or “start powder coating” training offered by numerous online outlets. The problem with many of these classes is that they are taught using small hobbyist equipment set-ups, so your new employee who is going to be coating spiral staircases or big industrial machine parts isn’t going to get much useful hands-on experience. It pays to get the details before you invest in powder coating training.
6. Check For Fitment
At the other end of the spectrum, some classes are so detailed and science-oriented that newcomers can easily be overwhelmed. These are usually more advanced classes and (unlike the others outlined in 3-5) have a good bit of value—they just aren’t a good fit for new coaters.
Our last bit of advice is to ask blunt questions about any training class you are considering and make sure it’s suitable for your company’s needs before you commit. Remember, you can often receive in-depth guidance from powder, paint, and chemistry vendors who want to establish or retain your business. This is also a great opportunity to establish long-term relationships with suppliers that can be beneficial to your company.
So, who do we recommend for training?
Consider contacting the Powder Coating Institute:
https://www.powdercoating.org/page/Workshops
This organization offers classes that are a good fit for new coaters, as well as those looking to expand their knowledge and capabilities.
If you need finishing advice or want to discuss your finishing equipment needs, the experts at Reliant Finishing Systems are ready to help! Give us a call at (256) 355-9000. If you’re looking for a quote, we’ll talk with you about your needs, provide a budgetary estimate, and promptly follow it up with a detailed plan that defines the equipment, layout, and associated costs for your project.