July 7, 2020
Media

BASF and Beijing Autopro partner to enhance professional skill standard of the automotive refinish industry

  • Partnership to upgrade China’s national vocational education system for the automotive refinish industry
  • BASF is committed to further developing young talents for the sustainable future of the industry
  • More than 300 graduates from BASF STAMPP schools will join the industry

 

Beijing, China – July 07, 2020 – BASF and Beijing Autopro Hi-Tech Co., LTD (Autopro) signed a cooperation agreement to upgrade the national standard of the  “1 + X Professional Skill Level Certificate” (academic certificates plus vocational skill level certificates) in the field of automotive refinish coatings and relevant technologies in this area. The partnership will further support the government’s reform plan to cultivate young talents and high-quality workers for the automotive refinish industry. The upgraded certification will be the new official standard for vocational school students and on-the-job paint technicians.

Autopro is a semi-governmental organization serving the aftermarket automotive market, with the function to set up standards, define a testing scope, certify specialized skills, and publicize information of the automotive refinish industry. The organization has an extensive network of more than 600 occupational schools across the country and has cooperated with most automotive manufacturers and brands in various projects. In 2019, Autopro was recognized by the Ministry of Education as the pilot organization to implement the 1 + X system for the refinish industry. The 1 + X system is a national standard of vocational education which was established to cultivate high-quality workers and technical personnel for most industries. The government also encourages enterprises to participate.

“Together with Autopro, we are excited to be part of the government’s reform efforts to strengthen China’s vocational education,” said Sebastien Garnier, Vice President, Automotive Refinish Coatings Solutions, BASF Asia Pacific. “As a global leading automotive refinish player, BASF will not only share the cutting-edge and well-established standard of its Glasurit® brand, but also work with Autopro to enhance China’s professional skill standard of the automotive refinish industry. Through this partnership, we will introduce our education program to more vocational schools under the 1 + X system, fulfilling our long-term commitment to developing young talents for a sustainable industry.”

As part of the agreement, BASF will provide support to assess and formulate a consistent and mutually recognized standard from the national certificate and BASF enterprise standard for the automotive refinish industry. Glasurit®, BASF’s premium paint brand of refinish coatings, as well as Rodim®, BASF’s premium consumables and paint related products, will also be recommended as preferred products for the training and testing sessions.

In addition, BASF and Autopro will develop training and teaching materials, a question bank for examinations, construct vocational training centers, and implement process standards. The partners will also work together to promote the 1 + X certificate system to the automotive industry, colleges and institutions.

On the same day when the partners signed the agreement, around 300 graduates from 23 schools attended the 2020 graduation ceremony of the BASF STAMPP (STimulate and revAMp the Paint Profession) schools, which was held online this year. The BASF STAMPP program offers an internationally standardized two-year training for new automotive refinishing technicians. Since its first launch in 2008 in China, BASF has established 29 schools and trained close to 2,000 high-level automotive refinish talents. Most of them are now working for OEMs or dealers’ bodyshops in China.

Yang Lufang, a graduate from Yantai School, working in the Decheng Audi 4s bodyshop in Shanghai, said, “Thanks to the BASF STAMPP program, I have not only received professional training of spraying skills, but also learned the importance of sustainability for the refinish industry. I am looking forward to starting my career and contributing my expertise to the market.”

To further promote the industry and attract more young talents, BASF has been supporting many international and domestic vocational competitions, including the global WorldSkills competitions. Young talents trained by BASF in Asia not only stood out in professional spraying competence, but also in sustainability during the last WorldSkills competition held in Kazan, Russia, in 2019. Recently, BASF’s Coatings has signed a new Global Industry Partnership with WorldSkills International, which solidified BASF’s supporting role in the 2021 global WorldSkills competition in Shanghai.


About BASF’s Coatings division

The Coatings division of BASF is a global expert in the development, production and marketing of innovative and sustainable automotive OEM and refinish coatings, decorative paints as well as applied surface treatments for metal, plastic and glass substrates in a wide range of industries. The portfolio is completed by the “Innovation Beyond Paint” program which aims at developing new markets and businesses. We create advanced performance solutions and drive performance, design and new applications to meet our partners’ needs all over the world. BASF shares skills, knowledge and resources of interdisciplinary and global teams for the benefit of customers by operating a collaborative network of sites in Europe, North America, South America and Asia Pacific. In 2019, the Coatings division achieved global sales of about €3.75 billion.

Solutions beyond your imagination – Coatings by BASF. For more information about the Coatings division of BASF and its products, visit www.basf-coatings.com.

About BASF

At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. More than 117,000 employees in the BASF Group work on contributing to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio is organized into six segments: Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Surface Technologies, Nutrition & Care and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of €59 billion in 2019. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchange in Frankfurt (BAS) and as American Depositary Receipts (BASFY) in the U.S. Further information at www.basf.com.

Tanya Tian
Tanya Tian
Coatings Asia Pacific
20200707-BASF_and_Autopro_enhance_professional_skill_standard_of_the_automotive_refinish_industry.jpg
Sebastien Garnier (right), Vice President, Automotive Refinish Coatings Solutions, BASF Asia Pacific and Cao Zhiming (left), Managing Director of Autopro sign the agreement on the occasion of the STAMPP graduation ceremony
Last Update July 7, 2020