Glasurit looks back at the WorldSkills competition in Abu Dhabi

After four days of competitions, the 44th WorldSkills contest came to a close on October 18, 2017, in Abu Dhabi. Some 1300 participants from 59 countries and regions, all of them trainees, students or young professionals, showcased their skills in 51 occupational disciplines. Ten thousand school students, international visitors and a huge media presence accompanied the competitions.

Glasurit, BASF’s premium paint brand, was in Abu Dhabi as an official sponsor of the WorldSkills competition. As the main sponsor in the “Car Painting” category, Glasurit had already supported the young spray painters during training courses held during the run-up to the competition. In Abu Dhabi, 26 up-and-coming spray painters participated in the competition. Their task was to restore a perfect surface on a damaged vehicle and to perfectly reproduce the matching colors, shades and effects – and all this while taking the aspects of safety and sustainability into account. At the competition, Glasurit automotive refinish products were used exclusively.

After an exciting competition in which all of the participants were highly focused as they performed their tasks, the world champions in the “Car Painting” category have now been determined. First place, awarded a gold medal, was clinched by Yingcheng Jiang for the team from China. The silver medal for second place was awarede to Daryl Head representing the team from the United Kingdom. Third place was a tie between Jonas Heinze (Germany), Maurus von Holzen (Switzerland) and Enzo Barragoto (France).

Jonas Heinze (Germany) – “Best of Nation”
Jonas Heinze was pleased to receive the bronze medal and in addition, was honored at the award ceremony with the title “Best of Nation”, as the participant receiving the most points on the German team.

Sustainability Award from Glasurit and 3M
A sustainability award was also presented for the first time at the WorldSkills competition. Glasurit and 3M granted the award jointly to lend more weight to the topic of sustainability during automotive refinishing. Bronze medal winner Maurus von Holzen prevailed against the other competitors and was recognized as the most sustainable spray painter. In addition to his high level of expertise, he demonstrated the greatest environmental awareness and consumed the least material and energy. He received the Sustainability Award from René Lang, Vice President Automotive Refinish EMEA at BASF.

“For BASF and the Glasurit brand, education and sustainable action go hand in hand. If we wish to deliberately choose a sustainable solution, we have to have the knowledge required to make this choice. By choosing the right products, reducing waste and reusing materials, young spray painters can combine ecological visions with economic success. We’re proud that they not only presented their technical skills during the WorldSkills, but that they have also proven they understand the significance of working sustainably,” Lang said after the award ceremony.

The WorldSkills competitions motivate young people all over the world to take up vocations such as spray painting and to prove their skills. In so doing, they significantly contribute to counteracting the worldwide shortage of experts – an important reason for Glasurit to support the WorldSkills competition. By offering programs like Glasurit Educate, Glasurit has been actively committed for years to developing the quality of training in the area of automotive refinishing and making the diverse aspects of the vocation better known. The WorldSkills’ international competitions and meetings for young professionals offer the perfect platform to meet this goal.

Picture: Credits World Skills https://www.flickr.com/photos/worldskills/collections