Finishing for Warriors to Train Vets for Coating Industry

As part of a workforce development program in the coatings industry, the Chemical Coaters Association International (CCAI) is working with Workshops for Warriors to provide an industrial finishing certificate program for Workshop for Warriors students, called Finishing for Warriors, that will launch in 2019.

Workshop for Warriors is a licensed, nonprofit school that trains, certifies and assists veterans, wounded warriors and transition service members into advanced manufacturing careers. Students earn nationally recognized, portable and stackable credentials, including a Liquid Coating Certificate, Powder Coating Certificate, Master Liquid Coating Certificate, Master Powder Coating Certificate and a Master Finishing Certificate. The program duration ranges from 4-16 weeks and includes both classroom and hands-on learning.

CCAI is contracted with Rich Saddler of Industrial Finishing Solutions to coordinate the development of the Finishing for Warriors curriculum. Saddler has an extensive background in the industrial finishing industry, including finishing related positions with Haworth, Steelcase, Herman Miller, George Koch Sons and Abcor Industries. Saddler says. “This program is not only providing training to the next generation of finishing professionals but provides exciting career opportunities to veterans transitioning from military to civilian life.”

The curriculum will include hands-on training to complement the classroom lessons. Once veterans complete the course, Workshop for Warriors assists students in finding job placement throughout the United States.

Held at the Workshops for Warriors facility in San Diego, program training materials will be provided by CCAI at no cost. In addition, CCAI will work with members to secure donations of equipment and installation required for hands-on training and will identify qualified personnel to teach both the liquid and powder coating curricula.

“Workshops for Warriors always talks about the idea that people love veterans, but loving a veteran doesn’t make them a good welder, fabricator or machinist,” says Hernán Luis y Prado, Workshops for Warriors Founder and CEO. “The certifications and nationally recognized credentials earned at Workshops for Warriors are critical to future success for the veterans, wounded warriors and transitioning service members enrolled at our school, and we look forward to adding additional courses of instruction in 2019 for those interested in pursuing a career in industrial finishing.”

John Jones, Workshop for Warriors executive director, says that CCAI is an important partner, and the ability to implement the industrial surface coating curriculum is very important and desired. “This partnership will allow Workshop for Warriors to leverage the CCAI’s experience in creating a solid curriculum and state-of-the-art training facility,” he says.

Anne Goyer, CCAI executive director, says the Finishing for Warriors program is the type of education outreach the association has been seeking. “I constantly hear from members about the difficulty in securing skilled employees,” she says. “Our goal is for our Finishing for Warriors initiative to help members find the skilled workers they need and allow veterans to build a career.”

For more information, visit ccaiweb.com.