Winners of the WorldSkills Competition 2022 Special Edition for Car Painting raised the bar in skill and sustainable practices. The event was held October 18-22 at College 360, the largest general and vocational educational institution in Silkeborg, Denmark.

Thirteen of the world’s best painters competed during four intensive days, with each completing specific tasks.

“We were very proud to have the most skilled young car painters in the world here with us in Silkeborg and having witnessed their spirit and sheer determination has set an example for us all,” said Simon Neergaard-Holm, CEO, WorldSkills Denmark. “For all our finalists and especially the winners, WorldSkills Denmark celebrates their achievements and enthusiasm representing an outstanding generation of young painters for the industry.”

The Winners

Car Painting Skills Champions:
• Victor Berthelier from France and Jongyun Kim from Korea – tied for first place – Gold Medalists
• Craig Kennedy from United Kingdom – Bronze Medalist

For the first time, three Medallion for Excellence Awards were presented for outstanding scores in individual tasks:
• Johannes Brandl from Germany
• Dorien Lozeau from Canada
• Isabella Turrise from Australia

Sustainable Practice Awards highlighted eco-effectiveness. The winners were:
• Dorien Lozeau from Canada – First Place
• Craig Kennedy from United Kingdom – Second Place
• Hazza Almansouri from United Arab Emirates – Third Place

Competition used Glasurit products

A set of tailored webinars were made available to all painters and country experts at the competition using refinish products, processes and color retrieval solutions from Glasurit, BASF’s premium refinish brand. The finalists were trained in a hybrid format using Glasurit trainers in the countries with all product and process information available on Glasurit Know-how, one of the most extensive refinish information platforms in the industry which offers e-books and video training.

“Glasurit as the official Global Industry Partner of WorldSkills is proud to again be part of the WorldSkills Special Edition in Denmark where we wholeheartedly support passionate young talents to realize their professional ambitions,” said Roar Solberg, Vice President BASF Automotive Refinish Coatings Solutions Europe Middle East, and Africa. “Our training programs ensure young painters can deliver outstanding results in the most sustainable way. The industry is working toward reducing emissions, protecting the environment, using fewer resources, and managing waste.”

“We witnessed how mindful and skilled these young painters were, especially when considering the outstanding quality they produced while finding efficiencies for materials, water, and energy savings in the painting process. At Glasurit, we call that eco-effectiveness,” said Solberg.

WorldSkills Competitions have evolved

The WorldSkills Competition 2022 Special Edition was the official replacement for the 46th edition WorldSkills competition that was canceled in May due to the pandemic. It would have been held in Shanghai, China.
In its place, 62 skill competitions are happening over 12 weeks in 15 countries and regions between October and the end of November. In the spirit of the WorldSkills brand, the Special Edition promotes vocational skills for young talents globally.

In March 2022, BASF signed a multi-year global industry partnership as the exclusive sponsor of the Car Painting category of WorldSkills International. That includes sponsorship rights to the next WorldSkills event to be held in Lyon, France, in 2024.

WorldSkills is a truly global platform which facilitates innovation to support the sustainable and economic success of the car painting industry, and nurture a pipeline of young, talented people. Celebrating Diversity and Inclusion is an integral part of BASF’s DNA, and the company continues to welcome painters from all over the world from all backgrounds.