Company Announcement - The South African Paint Industry Training Institute retail skills development training programme now holds Construction Education & Training Authority accreditation. Mandy Linossi, Training Administrator for SAPITI, the training arm of the SA Paint Manufacturing Association, says the accreditation, arranged with an independent training provider, applies to the SAPITI Decorative Application NQF Level 2 Course which is aimed at retail and DIY stores sales staff, owners and supervisors of applicator firms, and all non-technical staff wanting to learn about the preparation and application of interior and exterior surface coatings.
“SAPITI is aiming to make it as easy as possible for prospective students to participate in the programme by making it available through interactive video training, or in-house at hardware retail shops or any other location the students require. Participating retailers would be able to access the video training for their staff at, say, 6am to 8am, or 4pm to 6pm, to cause minimum interference with the store’s trading hours,” Linossi stated. The course curriculum covers a wide range of subjects including paint technology; preparation and application of paint on various substrates; choosing the right paint for specific jobs; how to advise consumers on problems such as blistering, yellowing, cracking, flaking, and chalking; and also guidance on information sources; and dealing with ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.
SAPITI’s National Training Manager, Toni Stella, recently conducted the course for Sofap Ltd, a major paint producer in Mauritius. The entire staff of Sofap attended the programme and top management afterwards highly commended the training and is investigating the possibility of follow-up courses in 2015.