Kelowna, British Columbia — Sept. 27, 2019 — This summer, young Japanese automotive refinishing students were given an opportunity to perfect their refinishing skills in a special immersion-style study program held in Kelowna, B.C.
Approximately 40 students from Toyota Technical College (TTCN) in Nagoya, Japan attended Okanagan College in Kelowna for four weeks to work one-on-one with industry experts and advance their auto body and refinishing skills.
The opportunity also enabled the students to stay with Canadian families, giving them an opportunity to work on their English skills and experience Canadian culture. Each student even received their own fender to paint and take back home to Japan with them.
BASF has been a long-time supporter of the program, providing R-M Onyx paint and materials for the students to use, along with instruction on advanced and custom paint techniques.
BASF representatives Tim Brilz and Michael Kukura participate in the program every year, helping students master application methods that they might not have the opportunity to learn in their home country. It also allows them to mentor students and prepares them for the job market once they graduate from their program at TTCN.
The program is so popular that, five years ago, BASF had to add an additional two days of custom painting to the end of the four weeks.
“BASF is honoured to have been provided with the opportunity by instructor John Euloth and Okanogan College to work with the Toyota students over the past several years,” said Trista Anger, Regional Business Manager for BASF Refinish Canada. “This annual event presents an extremely unique opportunity for not only refinish training but also cultural exchange and interaction. We look forward to many years of continued support and success for the program.”
