Freshly Squeezed Skills

Tropicana Employment Services’ class of autobody Pre-Apprenticeship students were recently treated to some fresh new skills, courtesy of SATA Canada’s Automotive Refinishing (410N) course offering.

Tropicana has been working to provide youth in the Toronto area with career and employment opportunities since 1980. The organization’s Auto Body Pre-Apprenticeship L-1 program is designed to deliver students with an understanding of autobody repair and prepare them for apprenticeship on the collision centre floor.

SATA Canada recently offered to host a four-day intensive automotive refinish introductory program for Tropicana’s graduating auto body pre-apprenticeship class. PPG Canada was kind enough to supply paint materials for the students.

The session consisted of both classroom learning and hands-on training. Well-known industry trainer Rob Hill will take students through the foundations of paint, primer, painting techniques, tinting and colour match.

At the end of the program, students will have a “good basic understanding of automotive painting, colour and application,” said SATA Canada’s General Manager, John Turner. The course gives each student insight as to whether they would like to take the next steps to become a full-time professional painter. SATA’s 410N offering is hosted at the company’s training center, a state-of-the-art, 230 sq. m. (2,500 sq. ft.) facility containing a commercial dual-bay spray booth, prep areas and classroom that can accommodate up to forty people. SATA Canada provides all students with the needed equipment, paint suits and breathing protection.

As an added incentive, students painted their own mini aluminum car hoods and received a certificate of successful course completion. Following the Tropicana training session, Sarah Mari—the student that showed the most promise, as judged by the SATA crew—went home with a brand-new SATAjet 1500 B SoLV. SATA Canada has official status as a training delivery agent from the Ontario Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development. SATA offers an eight-week course in Automotive Refinishing, designed for anyone interested in a future in automotive painting. Graduates will receive their Ontario 410N certification— the equivalent of the Automotive Refinishing Technician Red Seal certification.