Did you catch up with us this week at the Painting And Decorating Show 2023 in Coventry? Did you come to the stand and get to speak to us about the new funding opportunities from CITB? Maybe you got the time to try the new VR spray painting simulator we have developed? Or heard Pete and Ian present at the show’s scheduled talks on Tuesday or Wednesday? Honestly, there was a lot to do on our stand. We brought a lot of information, tools and some VR fun, but more than that, for us, it was just a pleasure to speak to all of those who came and visited our stand or listened to us talk.
For those who missed us, let’s break it down.
Spraying in a virtual reality.
Firstly, let’s start with the fun stuff. Our new VR spray painting simulator took you into a real-world environment and allowed you to learn to spray. The simulator is unique, made just for us and is in its early stages of development, but it’s something, based on the positive feedback, we’re going to continue to develop.
VR is the future.
When we started with the concept of PaintTech Training Academy, we were forward-thinking. We were the first to do training like it in the UK, and today, we are still the leading training academy out of only a handful. So, it’s important for us to always be leading in our field.
A narrowed-down version of many of our courses can already be found online so people can learn in their own time. But VR is the future, and the future of training which is why we looked at building the first spray painting training programme with real life characteristics for people looking to learn spraying.
‘Excellent for future training, making it fun to learn’
From school children, students, unemployed, and those switching careers to decorators wanting to experience spraying before coming on a course. VR is going to open up decorating as a career to more people than ever before, and no, they’re not going to take your job because having more skilled people in our sector will help raise the bar, make us appear more trusted, appreciated for our skill and allow us to charge more for our services.
‘Fantastic equipment/excellent info and knowledge’
‘Brilliant for an introduction into the trade’
If you want to be kept up to date with the development of our VR training experience, please leave your email here.
CITB Funding
An educational blog is only complete with the money-making topics that you all want to read about. We appreciate that you only have a set amount of time, so everything you do and read needs some impact. Suppose it’s teaching you how to be better, make more money, or even get stuff free. OK, this isn’t quite free, but it is funding that 99% of the people we work with will never have to pay back, and that’s CITB funding. Each year, your business can get up to £5,000 to spend on training, plus there are other monetary incentives and grants available if you have apprentices. You only pay levy to CITB when your company wages are above £120K per year. And that’s wages, not turnover, so for most small businesses you never have any levy to pay yet can still access all the grants and funding available to you.
New Opportunities
Those of you who came to the stand and spoke to Keith will have heard how much CITB is ramping up its support and how we’ve tapped into some unbelievable new CITB funding sources in addition to the £5000 you can access already. But it’s currently location-based, only being rolled out to some regions of the country. To see if you qualify for this new funding that can help fund more courses with us or elsewhere, please add your town below, and we’ll let you know if you qualify.
Our show offer has been extended.
And finally, our giveaway. We’ve been running an exhibition stand at most of the major trade-related exhibitions for some time, so we know how important it is to have offers. Brewers were giving away a bag of goodies if you signed up for their trade card, Q1 tapes were giving away tape and training courses for those who played their game, and we had some amazing offers, including a free online kitchen course to help you understand the basics around spray painting kitchens and making massive profits. If you still want to enrol on the free course you can do so here. https://painttechtrainingacademy.co.uk/painting-and-decorating-show-2023/
1-Day Training Courses
Using that link you can also sign up for 50% off our upcoming training courses. We planned to promote it just at the show, but we thought we would extend it after the fantastic feedback and uptake. Our 1-day courses are:
- Spraying Joinery and Woodwork
- Productive Painting Using Airless Sprayers
- The Benefits of HVLP Spraying
- Spraying Cabinets
- Spray Granite on Worktops and Splashbacks
- Exclusive Resin Worktop Finishes
- Venetian Plaster Designs
- Wallpaper Walkthrough
- Master Murals
If you are interested in knowing more, you can use that link, too. https://painttechtrainingacademy.co.uk/painting-and-decorating-show-2023
Catching up with what Ian and Pete said
With that link, you can also request the videos from Pete’s and Ian’s Seminars at the Painting and Decorating Show 2023. Whether you were there and wanted to re-watch what was said or completely missed it and want to catch up, we recorded it so you can watch it back.
Looking ahead
On reflection of the Painting and Decorating Show 2023 in Coventry, we’re thrilled to have connected with so many of you who explored our stand, chatted through our courses, tried out our innovative VR spraying simulator, and listened to the enlightening talks that Pete and Ian did. The positive reception has been inspiring, and we’re grateful for the opportunity to engage with our audience.
Looking ahead, our foray into virtual reality represents a significant leap in training methodology. As pioneers, we’re dedicated to staying at the forefront of innovation, and VR presents an exciting avenue for individuals of all backgrounds to master the art of spraying in a realistic and easily accessible way.
Thank you for making the Painting and Decorating Show 2023 a success for us all at PaintTech Training Academy. We’re excited about the journey ahead, pushing boundaries, and shaping the future of education in the decorative industry. Stay tuned for more updates, and if you want to stay in the loop on the progress of our VR training experience, leave your email with us.
Until next time, happy painting!
