The Painting and Decorating sector is undergoing a digital transition. Prior to updating its collaborative InPaint platform in September 2023 with new digital tools, the International Union of Painting Contractors (UNIEP) spoke in June to several teachers and trainers in Rome who were seeking digital upskilling solutions to help them to deliver education and training remotely.
DIGI-Paint project chosen approach overcomes several constraints faced by teachers and trainers in Europe, such as lack of time, lack of access to training and lack of funds. The project led by the International Union of Painting Contractors (UNIEP) chose a gamification approach to learning, with the development of 5 virtual courses (available on desktop computers), including one in Virtual Reality (VR). The interactive learning courses designed by DIGI-Paint covers topics such as spraying techniques, coatings, measurements and many others.
The gamification features of the project (including a serie of pedagogical videos) make training fun and encourages teachers and trainers to continually improve their skills. Participants who tested the virtual solutions provided in Rome were able to grasp the potential of gamification in the teaching of their profession, with the possibility of practicing indefinitely gestures that in real-life situations require finite and breakable physical resources (paint, machines, walls).
The project is composed by 7 partners from 6 European countries, each with specific responsibilities in digital and educational technology, pedagogical practices, and deep experience in the Painting and Decorating sector. All the project’s tools are freely available on the InPaint platform and aim to deliver a basis for course content including in practical skills areas at low cost, not to mention the significant benefits of the integration of these tools to BIM working methods.