Four apprentices are set to take on the challenge faced by competitors in the Painting and Decorating Association (PDA) Apprentice of the Year contest in front of a live audience at the Painting & Decorating Show.
The PDA will be hosting a Skills Hub at the event – part of InstallerSHOW – and selected four apprentices to give real time demonstrations of the task set for entrants to the nationwide Apprentice of the Year contest.
For the first time, visitors to the Painting & Decorating Show will see how apprentices map out and scaling up a complex design before showcasing a variety of specialist techniques from freehand cutting in of curves, circles and straight lines to broken colour effects such as rag-rolling and sponging.
Now held as part of InstallerSHOW at the NEC Birmingham, the Painting & Decorating Show Skills Hub will showcase the level of knowledge and talent apprentices need to make it through to the competition’s Grand Final and the intense concentration and accuracy required to claim the coveted PDA Apprentice of the Year title.
PDA Chief Executive Neil Ogilvie said: “Our Apprentice of the Year competition has grown from strength to strength and this year, for the first time, we held regional heats in all four home nations of the UK.
“Tutors and employers are not allowed into the competition space while the work is going on, so very few get a glimpse of the fierce concentration, careful paint application and passionate professionalism that these apprentices show.
“To recreate complex designs in front of a live audience will be an even greater challenge and we’re sure it will be interesting for visitors to the Skills Hub to see the task these apprentices take on as part of their introduction to a Career in Colour.”
The Painting & Decorating Show is a free event which will bring together trusted brands, straight-talk seminars and the latest products all under one roof at the NEC alongside InstallerSHOW.
David Ventris-Field, Event Director of Painting & Decorating Show and InstallerSHOW said: “Working with leading trade associations is central to how we create events that genuinely serve their industries.
“The PDA brings valuable expertise, credibility and connection to the painting and decorating community, and we’re proud to be working with them to champion the skills, standards and career opportunities that will shape the future of the trade.
“We’re also inviting colleges to bring their students to take part in the FUTURES Trail, a joint initiative across Professional Woodworking Expo, Painting & Decorating Show and InstallerSHOW.
“It’s designed to help apprentices and learners explore the opportunities available across the trades, visit participating stands, meet leading brands and discover live training and career pathways, while also enjoying a valuable day out at the NEC.”
The PDA will be on Stand G34 at the show and will be offering a 20 per cent discount on annual membership fees to painters and decorators who apply to join, or renew their membership, at the event.
To find out more about the PDA, or to apply for membership, visit: www.paintingdecoratingassociation.co.uk
