PHILADELPHIA — Paint and coatings manufacturer Axalta has expanded its live virtual continuous learning courses for refinish customers globally while they follow shelter-in-place orders during the coronavirus pandemic. Each virtual class provides live, interactive instruction from Axalta's expert training team via webcast.

"We value our customers and are pleased to offer paint and body shop technicians the opportunity to keep their skills sharp while practicing social distancing no matter where they are around the world," said Troy Weaver, Vice President of Axalta, Global Refinish. "Live virtual training courses are streamed directly to customers and designed to offer technicians insight into new techniques that they can use every day at their collision centers or body shops."

"With many customers eager to continue learning while sheltering in place, we have modified the format of our live virtual trainings and expanded our course offerings to accommodate as many customers as possible. Since mid-March, we have allowed unlimited participation for each course and have seen a 38% increase in attendance by Axalta customers. It's another way that Axalta can help keep our employees, customers and communities safe and productive during this unprecedented time," said Weaver.

Interactive virtual training courses are available for Axalta customers in each of the regions Axalta serves, including the United States, EMEA and Asia-Pacific. The courses are available in different languages with customized content to meet the needs of customers. Classes offered include: Surface Prep/Undercoats, Basecoat and Blending, Clear Coat Application and Plastic Refinishing. Additional courses are being added to meet growing customer demand.

The China Refinish team has modified and renewed its training materials and is offering virtual training sessions to OEM aftersales, body shops and distributors. Customers can participate in social digital versions of tools/courses about color formulas, body shop management and painting skills. More than 1,000 China refinish technicians have attended these virtual courses since they were launched in March.

In addition to live courses, Axalta has made a variety of on-demand courses available to customers at no charge. The company’s EMEA region is offering free eLearning for three months to customers in Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Turkey. In APAC, customers in Australia and the Philippines can also participate in free eLearning classes tailored to their country needs, with other countries expected to join. Additionally, Axalta offers an extensive range of updated online training videos for professional painters with tips on repairing the latest car colors and specific repair techniques.