Popular Paint Pro Training Videos help PROs — and their teams — achieve more

A Sherwin-Williams initiative designed to help grow the skill sets of new painters and address an overall painting industry labor shortage continues to be a major success, according to company officials and the contractors who benefit from it.

Sherwin-Williams VP of Residential Marketing Jeff Winter reports that since the launch of the Paint Pro Training videos portal in 2018, “literally tens of thousands” of tests measuring progress in the program have been taken. The tests follow completion of the nine online video courses outlining various painting skills and help users track their progress through the courses.

“As we talked to contractors, we heard over and over that they were hiring for attitude and training for the skills that are needed to be an effective painter,” says Winter. “While the videos can’t take the place of on-the-job training, they will give new painters a running start on being a productive member of the team.”

Contractors report that Paint Pro Training videos help fill a gap to such a degree that they have made the videos a key component in onboarding new hires.

“As we were developing Paint Pro Training, we talked to many contractors about what they could use and how they could use it,” Winter reports. “If a contractor is starting someone with very little experience, we envision that person’s very first day would be spent on a computer or tablet, completing the nine online courses. They would not pick up a brush until they successfully completed them.”

The program has worked exactly as intended, according to many contractors.

“There are many companies that have made Paint Pro Training part of their standard new employee onboarding process,” says Winter.

Paint Pro Training is part of the Sherwin-Williams’ Paint Your Path program, which is designed to grow advocacy for careers in painting and help employers find and train the next generation of painters. The online courses, available in English or Spanish, include:

• Preparation for Pros – steps to ensure proper surface preparation.
• Paint Color Basics – skill development in color selection.
• Quality Ingredients = Quality Paints – why quality paint ingredients deliver the best value to homeowners.
• Paint Selection – guidelines for proper product selection.
• Brush & Roller Basics – choosing the correct brush or roller cover.
• Repair & Touch-up – how to address damaged or marred surfaces.
• Care & Maintenance – best practices for long-term performance.
• Spray Applications – applying paint when using a commercial airless sprayer.
• Climber PRO – four key elements to enhance ladder safety.

“By offering these courses, we not only hope to build a strong foundation for painters to be ready for their first job, but help our customers continue to provide premium painting services to their customers, and strengthen and grow their own businesses,” says Winter.

The Paint Pro Training video portal can be found at www.paintprotraining.com