The manufacturing skill of powder coating is required in many parts of industry across the UK. The sector covers a wide range of roles, from engineers to team leaders and assistants.
This heavy plant sector means candidates who apply for jobs through recruitment agencies often have to be physically fit and have a good knowledge of health and safety due to the high-risk materials involved.
Powder coating salaries and entry requirements
Job rank and level vary greatly in this field of technical industry, with assistants who prepare lines in factories often taking home minimum wage and gain employment with few qualification or previous experience, to fully-trained engineers who may earn up to £50,000 in leadership positions.
Economic overview and key employers
The largest employers in powder coating are industrial giants who work on huge scale projects, such as city buildings and cars. For example, AkzoNobel offers employment to 55,000 staff and provided coatings to the Birds Nest Stadium in the London Olympic park.
According to the British Coatings Federation, the industry's economy is £2.2 billion and there are 11,500 workers in the sector in the UK. The organisation is working to train staff alongside the National Skills Academy in a bid to boost the prosperity of the field. The Coatings Skills Academy provides training and information in the industry.