Coatings perform a variety of purposes such as printing, waterproofing, and rust-prevention. Since better coatings make better products, scientific research and testing is a big part of this field. Though you can’t always see them, coatings are everywhere: on our jackets, walls, cars and computers, to name just a few places. They play a part in a broad range of industries, from automotive to construction. The coatings industry is of significant importance to other industries, either as an important part of the supply chain or as a supplier of end products, and it makes a substantial contribution to the Australian economy. Generally coatings are broken down into three categories: decorative, industrial and printing inks.
Like many industries, the surface coatings industry has an ageing workforce and it needs to attract a new generation of workers into the industry.
In Australia, paint production is estimated to be an activity valued at $2.5 billion/annum with over 6,000 direct employees and an estimated 50,000 employees in its supply chain.
In particular, there are outstanding opportunities for chemical students who choose to focus on the coatings industry, which is at the centre of innovation and advanced technologies within a global industry valued at around $150 billion and 40 billion litres/annum.
A career in coatings can also provide for overseas work opportunities in a global industry.
Key facts around a career in coatings:
- A sustainable career choice;
- Work for household brands such as Dulux, PPG (including Taubmans brand) , Sherwin-Williams (including Wattyl brand) and Haymes Paints as well as numerous smaller independent companies; and
- Join the industry as a paint technologist, research scientist, and development chemist or in other business-related roles such as marketing, finance, logistics, business administration and retail sales.