Page 29 - On The Move - Volume 17, Issue 3

By Ralph Leija III,
Training Manager, BASF Refinish Unit

Ralph Leija, III is the Training Manager for BASF’s Automotive Refinish
Unit and has been with the company for 13 years. He has extensive
experience in training and development programs and strives to make
each training program that he is involved with the best that it can be
for every student.

and beyond and have the desire to be a valued asset on their great solution for industry professionals who want to stay on top
team. of their training without having to take a lot of time off of work.

Another way for a technician to strengthen their career and put Learning management systems tailored toward the automotive
themselves ahead of competition is to prove they can handle refinish industry can encompass everything from product intro-
working in a high-production facility and be able to fix issues duction to painting techniques to marketing and business tips.
quickly when things go awry. Someone who has this level of Students can be proactive and take the training they need on
experience coupled with a solid technical background (experi- their own, as well as look for answers to questions that may
ence with undercoats, body fillers, etc.) is going to stand out as come up during a repair or other instance where a rep or train-
a winning candidate to a shop looking to hire new talent. er is unavailable to give them a quick answer. These platforms
can also be an effective way to gauge a student’s progress on
Distributors also need to keep up on training to be able to sup- certain topics and assign extra learning material to them if nec-
port their customers as best as they can. Products are always essary. Ideally, an LMS would be designed so it can act as an
changing, and it is the distributor’s job to help make sure that extension of a trainer, providing around-the-clock assistance in
they make others aware of the differences. They need to learn the absence of a physical trainer.
the ins and outs of each product, so they know how to position
them correctly, learning which customers to focus on and how to It is an exciting and challenging time for individuals working in
position brands to different shops. the automotive refinish industry. Now is the time to take advan-
tage of the different opportunities to learn and gain experience,
When it comes to the time commitment needed for learning, whether it is in a classroom, at a shop or through virtual train-
digital is the way to go. Virtual instruction can provide quality ing. Not only is it important for career development but also for
training for someone on the move versus having to spend days customer satisfaction. They rely on us to be the trusted experts
or a week in a classroom. There is still some classroom time when they need us, and it is our duty to make sure we are
required in most cases, but not nearly as much as before. For prepared to meet their every need. Ask yourself what you can
example, instead of spending four or five days off-site to com- start learning today to become a better teammate and provide
plete training, students can complete it in a fraction of the time top-notch service to your customers.
using an online learning management system (LMS). This is a

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