Painters and other professionals are continuing to benefit from the dedicated academies offered by our paint brands around the world – with more than 273,000 participants signing up in 2022 – almost double the number from the previous year.

Inspired by the success of our Dulux Academy in the UK, we decided to expand the training academy approach and make it available in other markets. The certified training programs put the painter, their development and the industry first, and help bring new talent into the workforce. Created for painters of any level, it’s all designed to help them progress their skills to become masters of their trade.

The introduction of the academies in 2021 was accelerated in several markets by the COVID-19 outbreak, with 85% of the course offerings being made available online – including e-learning, online webinars and podcasts.

The academies offer a suite of training options, with most painters having followed a paint and application course in 2022 (64%), while the curriculum also offers courses in business, color, and health and safety. E-learning was the most followed course format (71%), with practical/classroom training increasing in certain regions as COVID-19 restrictions were relaxed. However, there is now a trend towards more hands-on learning (29%).

The training programs proved to be particularly popular in Latin America, with 170,000 professionals taking part, the majority in Brazil. The introduction of the online Dulux Academy in China in 2022 also proved successful, with a reach of almost 60,000 professional painters, who mainly followed commercial courses.