By Pedro Castillo
The importance of training specialists in surface finishing that will continue the growth of the industry in México and Latin America.
Industrial surface finishing processes are highly relevant in the industrial processes of products, as they add value by improving the appearance, durability and functionality of these products by modifying the texture of their surface, providing protection against corrosion, wear and other environmental factors, ultimately improving the useful life of the product and its aesthetics in their respective markets.
In México, unfortunately, the surface finishing industry is still far from being recognized as such. This is due to the lack of specific statistics, and the fact that it is still unable to lift its own weight and make influence in the industries and markets with which it interacts, but mainly to show itself as an economy. Today, the little information that exists is mixed with data from other processes in the respective industries in which the finishing processes operate.
This is why, in terms of specialized technical training, there is a large gap in México for the surface finishing industry that needs to be interconnected so that students seeking a specialty in industrial finishing can better prepare for technical positions whose demand is increasing in the country.
Companies invest in training people who are already working in their organizations. Only a few companies have taken on the task of creating their own educational incubators of technical skills, seeking to maintain a pool of technically trained personnel in accordance with their standards and specific needs.
THE SITUATION OF ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS
Technical and higher education programs maintain a range of specialties that cover a general panorama on which students can begin their path of specialization. The detail to highlight is that in most programs, there is no in-depth study of specialized topics that are in demand in each country.
Academic institutions respond to the needs of the country’s markets and industries, to the representations and impacts that the respective economies mobilize, so their programs try to cover as much as they can, but it becomes an unaffordable task due to the lack of data and statistics from the industries that support the specialties that they all require. It is because of this that not all branches of industry specialty are represented in academic programs.
There is a famous statement, which, although it cannot be proven, is associated with the French American philosopher George Steiner, which stated that “what is not mentioned, does not exist.” For the purposes of this article, we can interpret this statement as the justification of academic institutions for leaving out of their programs various specialties that are in demand in the country, since, given the lack of information and hard data to support them, it is almost impossible to justify the development and enrollment of technical programs.
From this point, associations and industrial organizations come in to connect these gaps to offer, support and validate the technical specialties that industries and markets require, and which are the key to competitive advantage.
THE ROLE OF THE CCAI CAPÍTULO EN ESPAÑOL AS A LINK TO SUCCESS
The CCAI Capítulo en Español works to promote technical specialization focused on Spanish-speaking professionals. Its mission is to develop Specialization in Surface Finishes beyond borders, encouraging the exchange of experiences between distant geographies where there is a Spanish-speaking specialist.
The Chemical Coaters Association International (CCAI) is a technical and professional organization that provides information and training on Surface Finishing technologies, working to raise the standards of finishing operations through educational meetings and seminars, training manuals, certification programs, and outreach programs with other associations, institutions, colleges and universities.
The Capítulo en Español’s commitment to the specialty programs it promotes goes hand in hand with meeting this growing need to train better-prepared specialists, as well as making available to those seeking a skill that makes a difference in their workplaces, allowing them to continue growing in their careers.
The success of the chapter in its first year has been tangible, the exponential increase in its followers is a slight example of the acceptance it has had, but the most gratifying thing, so far, has been witnessing the people who have benefited from specializing with the CCAI technical materials to grow in their jobs.
On a personal level, I feel proud to belong to this chapter, to this association, and at the same time I feel honored by the opportunity to team up with my colleagues to continue promoting the industry, promoting the Hispanic community, agreed that this is the beginning of a legacy that will bring many benefits to the surface finishing industry in general.
Pedro Castillo currently works at TTX as Managing Director for Mexico and Subsidiaries, is a Managing Partner at INQ Strategic Partners LLC, and has more than 25 years of experience in various industries. Pedro is a Mechanical Engineer from ITESM (IMA’97), and has a Master’s Degree in Manufacturing Systems from ITESM (MSM’10). He is currently a member of the National Board of the Chemical Coaters Association International (CCAI) and is President of the Board of Directors of the CCAI Capítulo en Español, among other active participations. Pedro is founder and collaborator of altruistic and commercial initiatives, as well actively participates in the Boards of Directors of companies and associations in Mexico and the United States. Pedro resides in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, USA.
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