The Coatings Careers Hub

The Coatings Careers Hub is brought to you by the British Coatings Federation (BCF), the UK’s trade association representing the interests of the decorative, industrial and powder coatings, printing inks and wallcovering manufacturers. The hub brings together career opportunities at member companies of the BCF which includes permanent and temporary vacancies, sandwich and summer placements for students, graduate schemes, and apprenticeships.

About the coatings industry

Though you can't always see them, coatings are everywhere: on our jackets, walls, cars and computers, to name just a few places. The coatings industry impacts a broad range of sectors, from manufacturing to construction, with an estimated 300,000 people using these products as part of their jobs and contributing over £200 billion to UK GDP.

Decorative coatings

  • This sector includes all decorative coatings (sometimes referred to as architectural coatings), which are those applied to buildings and associated structures for decoration and protection. The sector is split into the categories – DIY paints, trade paints, woodcare and specialist paints. Read more

Industrial coatings

  • Industrial coatings products are defined by their protective, rather than their aesthetic properties, although they can provide both. The most common use of industrial coatings is for corrosion control of steel or concrete. Read more

Printing inks

  • A vital medium of communication, printing inks are everywhere - on your books, magazines, newspapers, beverage containers and money. Products depend on ink to communicate, educate and decorate and deliver huge economic and social value. Learn more

Wallcoverings

  • Wallcoverings/Wallpaper allows you to quickly change the personality of a room. Wallpaper can create depth, dimension, drama or simplicity and elegance. Modern advances in the industry have made wallpaper easier to hang, particularly the latest paste-the-wall papers. Learn more

A world without coatings

The coatings, printing inks and wallcoverings industries are of significant importance to other industries, either as an important part of the supply chain or as a supplier of end products, and they make a substantial contribution to the UK economy. Perhaps the best way to understand the importance of coatings, is to imagine life without them.

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