CPCA’s May national webinar tackled one of the most persistent challenges in the industry: finding, training, and retaining skilled polyurea technicians. The session drew 63 registered participants from 11 provinces and territories, making it one of the most popular webinar topics in recent memory. Panelists included three CPCA member company owners, an HR consultant specializing in trades, and a representative from a polyurea equipment manufacturer’s training division.
The Labour Reality
Moderator and CPCA Executive Director opened the session with sobering labour market data: the trades labour shortage across Canada is expected to intensify through 2030, with an estimated 250,000 trades workers retiring over the next decade and insufficient replacement entering the workforce. For specialized coating applicators, the situation is even more acute — there is no traditional trades pathway that produces polyurea technicians.
The association’s record membership growth in 2025 is creating increased demand for trained applicators as new companies enter the industry. This growth — while positive for the industry overall — puts pressure on the qualified labour pool.
Where Are Companies Finding Talent?
The three member company panelists shared diverse approaches to sourcing new technicians:
Traditional Trades Crossover: Kevin Thiessen (Prairie Shield Coatings — see our recent member spotlight) described his approach of recruiting from industrial painting and sandblasting companies. “These people already understand safety culture, surface preparation, and spray equipment in general terms. The polyurea-specific learning is much faster than training someone from scratch.”
Post-Secondary Partnerships: The CPCA-CEGEP partnership in Quebec was highlighted as a model for creating a structured pipeline from post-secondary education into industry employment. Two other provinces are in early discussions with colleges about similar programs.
Military Veterans: Several panelists described success recruiting former military personnel, particularly those with trades or equipment operation backgrounds. Veterans tend to bring discipline, safety awareness, and comfort with PPE that translates well to polyurea work.
Compensation and Career Path
The HR consultant shared data showing that polyurea technicians who leave companies most often cite not pay, but lack of career advancement visibility. “Trades workers want to see a path forward. If being a spray technician is a terminal role, that’s less attractive than if there’s a senior tech, then project lead, then operations manager track.”
Companies with formal apprenticeship structures and clear advancement criteria reported significantly lower turnover. The moderator noted that the CPCA Jobs Board (available at canadianpolyurea.com/jobs-board) has seen a 140% increase in postings over the past 18 months, reflecting both market growth and turnover challenges.
Training and Onboarding
CPCA’s Applicator Certification Program was discussed as both a recruiting tool (candidates who self-fund certification demonstrate commitment) and a retention tool (employer-sponsored certification creates loyalty and professional identity).
One panelist shared that his company’s formal 90-day onboarding protocol — which includes structured progression through surface preparation, equipment operation, troubleshooting, and quality documentation — reduced first-year turnover from 40% to under 15%. The investment in structured onboarding pays for itself many times over in retention.
Access the Recording
The full webinar recording and the HR consultant’s presentation slides are available in the member resource library. Non-members can access the recording for 30 days after purchase — see the Industry Resources page for details.
The next national webinar is scheduled for July and will focus on emerging polyurea applications in the renewable energy sector. Registration is open on the Events & Meetings Calendar.