Organization

The International Finishing Trades Institute (iFTI) is a collaborative educational endeavor of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT) and its industry partners. The core purpose of iFTI is to develop and expand a qualified and competitive work force for the finishing trades industries. The iFTI supports joint apprenticeship training programs where those who wish to enter our trades learn their craft. We not only provide the necessary skills to do the job right the first time, but also the training to do it safely.

Painter-decorators (also known as Painter-Commercial, Painter Construction) apply decorative and protective finishes in residential, commercial, institutional and industrial settings. They prepare a variety of surfaces (wood, masonry, drywall, plaster, concrete, synthetics, stucco and metal) prior to the application of materials such as paint, high performance coatings, waterproofing, fireproofing, varnish, shellac, wall coverings and special decorative finishes. The 3-year Painter-Decorator apprenticeship program outlines a hybrid approach of on-the-job learning (OJL) and related classroom instruction