CCAI Announces Workforce Development Partnership with Runwayz

The Chemical Coaters Association International (CCAI) has announced a new strategic partnership with Runwayz, a mobile-first innovative career-exploration and talent-connection platform designed to introduce students and early-career individuals to skilled trades and manufacturing careers. The effort focuses on helping students realize how their interests and innate talents translate into high-demand industrial careers.

The partnership is focused on addressing one of the most pressing challenges facing the industrial finishing and coating industry: building a sustainable workforce pipeline for the future. Through this collaboration, CCAI and Runwayz aim to increase awareness of careers in industrial finishing, connect employers with emerging talent earlier in their career journeys, and support long-term workforce development across the industry.

A core component of the Runwayz platform is its intelligent matchmaking capability, which identifies talent that might otherwise overlook the finishing sector. Rather than functioning as a traditional job board, Runwayz provides an integrated experience that allows users to explore careers, build profiles and resumes, and connect directly with employers, apprenticeships, training programs, and mentors. The platform is designed to engage students early, before career decisions are finalized, and guide them toward hands-on, in-demand career opportunities.

On the flip side, the platform allows employers to create their own company profiles, showcase career opportunities within industrial finishing, and connect with students who are exploring skilled trade and manufacturing careers. CCAI has several pilot partners that will provide feedback to help shape the platform to better meet the needs of the finishing and coating industry.

“Our industry is the 'hidden gem' of manufacturing, requiring a unique blend of technical knowledge and a high level of precision,” said Anne Goyer, CCAI executive director. “By working with Runwayz, we are reaching students who value these traits and showing them how they lead to successful, long-term careers. This collaboration allows us to broaden our reach and show students exactly what steps they can take through CCAI resources and member company offerings to find their place in our industry.”

Key Benefits of the Collaboration:

• Pathway Discovery: Matchmaking that connects existing interests and traits like precision to relevant roles in finishing.
• The "Whole Human" Profile: Empowering talent to showcase a mix of technical achievements and essential durable skills in one verified portfolio.
• Industry Navigation: Providing a clear roadmap for students to access CCAI member resources and professional development.
• Streamlined Workforce Connection: Reducing the friction in pipeline development so CCAI member companies can engage with "best-fit" talent earlier.

“This partnership aligns directly with CCAI’s mission to support the long-term health and growth of the industrial finishing industry,” Goyer continued. “By working with Runwayz, we are helping to introduce a new generation to careers in finishing and coating while giving our members new tools to engage with future talent.”

As part of the initiative, CCAI and Runwayz will work together to evaluate pilot results, refine engagement strategies, and explore future opportunities to expand awareness and access to careers in industrial finishing. Additional details about the partnership and opportunities for CCAI members to participate will be shared as the program progresses and will be featured at CCAI’s 2026 Annual Meeting at the end of May.

About Runwayz
Runwayz is the career navigation platform for early and emerging talent. By taking a whole-human approach to skill tracking and professional identity, Runwayz helps students discover their path into the workforce and helps industries build sustainable, verified talent pipelines. Learn more at https://www.runwayz.com/.