Sto Foundation Best Competition

Each year, the Sto Foundation honors talented apprentices in their third year of training in the painting, varnishing, and plastering trades from Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and South Tyrol with a practice-oriented award. This nationwide and cross-regional competition recognizes craftsmanship, creativity, and commitment, making outstanding achievements visible. Through this, the founder specifically supports young people who aim to transition into professional life with high professionalism and simultaneously creates a network between training companies, vocational schools, and the foundation’s work under the guiding principle “Conscious Building.”

The award includes a green toolbox, equipped with high-quality professional tools that facilitate the entry into everyday professional life and support preparation for the journeyman’s examination. Beyond the material equipment, the program offers diverse impulses for the personal and professional development of the winners. Workshops on architectural styles, material science, and color effects, practical events, and direct exchanges with experienced professionals strengthen the participants’ competence and self-confidence. The initiative’s goal is to sustainably motivate young craftsmen and open up perspectives for a successful career in the finishing trades. In this way, the Sto Foundation contributes to fostering tomorrow’s talent both professionally and personally and securing the future of the craft in the long term.