NSW Department of Education & Communities reaches across the Tasman to Creative Family for Kiwi input and design in landmark industry education project.
Responding to demands for a structured training course for digital printing, the NSW industry training advisory board (ITAB) has produced the first nine modules of a certificate course: ICP20310 Certificate in Printing and Graphic Arts (Digital Printing). A further set of modules will be produced by Innovation and Business Skills (IBSA) in time for next year’s PacPrint.
The series of workbooks provides the foundation for progressive training in the area of digital printing. On the job training and assessment will give industry workers recognised skills and a defined career path in the digital production environment.
This is the first time digital operatives can access the same type of training and recognition long enjoyed by offset and other types of professional printers.
The first workbooks were launched by industry training executive, Max Wilson with Bob Snedden as project manager, last night (Thursday 20th) at David Leach’s wide format premises, Look Print, in Sydney. Wilson said the training resources were “outstanding and we want you [the industry] to have ownership.”
Kathy Wilson, general manager, Ricoh Australia, commenting on behalf of the company’s input into the project, said the launch came at an appropriate time in the fast changing industry. She evoked the new Ricoh tagline – Imagine Change – as a description of how the industry was rapidly evolving. “We are transitioning to the communications industry and if we don’t make the change all we’ll be selling is stuff, which is not interesting and doesn’t make money,” she said.
Of special note in the congratulations was the work performed by Margaret Fitzgerald of graphic design company, Creative Family of Christchurch (pictured with David Leach, Look Print). Recommended to the project steering committee by Joan Grace, formerly CEO PrintNZ, her company’ work was recognised as setting a benchmark for training resource design.
The workbooks produced so far are:
- Set up & produce basic digital print
- Produce PDF files for online & screen display
- Manage digital files
- Troubleshooting digital files
- Introduction to colour management
- Use digital workflow
- Use digital processes
- Set up & produce specialised digital printing
- Finish a digital product.
Printers interested in obtaining copies of the resource can access them www.training.nsw.gov.au/skillsonline
For further information contact: skillsonline@det.edu.au