Page 53 - Print 21 Magazine Nov-Dec 2018

Education & Training
Holmesglen is also offering school students a VET course one afternoon a week, which
is accredited to their HSC. Ross says, “This provides students with an insight into the myriad opportunities that there are in print, and gives them an understanding of what a technologically advanced industry it is.”
Enrol apprentices
For print businesses that want to enrol a young person in an apprenticeship, the
first step is to contact one of the state’s Apprenticeship Centres, then register into the occupation. From there the Centre forwards the details to Holmesglen, which calls the print business and discusses what kind of apprenticeship the company is looking for. Ross says, “We have created hybrid qualifications, and we currently have two Cert III qualifications in printing and in print manufacturing (finishing). The Cert III in Print Communications (prepress) will be our next offering.
“Our mission is not only to serve the print community directly through the courses and training we offer, but also to engage with young people and highlight the career opportunities that print provides.” – Paul Ross
“Hybrid training has been developed as that is where the industry is going, with multi-tasking for staff; the old demarcation lines are going or have gone.”
Training can be a challenge (for instance, apprentices from Note Printing are not going to be able to practice printing banknotes), but Holmesglen still has to meet the government’s requirements of competency, which would include printing the product. Ross and his team have to work hard to meet the conflicting dynamics that can often occur.
There are currently around 105
students going through Holmesglen apprenticeships block release programme, where they come in for a week at a time for eight times during a three year period. Apprentices come not only from Victoria but also Tasmania, under a recently agreed User Choice deal with the Tasmanian government. User Choice means the print business owner gets to decide which RTO the apprentice will be assigned to.
Those students may soon be joined by those from South Australia, as the TAFE in Adelaide recently closed down its printing department. Ross also has ambitions to operate in West Australia. "There are national print companies who want national training with one training provider, and this is what we are working towards providing,” he says. The long term aim is for 250 students
to be studying in apprenticeships through Holmesglen.
While NSW has its Ultimo TAFE for
print apprentices and Victoria now has Holmesglen, the other states are not so well served for off-site training. Queensland
has limited training at its Southbank TAFE. Other areas of print such as signs and graphics also face challenges with apprentice
Main: Paul Ross, programme director – printing, Holmesglen Institute, in the printroom that has three Konica Minolta digital presses, two HP rollfed printers, and a Horizon guillotine.
Left: Students and a trainer with one of the Konica Minolta digital presses at Holmesglen Institute.
training, because the printing is only one part of the required course – apprentices also need to study electrical, engraving,
and installation, which are a real challenge for the capabilities of training providers, although there is a collaboration with the Signs and Graphics training and Ultimo TAFE in Sydney. Ross says, “The course may need to be revised, because an increasing number of sign and display printers are outsourcing their installations to third party specialists anyway. That is something that the industry will need to decide on.
“There is also no vehicle wrapping qualification, although it does sit within other qualifications such as Signs and Graphics.”
The long term aim is for 250 students to be taking apprentices through Holmesglen. Ross says, “Printers trust Holmesglen Institute to deliver excellent courses, which is gratifying, and testimony to the work of Robert Black in setting it up and the team here in how they have been able to deliver it.
“Our mission is not only to serve the print community directly through the courses
and training we offer, but also to engage with young people and highlight the career opportunities that print provides. We work with skill centres, job centres, and school careers teachers, and look to show young people how they can develop skills that
will take them into a great job. We do a Job Ready course, which is free for participants, and is an initiation into print.”
For the print industry, the rise of Holmesglen and its growth ambitions can only be seen as good news in an industry crying out for skills training. Ross and his team deserve the support of all, as they seek to build a place that can supply people with the skills needed. 21
New Horizon
As part of its new digital print centre, Holmesglen has installed a new
60cm Horizon guillotine supplied by Currie Group.
The Horizon APC-610 Hydraulic Paper Cutter sits in the main print room of
the Institute, which houses three new Konica Minolta digital print systems and a pair of HP wide format printers.
Paul Ross, programme manager – printing, says, “We have had a long- standing relationship with Currie Group, they have been wonderful supporters of print education in Victoria.
“Horizon equipment is well regarded throughout the industry, and is popular in the field; there are lots of print companies with Horizon. When it came to our choice of a guillotine to train the students in finishing, Horizon was our first choice.
“The Horizon APC-610 enables
our students to gain a complete understanding of modern day cutting.
It works with digital files, and offers a host of pre-programmed cutting options or enables operators to create their own cutting programmes.”
Below: A Holmesglen student with the new Horizon APC-610 hydraulic paper cutter in the print room.
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