Future Print workshops have seen some 400 printers from across Australia attend its workshops, following the completion of the evaluation phase. Future Print Business Transformation Project, which has involved 260 businesses, will soon commence training, taking advantage of the first of 500 federally-funded training places offered under the scheme. Printing Industries CEO Bill Healey says the program, a joint initiative of PIAA and the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU), is now entering its second stage as the broad range of training commences.
Bill Healey, CEO of the PIAA
Healey says, “The purpose of the Business Transformation Project is to help businesses identify how they might fit into the market of the future, and to provide broader training and resources to help equip them for that future. “The first part of the project was very much about evaluating your business via the Future Print Business Snapshots and free benchmarking service, to identify areas which required attention and pinpoint where training may be of assistance. “With a substantial number of businesses now involved and indicating to us their requirements, we have been able to identify key gaps and appoint a national panel of RTOs to partner with us. We are delighted that the first companies have now been allocated their places and that trainees will commence working towards their new qualifications in the next few weeks.” He says some of the key areas in which training is to be offered include sales and marketing, strategic leadership, lean manufacturing and digital design, among others. There will be quarterly intakes of students as businesses complete the evaluation phase and confirm their needs. Healey says this training complements the vocational training program which runs alongside it under the Future Print Apprenticeship Project. Healey says while the new students begin to flow into the system, participating businesses are continuing to benefit more broadly from their involvement, with ongoing workshops and one-on-one consultations with Future Print Advisors helping them to address a wide range of business issues.
Regular local networking groups are also now operating in several regions, providing important peer support and advice to business owners, and online webinars, which will be introduced soon to provide additional support to rural and regional areas. Healey some businesses which have not so far joined the program still have time, although opportunities will be limited. “I believe all printing and communication businesses can potentially benefit from the professional business evaluation, skills assessment and training opportunities offered under the program, and there are still opportunities for around 80 companies to become involved – however, we expect these to be filled pretty quickly, so now is the time to move,” he says. To learn more about the project visit: www.futureprint.org.au.
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