Holmesglen Institute is now offering print apprenticeships in Victoria, delivering a Certificate III in Printing, with off-site classes at the TAFE forming an integral part of the course.

There have been no off-site apprenticeship courses in Victoria since RMIT pulled out of print training in 2012, but many print bosses in Victoria have been pushing for one since its demise. Off-site means apprentices spending time in college away from their workplace as part of their course studying common elements in print.

The new apprenticeship course, which is nationally recognised, will cater for apprentices in offset, digital, flexo, screen and gravure printing. Unlike the old apprenticeships the course is not time specific but is competency based, in other words students have to pass the units to move on. It has a rolling enrolment programme, so there are no set start dates.

Robert Black, who was head of the RMIT’s print school until 2009 and more recently has been working with the PIAA’s Future Print programme, is head of the school. He says, “The launch of the new Certificate III at Holmesglen is great news for print businesses in Victoria.  As the only RTO offering off-site training it means that their young people can once again enjoy the benefits of a comprehensive training programme that will give them transferrable skills.”

The new course came with the PIAA approaching Holmesglen following the Future Print programme, which is due to wind down next month. Black says, “As part of the project we looked at various models of engagement and delivery in Victoria.  It was recognised by us and the industry at large there were limited options in training, especially for small to medium sized printers, which is most of the industry.

“The Certificate III in Printing at Holmesglen that we have developed makes sure that the apprentices are educated in the fundamentals of print and not just those that are specific to their company as is the case with on-site only training.”

The new print facility at the Holmesglen Institute includes two classrooms that will accommodate around 25 students each, a simulator room where through advanced computers students will be able to experience every type of print process including sheetfed and web offset, narrow and wide web flexo, and the TAFE has a fully kitted out digital print room with a Konica Minolta digital colour press with EFI Fiery rip.

Black says, “When the RMIT pulled out of print 115 years of infrastructure went with it. No current RTO has the facilities to deliver off-site training, and we believe, in common with most of Victoria, that a blended course of on-site and off-site is by far the best way to train our young people.”

At present RTO Spectra is the only print training provider in Victoria, it offers an on-site only model.

The Holmesglen course is backed by the PIAA, suppliers association Visual Connections, and the flexo and label association FPLMA. Many leading lights in the Victorian print industry have been pushing for an on-site course for the past five years.

Holmesglen is also offering a Certificate II in Printing, which will be schools based and is aimed at attracting young people into a career in print. Black says, “Our industry needs to engage with young people as much as possible. The Cert II will show them the multiple opportunities there are for a satisfying career in print.”

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