Article by James Cryer, JDA, as appeared in Australasian Flexo Magazine,August, 2002
Our industry, that is the printing industry at large, not just the flexo segment, is notorious for paying lip-service to “our greatest asset – our people”. The reality however, can be very different, especially when seen from my perspective as a specialist recruiter to the industry.
We hear the words but see different actions. We see a parade of trade-qualified printers unable to regain employment, trapped by their over-specialisation on one press. We observe the dollars available for expenditure on brand-new equipment, but we “hear” the shop-floor lament. Too frequently they are told there is money available for capex items but not enough to repaint the canteen, or to provide additional training, or to encourage cross-training on different presses, which is often seen as a cost, not an investment.
There are costs and responsibilities in running any business, and the trick is getting the balance right. Recently, share-holders seem to be getting the preferential treatment… but what about the workers?
Before you conclude that I am a socialist dupe, I am making a plea that being more attentive to employee’s needs is actually good business, and that the opportunity for greater productivity exists by multi-skilling – not merely more capital outlays.
Take our present training regime. Typically, flexo printers trained on wide-web equipment are incapable of making a (smooth) transition to narrow-web/label production, and vice versa. Yet the industry complains of a lack of talent. It is sitting on our doorstep, or at least standing on the factory-floor!
This rigid training regime had its origins in the strict, craft-based attitudes of earlier centuries, but is slowly changing. But as an industry, we are not driving the change at its source – the TAFE colleges and in our boardrooms – fast enough.
Typically, an apprentice is regarded as either sheet-fed (offset) or web (flexo) cannon-fodder and receives very little “balanced” exposure to both. The first year, at least, should be devoted to operating a range of sheet and reel-fed technologies, and as the years progress, specialisation may emerge. (This is not to say what should happen at the work-place, where there may be limited variety). The TAFE environment however, should be generating tradesmen who can operate across a broad-range of equipment and satisfy the industry’s need for multi-skilling. Preferred specialisation may not even emerge until five years after they graduate! What’s the rush?
Admittedly, part of the problem is the lack of government funding to TAFE colleges, where, for example Sydney only has a stack-type flexo press, whereas much of the industry operates C.I.’s. Furthermore, Sydney tends to use water-based inks, whereas Melbourne TAFE utilises only solvent-based inks.
Another problem is the lack of advanced flexo coursework. One candidate I spoke to who wished to upgrade his flexo skills-base was told he could sit in with the apprentices’ class, which he had done years earlier!
Therefore, we as an industry should apply more pressure to TAFE colleges to provide broader, more generic training, producing flexible and adaptable printers, not specifically reel or sheet.
Secondly, we at management level, should encourage more cross-training at the coal-face. I know our industry comprises numerous, fiercely competitive, under-resourced firms, but it also consists of some big players. Proving the point of just how versatile some operators can be, is young Paul of Sydney, who completed his 3 year apprenticeship, consisting of 2½ years sheet-fed offset and 6 months of flexo. He got a job, notwithstanding, operating a forms-press. After the firm’s recent closure he joined a wide-web flexo printer, and from scratch, after 8 months was No.2 on a 1,560mm wide, 8 colour Flexotechnica. Realising his career path was blocked, he has now joined a quality, narrow-web label company where, with training, he is off and running an 8-colour, with die-cutting producing world class self-adhesive wine labels.
The industry may survive in spite of itself. Unfortunately, the “Pauls” of this world are the exception, but while many employers crave “specialists”, the natural human response is for variety.
Furthermore, a printer who can operate a variety of presses is ultimately a better printer, period!
W. James Cryer
JDA Print Recruitment |
