THE new Paarl Media Academy of Print is set to raise the benchmark in print training, strengthening the skills level in the industry in the years to come.
An official launch function was held last week at the dynamic training facilities in Paarl, with guests invited including the Acting Director-General of Higher Education and Training, Gwebinkundla Qonde, as well as staff, suppliers, clients, media and representatives from the London City & Guilds and MAPPP SETA.
In his address, Qonde personally applauded Paarl Media for taking the initiative to establish a media academy to train students in the printing sector, and declared the Department’s support of the Group’s vision for shared learning, cross skilling and constant assessment based on specific set standards to ensure critical skills transfer and highly effective employees.
“Paarl Media has heeded the government’s call for partnerships with industry to apply its capacity for developing the skills of our people,” he said.
“Skills development is central to job creation. It is also about empowerment for meaningful participation in society, for knowledge, for technological advancement and for innovation.”
The Academy was initiated in 2008, when Paarl Media faced a challenge with the quality of training provided to their apprentices. The existing curriculum for apprentices in the printing industry dated back to the 90’s when PIFSA took a leading role to convert time-based apprenticeships into competency-based apprenticeships.
However, with all the advancements in technology within the trade, training material used in the theoretical portion of the apprenticeship was outdated and often not applicable.
Following extensive research regarding methodology and curriculum in America and Europe in the training of printing apprentices, Paarl Media embarked on a process to develop a new training curriculum for seven printing related apprenticeships, namely Rotary Web Offset Heatset, Coldset, Rotogravure, Roll Label, Gravure Cylinder Preparation and Mechanised Bookbinding.
Once the training curriculum was developed and aligned with the Qualification Curriculum registered with SAQA, the project team began developing trade training material completed in January 2010.
During the course of 2010, Paarl Media further embarked on a capacity building intervention, identifying senior artisans employed within Paarl Media, to undergo accredited training as training facilitators, coaches, mentors, assessors and moderators.
These role players will be involved with the training of apprentices, once they have completed their foundational training modules at the Paarl Media Academy. They will be transferred to the various business units, where they will undergo their core and elective modules, amd practical training.
