The not-for-profit Canadian Printing Industries Sector Council (CPISC) was incorporated in April 2006. It was tasked with identifying human resource and workforce development issues, and then implementing initiatives to address those issues. Along the way, the CPISC must collaborate with industry employers (management), labour including unions, educational facilities and the government itself—no easy task. Plus it must annually solicit more project funding from the government.
In the first couple of years, it’s been difficult to grasp exactly what the CPISC has accomplished. The materials published in the first year-and-a-half offered a lot of words and not a lot of substance. Clearly the group had to do its research and develop a solid game plan, and finally the pieces are beginning to fall into place with the delivery of some tangible products.
Last fall CPISC published a Review of Education and Training Programs, a recap of survey results and a compilation of graphic arts related educational programs—heavy on graphic design programs. It wasn’t extremely eye-opening nor useful.
More promising is the just-released Guide to National Press Skills Standards and occupational profiles for press operators—sheetfed, web, flexo and digital—the first in a trilogy of guides (prepress and finishing/bindery are due in June).
This checklist of skills provides a guide for managers to set core requirements for operators in their shops, and because is has been reviewed by people working in the industry, it provides schools with current content to update their curriculums.
The occupational profiles, being sent to career councillors, offers valid documentation to promote the industry as a career choice—another Sector Council mission.
The CPISC is methodically setting the ground work for developing a national certification program (apprenticeship-like system) to provide a defined standing for production workers. The exact accreditation program model is still being explored.
Coming up, look for a CPISC labour market analysis this fall, a technology roadmap in the spring and an HR study in June. The momentum is building.
