Dr. Jim Holmes
Toni S. Deal
Georgia Southern University
Statesboro, GA 30460?8046
jholmes@gasou.edu
tonijenk@gasou.edu

Introduction

Certificate programs are becoming increasingly popular as an alternative to formal education in the job market. Certificates like Webpage Development, Computer Network Systems, PC Technician and even certificate programs that get people ready for certification exams like A+, MOUS, MCSE, and Novell Networking are popping up everywhere. Many industries outside the Information Technology (IT) movement are developing certificate and certification programs for there specific disciplines. Some include construction, manufacturing, occupational safety, and fire service. There is currently a movement within the printing and graphic communications industry to develop certifications on not only software programs, but industry standards as well.

This presentation focuses on a recently developed one and two-year certificate education program for the printing industry at Georgia Southern University. The program, Printing Education Network (PEN), was conceptualized in Fall, 1998. The certificate program utilizes distance education and electronic technologies to deliver classes to the Southeastern printing industry employee population.

PURPOSE

The purpose of the certificate program is to provide a standardized, structured, certificate educational opportunity for targeted segments of printing industry employees. The Printing Education Network (PEN) is targeted to printing industry employees who:

o need print knowledge to enhance their current position,
o need print knowledge for either changing or retraining their positions within the industry,
o need additional print knowledge for transferring or enhancing their production area, or want to change from a production track to a professional career track within the industry

INDUSTRY NEEDS

PEN was developed after Georgia Southern University evaluated the current educational opportunities for printing employees and found:
o there is a labor need within the printing industry at all levels;
o the existing avenues of education and training is inadequate because of geographical location, economic restrictions, time constraints, and specific educational content;

o PEN will assist in furthering education for a labor force who is already in place within the industry; finding qualified staff for available positions is one of the most difficult challenges facing printing companies and;
o certain supervisors may have technical skills because of on-the job experience, but may not have a global perspective of the industry, which is, according to the industry, a desirable characteristic of supervisors and managers.

Printing Labor Force Needs in the South

Nationally there are currently 35,000 - 50,000 available jobs at all levels in the printing industry. Georgia is ranked 15th nationally in the number of printing employees(Careers in Graphic Communication, PIA, 1996).

From a five state region perspective, Georgia ranks second in the number of printing industry employees (26,901 employees) when compared to the neighboring states of Florida (33,705), Tennessee(22,233), South Carolina (8,280), and Alabama (8,187). In numbers of companies, more than 1,155 printing related companies exist in Georgia and more than 4,201 companies in neighboring states(PIA 1998 Print Market Atlas).

The printing industry generally categorizes labor into two large segments, production and professional. Production workers generally include skilled and unskilled labor. Skilled labor generally consists of persons who have acquired their knowledge through experience and or training from high school, a technical school or a four year college. Unskilled labor includes persons who may enter the printing industry for a variety of positions. They typically have little or no understanding of the industry, and therefore must be trained from the outset of their employment (Careers, 1996). Professional positions in the printing industry generally include positions that require supervisory skills and/or people skills. These are usually people with both experience and a four-year degree or more.

A Printing Industries of America (PIA) market survey representing various printing industries reported that recruiting qualified staff for available positions is one of the most difficult challenges facing printing companies. Of the companies that were actively recruiting qualified personnel, 94.2 percent said they were having problems (PIA Print Ed Publication).

Educational Resources Available

When looking at post-secondary education for printing industry employees, two educational options currently exist. One option is to attend a two-year technical school or community college, which offers graphic arts education. The other option is to attend a four-year institution which offers graphic arts education. While these options have certain advantages for serving industry needs, few (if any) seem to provide a structured opportunity for industry employees to extend their supervision and management education while maintaining full employment. A typical example would be a valuable industry veteran who needs supervisory training in order to advance within the company he/she works.

One other education resource for employees is the typical workshop or seminar. The problem with seminars and workshops is that they typically vary in length, do not generally offer a standard of measurement for their participants, many times are "one time" courses with little opportunity for follow up, have limited time constraints and minimal faculty/student interaction. Industry seminars have been characterized by industry educators as "band aids" for many topics which need detailed attention.

DEVELOPMENT OF PEN

The first issue in developing any program of this type is to determine the target audience. The research was based upon educational studies of the availability of training for printing employees in the southeast. Surveys were also conducted through associations, corporate meetings, conferences and trade shows that focused on the training needs of the companies and the types of training needed. After compiling the data, it was determined that there was a need for training in all areas of printing, but especially for those employees that had hands-on skills, but lacked the theoretical or process knowledge needed to further enhance their positions. This data was developed into an initial proposal that we used to gain support from internal and external governing bodies.

After determining the target audience and developing our proposal, we developed an industry task force. The task force assisted in the development of curriculum framework, recommendations for faculty requirements, marketing, and funding resources. Initial task force input began in Summer, 1999 and has continued to be a contributing resource to the development of the program.

PHASE I: Program Framework

Before going public with the project, we felt the need to develop a basic structure for the program. With the help of the PEN task force, we formalized our initial proposal into a plan of action. The PEN action plan included a two-tiered certificate program. The PEN CORE is a one-year program designed to generate a foundation of terms and terminology for understanding the total printing industry. Courses included in the PEN CORE program are Basic Graphic Arts, Basic Desktop Publishing, Customer Service and Preflighting. The PEN CORE PLUS is a second year program for students that want to focus on specific topics and have completed the PEN CORE.

Courses are theory based with demonstrations and some include hands on training for an additional fee. Each course offered is 18 participant hours in length. Students receive CEU's for each course offered and must complete all assignments, quizzes and tests with a grade of 70% or above receive the final certificate. Since PEN is a certificate program, students have to be able to demonstrate their knowledge of the subject matter. By including tests and quizzes in the courses, PEN validates itself by providing employers with an indicator of the participant's success.

PEN's Unique Delivery Method

PEN uses state of the art electronic communication technologies to deliver instruction virtually door-to-door. Courses are taught using the most extensive live, real-time videoconferencing network in the world and online virtual classrooms. Using distance education, employees are able to attend industry training within a few miles of their facility.

PHASE II: Industry Partnerships

In developing the PEN program, it was apparent that we would need industry support. Financial backing was a factor, but by getting industry support we would gain credibility for the program and also have access to potential students for the program. Presentations were made to the Southeastern Prepress Association, the Association for Graphic Arts Trainers (Chicago), the Printing Management Advisory Board and the Georgia Distance Learning Association. From these contacts we were able to acquire start up funding, develop relationships with potential instructors, and increase our visibility with key companies that would be interested in developing partnerships.

Other Funding Resources

Industrial support was augmented by grant and university funding. Funding was received from a nationally competitive, industry funded research foundation grant which only awards approximately $300,000 per year. We received the maximum funding allowed in 1999 and 2000 which was in part by the innovative concept that PEN proposes.

PHASE III: Marketing and Visibility

Methods: Print Literature, live demonstrations, website

Initial Seed money funded a multitude of print media to promote the PEN program to industry. Media included flyers, personalized letters, brochures and invitations to special presentations. The PEN Showcase was a marketing tool used to educate the printing industry about the distance education arena, and provide them a free seminar to see the training in person. The Showcase included six remote sites in Georgia, three within 20 miles of three other states, and one site in North Carolina. This demonstration showed the versatility of providing one course at multiple sites, the quality of the instruction, the clarity of the technology, and the type of training that PEN offers. A website was also developed to advertise all the programs Georgia Southern offers in printing management continuing education.

ISSUES AND PROBLEMS WHEN DEVELOPING A DISTANCE LEARNING CERTIFICATE PROGRAM

Educating the Industry

Educated workers are always a need in the printing industry, but selling companies the concept of education is the first hurdle that is always a problem. In promoting PEN, not only was educating the employers about the importance of training a problem, but also educating them about distance learning capabilities is important.

Distance Education

Distance education, by definition, is based on the concept that the instructor and the student are not in the same room. Although this concept is not new, the delivery systems and the quality of the instruction has become increasingly better over the past ten years. Videoconferencing is the main technology used to deliver PEN courses and has been around for years, most people have never seen it used, or remember the days of jerky movements, poor sound, and head shots. Today, videoconferencing can include powerpoint slides, video, live interaction, quality imaging, white boards, and magnification of objects on the screen using the Elmo system. This, combined with online auxiliary education including interactive chat rooms for students, online discussion groups, supplemental readings, chapter quizzes, more accessible instructors and homework assignments, creates an environment that equals, if not exceeds the usual requirements of face-to-face instruction.

CONCLUSION

Even though PEN is a certificate program and not a certification program, the structure and course content is similar to typical degree programs which provide participants and employers a way of accessing the level of knowledge attainment of the individual taking the course.
PEN was initially developed to provide outreach education and with the potential for bringing income into the printing management program. All course fees have been developed to cover the direct costs associated with the classes, with any revenue generated being recycled into expanding the printing management outreach endeavors. Incorporating a specialized industry area, with a proven university environment, along with a validating certificate program and using distance education to cut time, economic, and geographic barriers made for a winning combination with the PEN program.