Skip to content
For several years now, print companies have been facing a dilemma. Experienced, knowledgeable press operators are retiring and leaving the industry faster without someone of equal expertise to take their places. It’s been a tricky problem to solve for multiple reasons.
Lack of Schooling is one of the industry’s main reasons that today’s newer press staff don’t have the skills and understanding of those who have been in the industry for decades. In a perfect world, there would be more vocational programs and associate-degree programs to give both education and hands-on practice to would-be graduates so that they may enter the workforce ready to contribute.
This has made on-the-job training a larger part of day-to-day operations, either through apprenticeships or through learn-as-you-go employment. Unfortunately, these solutions come with a significant investment of time in teaching a new employee, and also money in the form of mistakes and inefficiencies.
Another reason for the lack of experience is Short-Staffed Pressroom Teams. Everyone is trying to do the work of several people these days. This is particularly true for print teams that have added new production lines for packaging. New lines + fewer operators = a big experience gap and lots of mistakes.
Experienced operators are more of an asset than ever before, but they are being tasked with overseeing dozens of tasks, and they simply do not have the time to explain every single decision or action to a junior employee. As these senior team members retire, a lot of the knowledge they have goes with them. It’s an issue that’s common in all industries, not just printing.
At first, it seems like it’s faster or easier to just have the most knowledgeable person handle the task, but in doing so, that person becomes the only person that knows what to do. Taking the extra time to help junior employees work through a problem or acquire a skill means that many more people can be called upon when needed.
Tied into these issues is the problem of Inexperienced Leadership. Because of insufficient training and not enough exposure to actual problem-solving, team members get promoted to supervisory positions without necessarily having all the skills required to do the job well. Most often, this shows up as press operators who have figured out ways to “rig” and “tweak” presses to get an intended result. Projects get done, but usually at the expense of equipment damage, additional mess, and unnecessary waste. As supervisors, they then pass these bad habits down to junior team members, who then teach them to future junior team members once they’re promoted. It’s a downward spiral that can be difficult to correct.
So, How Can Daetwyler Help?
The good news is, you’re not alone in trying to solve the problem of inexperienced staff. After 50 years in the business, we’ve seen first-hand the kind of difference proper training can make when it comes to enhancing print performance and profitability. It’s the reason we happily offer customized, thorough pressroom training.
We know you don’t have a lot of time to organize training sessions, which is why Daetwyler can do it for you. Whether it’s bringing new team members up to speed on essential industry basics, or helping your entire team level up their skill set with specialized training, we’re there to help improve results for every person on your press floor. What’s more, our experts will work alongside your team to identify training needs unique to your business and/or equipment.
Best of all, Daetwyler’s training support is flexible. Need certain certifications in order to pursue a special project or client? We can help you prepare for those requirements. Want something that teams can do during off-hours? We can host remote digital webinars and demonstrations. Looking for hands-on skill building? Daetwyler has you covered there, too – with in-person guidance provided by one or more of our knowledgeable experts.
You don’t have to “find” better employees. You simply have to train them. And Daetwyler is more qualified than anyone in the business when it comes to teaching your press operators everything they need to be their best. Here’s how you can take advantage of it for yourself:
- Get in touch with us and ask for a Pressroom Audit
- Ask us about our various training offerings – and how training costs can be applied towards future equipment purchases.
- Still not sure where to get started? Just give us a call and tell us the kinds of results you wish you were getting and we’ll help you find the right training solution for you.