The Future Print project is finishing 2016 on a high, with its Apprenticeship Project now concluded but still delivering dividends to the industry, and its Business Transformation Project providing genuine ROI. And while there’s only about six months of the latter project still to run, there’s still plenty of time for businesses to take advantages of the opportunities it offers.
The clock is ticking on Future Print, with its remaining project due to conclude in May 2017, but while the administration is winding down as projects are completed, the industry continues to reap the benefits of this innovative joint venture between Printing Industries and the AMWU.
Its initial project, which was established to help develop a sustainable model for apprenticeship training in the industry, came exactly at the right time. Industry training was in turmoil and apprenticeships were low on the list of priorities for young people keen to build a secure future.
While that project concluded a few months ago, its legacy is a model of training which is proving both popular and efficient, utilising the very best of ‘blended’ learning – on site, offsite and online – to skill and upskill people for work in this industry. And, work still continues behind the scenes with RTOs (including Holmesglen TAFE in Victoria, which has recently signed an MOU to deliver apprenticeship training) and other partners to consolidate the base which Future Print put in place.
The Business Transformation Project aims to help businesses identify and address areas for potential improvement and growth, and provide resources including subsidised training to help them successfully transform their businesses to meet a changing market.
Nearly 450 businesses have already taken advantage of the initial business assessment, with more than half of those completing a workforce development plan using the Business Planning Tools which are provided to registered participants. Of those, over 120 have so far taken up the offer of subsidised training and many have also started to use the Media Super-sponsored online benchmarking tool.
Future Print’s Bill Healey says these figures stack up well against international research which suggests that a maximum of only around 30% of businesses in any industry are interested in business development growth – an estimate which is clearly exceeded in the print and graphic communications sector.
“It’s exciting to see so many industry businesses keen to identify areas in which they can improve and grow, planning for that growth and accessing the training they will need to reskill or upskill their people,” Healey said today, adding that the training was delivering real ROI for businesses.
“Clearly, on a fundamental level, programs like Future Print offer great value as they allow you to access training at rates which simply wouldn’t be available without Government subsidies,” he explains, “but the value of training is of course much broader than that.
“Some of our partner RTO’s have conducted extensive feedback with participants, and their analysis shows that there is a demonstrable benefit not only to the participant themselves, but for their businesses, in terms of improved performance, higher productivity and reduced costs. In one recent report, these were estimated as delivering ROI of between $60,000-140,000 per participant.
“On a personal level, trainees not only appreciated their improved skills and expanded understanding, but also said their training had delivered improved morale, greater team respect and co-operation, improved ‘life satisfaction’ and created a real desire for continuous improvement to further their careers. That’s going to deliver enormous benefits to their entire workplaces.”
In addition to these achievements, 2016 also saw Future Print support a survey of consumer attitudes to the environmental impact of print through Two Sides and establish ‘collaborative circles’ as a forum for businesses in like industry sectors and geographic areas.
While the focus on resourcing business development continues unabated at Future Print HQ, the program will be scaled back later this month, with the departure of Future Print Advisors Rohan Cassell from Queensland, John Clements from NSW, Richard Rasmussen from Victoria, Gordon Wilson and John Scott from Queensland, Richard Rasmussen from Victoria, Gordon Wilson from SA/WA and Queensland based admin officer Fleur Stanford.
“While we will be scaling back operations next year, the great news is that there is still time for businesses to get involved by accessing the online Benchmarking and Business Planning Tools, and taking advantage of subsidised training,” he says, adding that there is still well over $250,000 ‘in the bank’ to fund places in a range of highly valuable courses.
“Of course, neither the money nor the program will last forever, so I have a very simple message for businesses who may still want to get involved: Don’t delay, this is an opportunity which may never be presented to you again. Take it up!”
Future Print
www.futureprint.org.au
