Building the Future of Our Industry
EducationWeek at WhatTheyThink.com

November 5 - 9 2007

During the week of November 5, 2007, WhatTheyThink will feature a week-long series of articles on education. In publishing this series, WhatTheyThink is partnering with various organizations to raise awareness about the important work these organizations do in attracting new talent to our industry.

November 9, 2007

Effective Education: Blending Academia with Real-World Experience
The value of blending real-world experiences with academic learning for a more meaningful student experience. Graphic communications programs at Ryerson University in Toronto, and University of Wisconsin-Stout are working hard to deliver the most current and relevant experience possible for their graduates. Read more.

Three Other Education Initiatives That Matter; GAERF, IGAEA, Printing Museums
Here are three examples of proactive, meaningful actions being taken to aid graphic communications education. These initiatives set good examples that we can emulate or partner with. In many cases, you probably do not know of the important contributions that are being made — so here they are. Read more.

Noel Ward talks about the need to make print exciting to potential students
Noel Ward talks about the lack of people coming into print to offset the numbers leaving by retiring or choosing other careers. The thing that needs to happen is to make print exciting. There are a great many things that go in to "print" other than ink or toner on a page. We need to promote careers by highlighting the exciting and creative potential in a career in our industry. Watch the video.

Frank Romano on how NOT to promote printing at the high school level
Frank Romano talks about a subject near and dear to his heart. Frank says that while we are educating students well, we are not doing enough to GET the students we need. Printing rates just above fast food and just below farming in terms of interest from high school students. We need to begin motivating high school students to continue their studies focused on our industry and we should not let printers do it! We need to talk to the students! Watch the video.

November 8, 2007

How PGSF, EDSF Rise to the Business Challenges of Fostering Print Industry Scholarships
Necessary, ennobling, uplifting, visionary, laudable, and supremely worthy of emulation—raising money for print industry scholarships surely is all of that. But anyone engaged in funding, administering, and disbursing scholarships is also operating a business with financial goals to meet, investors to please, and customers to satisfy. Read more.

Patrick Henry says open up your shop!
Patrick Henry tells printers to open the doors to their shops and win the hearts and minds of students in the graphic arts programs. Students today are not thinking about putting ink or toner on paper and don't view it as a very sexy career option. Showing them how print works and what is behind it will open up their eyes and the light will go on that a print career is for them! Watch the video.

November 7, 2007

Success in Graphic Communications: Building a Lifelong Learning Organization
The graphic communications market is making an unprecedented transition to a high-skilled, information-based industry. Setting up a lifelong learning environment for you and your employees is essential to business success. Read more.

Barb Pellow on finding talent outside of your comfort zone
Chief Marketing Officers are looking for results oriented campaigns and will need a different type of student to meet these goals. Barb Pellow talks about the types of skills today's students have when entering the industry and how to best leverage that for maximum benefit to your business. Watch the video.

November 6, 2007

First Interview with Public Printer Bob Tapella: Discusses education, the death of offset, and more
November 6, 2007 -- The importance of education, the death of offset, and more. Robert C. Tapella will be sworn in by Congress as the nation’s 25th Public Printer and will lead more than 2,200 employees at the U.S. Government Printing Office. Read more.

Dr. Joe says dynamic, exciting, and vibrant companies are the key to recruiting talent into the industry
November 6, 2007 -- Dr. Joe Webb discusses who is really capable of attracting more young people to our industry. Hint: it's not the universities and guidance counselors. Industry companies are the key. Dr. Joe also discusses the importance of math and science foundations in recruited students, along with the growth in freelance workers who are living in a networked world. Watch the video.

November 5, 2007

New Executive Director for EDSF: A Discussion with Jeanne Mowlds and Brenda Kai
November 5, 2007 -- Focus remains on building the next generation of graphic communications professionals. WhatTheyThink interview with both Executive Director Jeanne and Brenda Kai to gain insight into EDSF’s past and future initiatives and strategies, as well as to wish Mowlds well and introduce Kai in her new role. Read more.

Cary Sherburne on what you can do and why it's important
November 5, 2007 -- Cary Sherburne talks about the challenge of attracting talent to our industry. A great example is EDSF and their scholarships. There are lots of opportunities to support this and other initiatives and Cary urges us to do so! Watch the video.

Industry Education Needs Our Support
November 5, 2007 -- What is it that is the real driver for graphic arts education? Simple: the need for skills that add value for printing clients. There are many opportunities and many roles available in an industry as dynamic and changing as ours. Keeping them secret doesn't help anyone. -- By Dr. Joe Webb Read more.

PGSF is a not-for-profit, private, industry-directed organization, housed under the same roof as PIA/GATF, that dispenses undergraduate college scholarships and graduate fellowship assistance to talented men and women interested in graphic communications careers.

The mission of PGSF is "To strengthen the print and graphics industry by providing scholarship assistance." PGSF has coordinated the printing industry's largest scholarship program since its inception in 1956. We hope our readers will consider supporting the work PGSF does to attract the best and brightest to our industry. Our future depends on it!

Download a MP3 from from the Education Summit - 126MB MP3

Visit PGSF's Web Site
Contact PGSF - (412) 259-1740, toll free at (800) 910-4283, or email pgsf@piagatf.org.

The Electronic Document Systems Foundation (EDSF) is the only Foundation dedicated to enhancing the value and relevance of document communications worldwide. Our goals are to be a catalyst for education and research initiatives and to bring the industry together to resolve document communications issues that impact society.

The Foundation helps the industry and the public benefit from paper and electronic documents, which are continually being transformed by emerging technologies. By fostering education, promoting research, recognizing leaders, encouraging innovation, and garnering and disseminating knowledge, we are building a community of mutual interest and support for document communication.

Visit the EDSF Web Site - Contact EDSF - (310) 265-5510

The mission of Graphic Arts Education and Research Foundation (GAERF) is to advance knowledge and education in the field of graphic communications by supporting programs that prepares the workforce of the future. Since its founding in 1983 by the National Association for Printing Leadership, NPES The Association for Suppliers of Printing, Publishing, and Converting Technologies and the Printing Industries of America/Graphic Arts Technical Foundation, GAERF has supported projects that strive toward guaranteeing a strong future for the industry.

Visit GAERF's Web Site - Contact GAERF - Phone: (703) 264-7200