South Asia's first simulated press training facility for training newspaper web offset printing personnel was launched here on Thursday.
Modelled on simulated pilot training, it provides press workers exposure to a simulated scenario, covering a range of universal printing problems.
The training programme, which is an initiative of the South Asia Committee of the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA), aims to facilitate real-time training of newspaper pressmen without actually involving a production environment.
Bridging the gap
Launching the facility at WAN-IFRA's Research and Material Testing Centre at Taramani, K. Balaji, Managing Director, Kasturi and Sons, said it could fill the gap in an educational system lacking in this line of skill development.
Pointing out that typically most press workers are trained on the job, Mr. Balaji said that the simulated facility would help the initiation of trainees before their entry into the profession. This would also result in substantial savings for organisations in terms of expending training resources.
Peter Herman, president, Sinapse Print, France, which has provided the Rs.50-lakh simulator, said that the training programme was currently being run on the simulator software Version 5.0. For the next ten years, WAN-IFRA would be receiving annual upgrades for the software.
Training ensemble
The simulated training ensemble comprises three monitors – console, copy desk and folder – connected to a software-loaded computer. Through a set of exercises, trainees are taken through different scenarios of production hitches and learn the art of troubleshooting.
The system also helps them choose the course of correction that will involve the lowest possible production cost.
Magdoom Mohamed, Managing Director, WAN-IFRA, South Asia; Anand Srinivasan, Research Engineer; and Thierry Mack, Trainer, Sinapse Print, also participated. Newspaper groups such as Ananda Bazaar Patrika, Deccan Herald, The Times of India, Malayala Manorama and Mathrubhumi, besides The Hindu are supporting the skills training initiative.
