The Impact of Technology on Training in the Print Industry in Ohio

Various print media companies implement training within their company to improve their employees’ efficiency, productivity and skills. The purpose of this study was to understand how this industry adapted to the influence of technology as well as the changes in technology to conduct training.

This study attempted to identify the status of employee training in the Ohio print industry as related to changes in technology, equipment, software and processes. The objectives of this study were to: 1.) Identify what segments of the print industry that use training most often; 2.) Identify the most common topics in training in the print industry, whether they are soft skills, hard skills, hardware, software, and so on; 3.) Identify the employee areas who receive the most training, that is, management, prepress, and so forth; 4.) Identify the most common methods/implementations of training in the print industry; 5.) Identify whether the training provided is developed, implemented, or both, internally or externally; and 6.) Identify future trends regarding the amount of training required in the print industry.

Technological advances have made a significant impact in the print industry; including how employees are trained. The current common training methods in the print industry include lectures or courses, podcasts, webcasts or webinars, workshops, seminars and conferences, and tutorials or interactive modules. Some of these methods are accessible because of the advances of technology.

The study indicated not only the need for training but also the need to provide alternate methods for training. The most common training methods being currently used in the print industry are a course or lecture, and an interactive module or tutorial. The study indicates the need for alternate methods for training that are ultimately less costly. This will increase the employees’ efficiency and create an effective way for each individual to learn. Because of the ongoing development of new or improved technology within the print industry, there will be an ongoing need for training.