In a bid to make the print media industry in Nigeria attractive to the coming generation, a print academy is to be formally launched in the second quarter of 2014 to also get the upcoming youths as well as present operators trained on technical and practical aspect of print business.
Being put together by select print stakeholders in the country in conjunction with experts abroad, WHERE To Print magazine can authoritatively reveal that the print academy to be located in Lagos – the commercial nerve centre on Nigeria – is already at advance stage of formation. It was also exclusively gathered that only international best practices on curriculum, academia and structure will be adopted to afford a base for standard practice of print business in Nigeria.
According to a key stakeholder – who prefers to remain anonymous till the academy is birthed – the print academy will only train and pass down the right skills and attitude that will help develop the industry in Nigeria thus discourage brain drain. “The print academy will serve as training centre for existing print business owners who need modern and practical print training for their prepress, press, post-press and digital prints operators”, he noted while also revealing that the school would also serve as the first port of call for workforce for the industry where provision of capacity and technical development for anyone attracted to the printing profession. “It will also offer complementary developmental training and career development for those already in the print profession and promote and stimulate standard and good work ethics. Making sure print is done right by bringing European experts to help improve our processes and creativity”.
WHERE To Print also gathered that while majority of the facilitators will be industry experts in their specialised fields, the academy will enter into high level alliances and collaboration with printers, instructors, experts and organisations from around the world – for the purpose of giving exposure to Nigeria print stakeholders; students, printing staffs and management alike.
In the meantime, the academy will run quarterly full time printing courses and also have periodic seminars, short courses and workshops. For more information on the academy, watch out for the next edition of WHERE To Print magazine.
