APR expands Spanish-language training content

All Printing Resources (APR) has expanded its FlexoAcademy training program with Spanish-language content, responding to requests from converters looking for more effective ways to train and develop Spanish-speaking employees.

The expansion includes Spanish versions of lesson materials, visual aids, images and the handbook provided with each FlexoAcademy lesson. While browser-based translation tools can translate much of the text in an online environment, these additional resources required direct translation to provide Spanish-speaking participants with a more complete learning experience.

'We developed the Spanish-language version in direct response to what converters were telling us,' said Catherine Haynes, executive vice president, APR. 'Many companies have a significant number of Spanish-speaking employees, and the extra time and effort required to translate training material can become another barrier to getting people up to speed. By providing the lessons and supporting materials in a language employees can more readily understand, we can help them absorb the information and begin applying it more quickly.'

The Spanish-language expansion comes as APR continues to see growing interest in FlexoAcademy from label, flexible packaging and envelope printing operations facing a range of workforce and training challenges.

Introduced as a flexible alternative to traditional classroom and on-the-job training, FlexoAcademy combines self-paced digital learning with interactive exercises, flexographic press simulation, instructor-led sessions and optional on-site training. Programs can be configured around the needs of individual companies, departments, shifts and employee groups.

Increasingly, APR is finding that companies turn to FlexoAcademy at specific transition points. Some are onboarding a large number of employees without enough experienced operators available to provide foundational training. Others are looking for ways to reduce turnover by helping new employees gain confidence and become integrated into the operation more quickly. Still others are adding new equipment or diversifying into unfamiliar print and packaging segments, creating a need to establish a common understanding of flexographic terminology, processes and best practices across the organization.

'When something changes inside an operation, the training gaps tend to become much more visible,' Haynes said. 'A company may know its existing processes extremely well, but then it adds a new press, enters a different market, brings in employees from outside the printing industry or suddenly has a large group of people who need to be trained. FlexoAcademy gives companies another resource for building that foundational knowledge without placing the entire training burden on the same experienced people they need to keep production running.'

That flexibility has also influenced how companies are using the program. Although FlexoAcademy was initially developed around on-demand and virtual training, many participants have opted to combine digital learning with live instructor interaction and onsite sessions. APR can begin a program onsite, continue with self-paced and live online learning, and return for additional instruction, discussion and advanced topics such as color management, prepress, process control and troubleshooting.

The approach also allows companies to include employees beyond the pressroom. Production supervisors, quality personnel, prepress employees, customer service teams and employees coming into printing from adjacent industries can develop a better understanding of how their roles connect with the entire flexographic production process.

For companies expanding into new markets, that common foundation can be particularly valuable. Florida-based Mac Papers incorporated FlexoAcademy training as the company expanded its flexographic label printing capabilities.

'Our company has recently expanded from envelope converting and printing utilizing central impression presses into the narrow web roll-to-roll space,' said Scott Ward, production manager, Mac Papers. 'We turned to FlexoAcademy to help upskill our workforce. They did an amazing job bringing 45 team members with vastly different experience levels, from three months to over three decades, up to the same high standard. Because our team is so diverse, having multi-language translations was a huge benefit that many of our ESL employees appreciated. Plus, APR was flexible enough to accommodate our three-shift schedule, ensuring everyone got top-tier training without throwing off our production deadlines.'

FlexoAcademy is designed for both new and experienced employees and can be delivered through on-demand, blended, live instructor-led and on-site training approaches. Programs can also be adapted to reflect a company’s specific processes, equipment, and training priorities.

'At a time when companies are working hard not only to find people, but to keep them, training can be part of the employee experience,' Haynes added. 'If we can help someone understand the process, understand why their job matters and see where they can grow from there, we are doing more than teaching flexography. We are helping companies build a stronger workforce.'