Esko hosts flexible packaging masterclass

Over a 10-day period, participants underwent both theoretical and practical education that included real-life situations, allowing them to experience the complete packaging development process from design concept to ready-to-print flexo plates.

Immediately after their exams, 10 students were selected to participate in the Masterclass Flexible Packaging Prepress course, designed to provide a more in-depth course complementing the education program.

In preparation for the masterclass, students could download a design of an existing flexible packaging from Esko's packaging management website and personalize it with the Esko software. The designs linked the theoretical and practical lessons.

Jan De Roeck, director of solutions management at Esko, said: ‘Esko has a long history of supporting schools and students, whether through providing software and hardware solutions or through hands-on trainings. The educational institutes provide a broad and basic training, which we, as an industry expert, believe we can complement with insights into the latest innovations and practical field experience.

‘As one of the leading companies in the packaging market, it is our duty not only to invest in technology development, but also to ensure that our knowledge is transferred, guaranteeing an inflow of new talent into the industry.

‘This masterclass fitted these objectives perfectly.’

Luk Bouters, director of education at Artevelde University College, added: ‘We put the proposal forward to our students in the final year of the Department of Graphical and Digital Media, and they were unanimously positive.

‘We are eager to collaborate with the business community, and this masterclass offered great opportunities to do that. We worked intensively with the Esko experts and the course also included three on-site visits to packaging companies. These were, very exceptionally, organized by the managers themselves and covered not only the technical aspects but also business and people management matters. This gave our students an excellent well-rounded view of the realities of the packaging supply chain.’

Teachers, students, Esko staff and the Artevelde University College Ghent all rated the masterclass initiative as a big success and one worth repeating. ‘We achieved our goals,’ concluded De Roeck. ‘The students enjoyed a unique experience and succeeded in their task with flying colors. The Esko instructors were amazed about the speed at which they picked up everything. This strengthens our belief that offering complementary knowledge, supplemental to the academic curriculum, really helps young talented students to be ready for an interesting and promising career in the packaging industry.’

Packprint World parent Tarsus is to launch Label Academy, a global training and certification program for the label and package printing industry, at Labelexpo Americas 2014 on September 9. Keep an eye on sister publication Labels and Labeling’s website, www.labelsandlabeling.com, for more on the launch of Label Academy, and visit www.label-academy.com for more.