- PrintPromotion GmbH provides further training for specialist teachers in the Colombian capital of Bogotá
- Know-how for the printing and packaging markets of South and Central America
Bogotá, 08/03/17 – In autumn last year, Luz Alsivia Romero Gutiérrez participated in a four-week training course for specialist teachers organized by PrintPromotion GmbH in Chemnitz, Germany. Now, the engineer stands in front of the participants of a seminar in her home city of Bogotá – and, from 6 to 10 March 2017, makes 26 specialist teachers acquainted with modern, quality-assured prepress processes. “We are glad that Mrs. Romero Gutiérrez is now part of the training team of our Specialist Teachers Seminar in Bogotá,“ says Dr. Markus Heering, Managing Director of PrintPromotion GmbH, adding that it is a guiding principle of this training that specialist teachers pass on the knowledge that they acquire as locally networked, authentic multipliers: “What they take along to their home countries besides know- how is awareness of high quality standards and the chances offered by modern printing technology,” he explains.
A four-day seminar for 26 specialist teachers
For Jürgen Seidel, trainer for offset printing and a teacher of Romero Gutiérrez at the AZP Print Media Training Centre in Chemnitz, her contribution to the team now also has practical advantages: “Luz can teach in her mother tongue. She supports us with her professional and methodical competence. Being a full-time teacher at the Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje (SENA), she is optimally networked on site,” he explains. SENA has 115 qualification centres in Colombia. Besides the institute in Bogota, there are three regional centres focusing on special fields of the media and graphic arts industry. In Bogotá, future print specialists acquire know-how of offset, flexographic and screen printing, digital printing methods and prepress.The seminar will give the 26 specialist teachers, of which three quarters are teachers of the hosting institute, the CENIGRAF, fresh know-how of prepress and quality assurance supported by many hands-on exercises as well as practical examples of offset printing. For the first time, the three-day basic seminar will be followed by an additional day specifically for flexographic printing. “At the request of the CENIGRAF, our external trainer Ronald Weidel and the participants will delve into packaging production by means of flexographic and gravure printing presses,” Seidel states.
Know-how for printing and packaging markets in South and Central America
With nearly 50 million inhabitants and a gross national product of 328.4 billion US Dollar, Colombia offers an interesting domestic market. Due to its location between South and Central America, the country with short distances in both directions is also interesting as a production site. Therefore, there is especially keen interest in modern printing technology for the packaging market.
In recent years, the annual export volume of German printing technology to the South American country was between 10 and 15 million Euro. This made it the fourth important export market on this continent after Brazil, Argentina and Chile. In total, printing technology worth 235 million Euro was shipped to South and Central America in 2016.
With the transfer of know-how, PrintPromotion wishes to contribute to the economic development of this region and advocate for a high level of quality awareness in the local printing and packaging markets. “Good packaging is not only a guarantee that food and consumer goods reach the customer in a perfect condition, but it also informs about the packaged goods and helps brand manufacturers distinguish themselves from their competitors,” Heering explains, adding that specific practical further training of the specialist teachers of Colombia in the field of packaging printing will impart this event chain and show them the technical possibilities offered by modern printing technology; hence, PrintPromotion also makes an important contribution to the promotion of exports of German printing and paper technology.
