Report on Vocational Qualifications Pathway for Prepress report_Eng...13 Plan remote prepress...

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1 Qualifications Framework Printing Industry Report on Vocational Qualifications Pathway for Prepress November 2019

Transcript of Report on Vocational Qualifications Pathway for Prepress report_Eng...13 Plan remote prepress...

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Qualifications Framework Printing Industry

Report on Vocational Qualifications Pathway for Prepress

November 2019

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Table of Contents Page

1. Project Background and Objectives ........................................................................................... 3

2. Methodology and Findings ........................................................................................................ 5

3. Recommended Structural Diagram ............................................................................................ 8

4. Recommended Specifications for Each Occupation .................................................................. 9

5. Limitations ............................................................................................................................... 28

6. Conclusions and Recommendations ........................................................................................ 29

7. Acknowledgement ................................................................................................................... 30

8. Membership of Printing & Publishing Industry Training Advisory Committee ...................... 33

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1. Project Background and Objectives

1.1. About Vocational Qualifications Pathway (VQP)

Vocational Qualifications Pathway (VQP) represents a roadmap for progression in learning and

employment in an industry, along which learners or practitioners can progress at various levels

through the attainment or acquisition of the required occupation-based qualifications.

Major Objectives of VQP

Occupation-based qualifications developed under the VQP serve to assure the abilities of the

qualifications holders to perform the occupations concerned well. They also serve the following

objectives:

Serve as references for recruitment;

• Facilitate education and training providers to develop training programmes that best meet the

needs of the industries, and further enhance the synergy between and learning and employment;

• Provide young people with more information about the careers ladder of the industries in order

to facilitate them in further studies. Chart a clear progression pathway to attract young people

or new blood into the industries; and

• Equip aspiring entrants and in-service practitioners with the requisite competencies to effectively

handle tasks in the identified occupations. Support in-service practitioners in career planning

and advancement.

1.2. Project Objectives

In order to enhance the manpower training and planning for printing and publishing industry, in 2018,

Printing and Publishing Industry Training Advisory Committee (ITAC) proposed to develop a

Vocational Qualifications Pathway for one of the functional areas for industries as a blueprint for the

industries’ manpower planning. For printing industry, due to the variety of job posts, ITAC

recommended to start with prepress category. In this project, prepress defines as the procedure before

press, but excluding design and page layout creation. In other words, prepress category is the

procedure of receiving file from print buyer to plate-making.

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ITAC engaged Advanced Printing Technology Centre (APTEC) to research on the subject with the

following contents:

• Collected the information from the printing companies including structure of prepress

department, each position’s job description and the requirement of work experience and

competencies;

• Suggested and developed a structural diagram for prepress function with reference to the

collected information;

• Advised each position’s competency, qualifications requirements and responsibilities based on

the diagram;

• Mapped out Units of Competency (UoCs) drawn from Printing Specification of Competency

Standards (SCS) with the competence requirements for each position based on the diagram

• Examined the mapped UoCs and suggested any need for revision, and any other

recommendations.

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2. Methodology and Findings

2.1. Methodology

In order to develop a practical and workable VQP, APTEC conducted a research on printing

companies and prepress companies during November, 2018 to March, 2019. The aim was to

understand the prepress department structure and competencies, which were the valuable reference

for VQP. The interview questions were sent out through email, WeChat and WhatsApp, followed by

telephone interviews and personal interviews. At the same time, APTEC collected job advertisements

about prepress function as reference.

The printing industry in Hong Kong is dominated by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Many companies prepress structure is not clearly defined. For example, many prepress practitioners

are multitasking in the so-called “one-man band”. In order to depict the job posts in a manner for

more companies to make use of, the project aims to recommend a prepress department structure and

qualification pathway. In order to collect a relatively complete prepress department structure and

qualifications of each rank as a reference for writing this document, APTEC defines the number of

employees of the target companies for interview and the number of prepress employees for collecting

information from companies of certain sizes.

2.1.1 Selection criteria for target companies to be interviewed:

• Printing company or prepress company that must be registered in Hong Kong (including

Hong Kong companies with factories in China)

• Number of employees: at least 50

• Number of prepress employees: at least 7

2.1.2 Number of companies approached or interviewed:

• Number of companies that APTEC had contacted: 37

• Replied and submitted prepress department information: 27

• No reply: 6

• Not meet the criteria stated in 2.1.1: 4

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2.1.3 Information required from companies interviewed:

• Number of prepress employees (Hong Kong and / or factory plants in China)

• Total number of employees (Hong Kong and / or factory plants in China)

• Structure of prepress department

• Each position’s job description, requirements on academic qualification, work experience

and competencies in prepress department

2.2. Findings

Among the 27 companies who responded, a few companies did not provide detailed information,

indicating that it was not convenient to provide, or there was no official document, and only part of

the information was available for reference.

Analysis on the vertical structure of prepress department for all responded companies (from high-

level to low-level):

• 2 to 4 levels of hierarchy: 16 companies

• 5 to 7 levels of hierarchy: 9 companies

• 8 levels hierarchy or above: 2 companies

• Most common hierarchy: 4 levels (9 companies)

Regarding the horizontal structure, it was mainly divided by prepress functions. Most of the

companies are divided into file management, preflight, imposition, imposition proof output, digital

proof output and color management, plate-making. Some companies included digital printing.

For the work experience required, since there were large variations among the vertical hierarchy

information collected, it was generally divided into high-, middle- and low-level for analysis:

• High-level personnel: Mainly the head of prepress department. Most of the companies asked

for 10 or more years of work experience, and a few asked for only 5 years, or 15 or more

years. In terms of title, most of the companies adopted the following: Manager, Prepress

Manager, Department Manager, Minister, Supervisor, but most of them used “Manager” as

the title of the head of department.

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• Middle-level personnel: Mainly the assistant for the Head of Department in managing the

lower-level personnel. Most of the companies asked for 5 to 10 years of work experience,

while some companies had the same work experience requirement for high-level and middle-

level personnel. In terms of titles, the companies adopted the following: Deputy Manager,

Supervisor, Deputy Supervisor, Section Leader, Deputy Section Leader, Team Leader,

Deputy Team Leader, Foreman, etc. Most of them used the title “Supervisor”.

• Low-level personnel: Mainly the operators who executed prepress work. Most companies

asked for 1 to 3 years, with some companies set different work experience requirement for

different job nature. In terms of titles, the companies adopted the following titles: Technician,

Plate-Making Operator, Imposition Operator, Technical Worker, Output Operator, Color

Management Operator, Plate Inspector, etc.

For the academic requirement, most companies had established some requirements on qualifications,

but some of the companies mentioned that work experience was most important. Some companies

indicated that they had difficulty in recruitment. Therefore, they did not have specific requirement for

academic qualifications.

• High-level personnel: Most of the companies requested tertiary level qualification or above

• Middle-level personnel: Interviewed companies requested secondary level to tertiary level

qualification

• Low-level personnel: Interviewed companies requested junior secondary to senior-

secondary (vocational) level

Some companies with factories in Mainland China wished to recruit graduates from printing

discipline at senior-secondary (vocational) level. The senior-secondary (vocational) level is a top-up

course for junior secondary students.

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3. Recommended Structural Diagram

After reviewed the collected information and multiple rounds of communication with the industry,

APTEC recommended the following structural diagram, with four functional areas in horizontal and

five ranks in vertical.

Functional

Areas QF Level

File Management

Color Management &

Digital Proof Output

Imposition and Imposition Proof

Output

Plate-making

Preflight

Color correction, specify output

curve, digital proof production, device

calibration

RIP, Imposition, Imposition proof

output

Plate-making, quality check on plate, check on

plate if matching with imposition

proof

Level 5 Prepress Manager

Level 4 Supervisor

Level 3

Team Leader

(File Management)

Team Leader

(Color Management &

Digital Proof Output)

Team Leader

(Imposition and Imposition Proof

Output)

Team Leader

(Plate-making)

Level 2

Technician

(File Management)

Technician

(Color Management &

Digital Proof Output)

Technician

(Imposition and Imposition Proof

Output)

Technician

(Plate-making)

Level 1 Junior Technician

*APTEC developed “Recommended Specifications for Each Occupation” in Part 4 for the above 10

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occupations from Level 2 to Level 5.

4. Recommended Specifications for Each Occupation

With reference to the collected information and opinions, APTEC described the competencies

requirement, recommended academic requirement, qualifications and work experience as well as job

description for the ten occupations from Technician to Prepress Manager. At the same time, according

to the job description and competencies, APTEC mapped the related UoCs to each occupation.

APTEC suggested that some occupations’ competency should include core competency and

additional competency. Core competency refers to the set of necessary competencies for that

occupation; while additional competency refers to those extra competencies required in response to

company / job requirements.

In the process of mapping related UoC, it was found that some UoCs might not be in line with the

current situation. It might be because some UoCs were written ten years ago. Due to the development

of technology, it caused the content or level of these UoCs to be out-dated. For example, for the

Technician (Imposition and Imposition Proof Output), APTEC recommended as Level 2 qualification,

but there was no suitable UoCs in Level 2, so it mainly chose the related UoCs in Level 3. In addition,

some UoCs did not fully meet the competency requirements of prepress personnel, but only some of

the content was relevant, so the required parts were specifically indicated in the Specifications.

For the recommended academic requirements, qualifications and work experience, since most

companies expressed that work experience was particularly important, APTEC recommended that

certain related work experience was prerequisite for all occupations.

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Position QF

Level

Competency Recommended academic requirements,

qualifications and work experience

Prepress

Manager

5 1 Understand prepress

technology, including

prepress software,

workflow, color

management, print quality

software, plate-making

and imposition

2 Understand press and

postpress workflow

3 Know color printing

standardization in certain

extent

4 Have certain management

experience, leadership

ability, and problem

solving ability

5 Have team and training

experience

6 Good communication

ability

10 years or above work experience in

prepress management

+

Achieve Level

4 of

Recognition of

Prior Learning

(RPL) of

Printing

Industry

OR

Complete

Higher Diploma

in Printing OR

equivalent

(Obtain

Bachelor Degree

would be an

advantage)

+

Proficiency in written and spoken

Chinese and English

Responsibilities Responsible for the overall management of all matters in the prepress

department, including job management, personnel management, equipment

maintenance, training, quality control, safety and environmental

management; communicate and coordinate prepress issues with other

departments, and understand customer needs to make timely coordination

and assistance; development of prepress production process optimization and

innovation to match company policies and objectives.

Related UoCs Core competency:

1 Implement colour management standards 106283L5

2 Master the electronic information system for printing 106239L4

3 Effect human resources management PPPROM504A

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4 Master digital printing flow system adoption and support

PPPRPE505A

5 Plan facilities configuration and development of prepress department

PPPRPE501A

6 Master upstream and downstream coordination in prepress department

PPPRPE502A

7 Master horizontal coordination of prepress department PPPRPE503A

8 Master uniform calibration in prepress 106252L5

9 Understand the system and development of printing standards

106240L5

10 Understand composition of print products PPPRPS201A

11 Employ printing standards in establishing a coherent quality assurance

mechanism 106280L5

12 Master resource requirements for implementing printing standards

106242L5

Additional competency:

13 Plan remote prepress processing flow PPPRPE504A

14 Understand the merits and purposes of printing standards 106241L5

15 Understand print costing PPPREC401A

16 Master customer service skills PPPRCR402A

17 Understand application of printing technology 106256L2

18 Comprehensive understanding of desktop publishing software related

to the function of printing (Now included in “Master computer

graphics techniques PPPRPE303A”, “Master computer retouching

techniques PPPRPE304A”, “Master computer page composition

techniques PPPRPE305A”)

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Position QF

Level

Competency Recommended academic requirements,

qualifications and work experience

Supervisor 4 1 Understand prepress

technology, including

prepress software,

workflow, color

management, print quality

software, imposition and

plate-making

2 Understand printing and

postpress workflow

3 Know color printing

standardization in certain

extent

4 Have certain management

experience and problem

solving ability

5 Have team and training

experience

6 Good communication

ability

8 years or above work experience in

prepress management

+

Achieve Level

4 of

Recognition of

Prior Learning

(RPL) of

Printing

Industry

OR

Complete

Higher Diploma

in Printing OR

equivalent

(Obtain

Bachelor Degree

would be an

advantage)

+

Good in written and spoken Chinese and

English

Responsibilities Report to Prepress Manager. Assist Prepress Manager to execute the work

of prepress department, including job management, personnel management,

equipment maintenance, training, quality, safety and environmental

monitoring, production process optimization; internal communication and

coordination within the department related to prepress.

Related UoCs Core competency:

1 Understand print quality control and management 106279L3 (Main

components: Master print quality control tools, including grey scale,

color target, cross mark, crop mark, spine number, etc., and

measurement tools, including magnifying glass, thickness gauge,

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densitometer, etc.)

2 Master application of digital colour management PPPRCO401A

3 Master skills for printing professionals training and management

PPPROM406A

4 Master digital prepress technology 106250L4

5 Master application of computer image input PPPRPE402A

6 Master digital output techniques 106251L4

7 Understand digital printing flow system PPPRPE404A

8 Understand computer-to-plate (CTP) technology 106248L3

9 Understand composition of print products PPPRPS201A

Additional competency:

10 Understand use of digital media carrier PPPRPS302A

11 Master the electronic information system for printing 106239L4

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Position QF

Level

Competency Recommended academic

requirements, qualifications and

work experience

Team Leader

(File

Management)

3 1 Master desktop

publishing software and

prepress workflow

2 Master preflight

functions and related

software

3 Master file requirement

for printing and

postpress

4 Have certain problem

solving ability

5 Have team and training

experience

6 Good communication

ability

5 years or above work experience in

prepress technology

+

Achieve Level

3 of

Recognition of

Prior Learning

(RPL) of

Printing

Industry

OR

Secondary 5 or

above (Obtain

Diploma in

Printing or

above would

be an

advantage)

+

Basic ability in written and spoken

Chinese and English

Responsibilities Responsible for the personnel management, job management,

supervision and follow-up of file management process in his/her

team; check whether the file meets the requirements of print

production; solve technical problems; assist in arranging staff

training; technical guidance to technicians; perform equipment

maintenance; assist Supervisor in the implementation and execution

of work objectives.

Related UoCs Core competency:

1 Master computer graphics techniques PPPRPE303A

2 Master computer retouching techniques PPPRPE304A

3 Master computer page composition techniques PPPRPE305A

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4 Understand computer scanning and image input technology

PPPRPE307A

5 Understand preflight techniques 106247L3

6 Understand digital file management techniques 106249L3

7 Master skills for printing professionals training and management

PPPROM406A

8 Know digital colour management PPPRCO202A

9 Understand digital printing flow system PPPRPE404A

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Position QF

Level

Competency Recommended academic requirements,

qualifications and work experience

Technician

(File

management)

2 1 Familiar with desktop

publishing software

and prepress

workflow

2 Familiar with

preflight functions

and related software

3 Familiar with file

requirement for

printing and postpress

4 Good communication

ability

2 years or above work experience in

prepress technology

+

Achieve Level 2

of Recognition

of Prior

Learning (RPL)

of Printing

Industry

OR

Secondary 3 or

above

(Complete related

printing courses

would be an

advantage)

+

Basic ability in written and spoken

Chinese and English

Responsibilities Execute and implement file management and preflight in order to check

if the file meets the requirements of print production; execute and

implement work guideline and departmental objectives; report

problems to the superior in timely manner.

Related UoCs Core competency:

1 Understand computer graphics methods PPPRPE203A

2 Understand computer retouching methods PPPRPE204A

3 Understand computer page composition methods PPPRPE202A

4 Know basic techniques for computer scanning and image input

PPPRPE207A

5 Know preflight techniques PPPRPE208A

6 Know basic colour handling PPPRCO101A

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Position QF

Level

Competency Recommended academic requirements,

qualifications and work experience

Team Leader

(Color

Management

& Digital

Proof

Output)

3 1 Master the techniques

of color correction in

page layout programs

2 Master output and

evaluate digital proof

3 Master the usage of

different measurement

tools and calibration

4 Master the setting and

application of output

plate curve

5 Have certain problem

solving ability

6 Have team and

training experience

7 Good communication

ability

5 years or above work experience in color

management

+

Achieve Level 3

of Recognition

of Prior

Learning (RPL)

of Printing

Industry

OR

Secondary 5 or

above (Obtain

Diploma in

Printing or above

would be an

advantage)

+

Basic ability in written and spoken Chinese

and English

Responsibilities Responsible for the personnel management, job management, supervision

and follow-up of color in the file and proof according to customer’s color

standard or specific color standard to produce digital proof and color

calibration; perform color management system repair and maintenance;

solve file technical problems; assist in arranging staff training; technical

guidance to technicians; assist Supervisor in the implementation and

execution of work objectives; regular internal communication and

coordination with other departments for product quality assurance.

Related UoCs Core competency:

1 Master digital prepress technology 106250L4 (Main components:

Master output techniques for effective digital proof; Understand and

master colour reproduction principles, including application of color

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management, importance of color standardization and apply

techniques for color communication)

2 Master application of digital colour management PPPRCO401A

3 Master press proof inspection PPPRPR304A (Main components:

Understand processing and use of major proofs; Understand quality

requirement and examination techniques for proofing; Master

standard data setting and measuring for press proof)

4 Master computer retouching techniques PPPRPE304A

5 Master skills for printing professionals training and management

PPPROM406A

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Position QF

Level

Competency Recommended academic requirements,

qualifications and work experience

Technician

(Color

Management

& Digital

Proof

Output)

2 1 Familiar with the

techniques of color

correction of page

layout programs

2 Familiar with output

and evaluate digital

proof

3 Familiar with the

usage of different

measurement tools

and calibration

4 Familiar with the

setting and application

of output plate curve

5 Good communication

ability

2 years or above work experience in color

management

+

Achieve Level 2

of Recognition

of Prior

Learning (RPL)

of Printing

Industry

OR

Secondary 3 or

above (Complete

related printing

courses would be

an advantage)

+

Basic ability in written and spoken Chinese

and English

Responsibilities Execute and implement color management workflow; assist the Team

Leader to implement regular calibration of color measurement tools;

produce digital proof according to customer’s color standard or specific

color standard; implement color correction according to customer’s proof;

report problems to the superior in timely manner.

Related UoCs Core competency:

1 Understand digital colour management techniques PPPRCO301A

2 Know digital colour management PPPRCO202A

3 Know digital output techniques 106245L1

4 Understand computer retouching methods PPPRPE204A

5 Master digital prepress technology 106250L4 (Main component:

Master output techniques for effective digital proof)

6 Understand computer page imposition technology PPPRPE308A

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(Main components: Use techniques for digital proofing)

7 Master application of digital colour management PPPRCO401A

(Main components: Able to make correct colour setting with different

composition software; Make correct use of colour profile and

techniques for converting profile colour using software)

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Position QF

Level

Competency Recommended academic requirements,

qualifications and work experience

Team Leader

(Imposition

and

Imposition

Proof

Output)

3 1 Master the print-

related output

functions of page

layout program

2 Master digital output

workflow systems

3 Master imposition

procedure and

application

4 Master imposition

proof output

technology

5 Have certain problem

solving ability

6 Have team and

training experience

7 Good communication

ability

5 years or above work experience in digital

output

+

Achieve Level

3 of

Recognition of

Prior Learning

(RPL) of

Printing

Industry

OR

Secondary 5 or

above (Obtain

Diploma in Printing

or above would be

an advantage)

+

Basic ability in written and spoken Chinese

and English

Responsibilities Responsible for the personnel management, job management, supervision

and follow-up of imposition and imposition proof output to ensure the

accuracy of file output and suitable for the requirement of print; solve

technical problems on file output, assist in arranging staff training,

technical guidance to technicians, assist Supervisor in the implementation

and execution of work objectives; maintain the output system; regular

internal communication and coordination with other departments for

product quality assurance.

Related UoCs Core competency:

1 Master digital output techniques 106251L4

2 Master digital prepress technology 106250L4

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3 Understand computer page imposition technology PPPRPE308A

4 Understand computer-to-plate (CTP) technology 106248L3

5 Understand digital file management techniques 106249L3

6 Master skills for printing professionals training and management

PPPROM406A

7 Understand composition of print products PPPRPS201A

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Position QF

Level

Competency Recommended academic requirements,

qualifications and work experience

Technician

(Imposition

and

Imposition

Proof

Output)

2 1 Know the print-related

output functions of page

layout program

2 Familiar with digital

output workflow

systems

3 Familiar with imposition

procedure and

application

4 Familiar with imposition

proof output technology

5 Good communication

ability

2 years or above work experience in digital

output

+

Achieve Level

2 of

Recognition of

Prior Learning

(RPL) of

Printing

Industry

OR

Secondary 3 or

above (Complete

related printing

courses would be an

advantage)

+

Basic ability in written and spoken Chinese

and English

Responsibilities Create imposition template, implement imposition and imposition proof

output, according to customers’ files and requirements; verify the accuracy

of the file output and imposition proof; assist the Team Leader to

implement the maintenance for digital output workflow systems; report

problems to the superior in timely manner.

Related UoCs Core competency:

1 Understand computer page imposition technology PPPRPE308A

2 Understand computer-to-plate (CTP) technology 106248L3

3 Understand digital file management techniques 106249L3

4 Understand composition of print products PPPRPS201A

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Position QF

Level

Competency Recommended academic requirements,

qualifications and work experience

Team Leader

(Plate-

making)

3 1 Master digital output

systems

2 Master imposition

procedure and

application

3 Master plate-making

technology

4 Master the

application of plate-

making

5 Have certain

problem solving

ability

6 Have team and

training experience

7 Good

communication

ability

5 years or above work experience in plate-

making

+

Achieve Level

3 of

Recognition of

Prior Learning

(RPL) of

Printing

Industry

OR

Secondary 5 or above

(Obtain Diploma in

Printing or above would

be an advantage)

+

Basic ability in written and spoken Chinese and

English

Responsibilities Responsible for the personnel management, job management, supervision

and follow-up of plate-making to ensure the accuracy and meet the

requirement of print; solve technical problems on plate-making, assist in

arranging staff training, technical guidance to technicians, assist Supervisor

in the implementation and execution of work objectives; regular internal

communication and coordination with other departments for product

quality assurance; ensure regular calibration and maintenance of output

equipment.

Related UoCs Core competency:

1 Master digital output techniques 106251L4

2 Understand computer-to-plate (CTP) technology 106248L3

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3 Master skills for printing professionals training and management

PPPROM406A

4 Understand printing machinery maintenance 106282L2 (Main

components: Know the features and basic structure of, and routine

maintenance guidelines, repairing tools, materials and methods for

prepress equipment)

5 Understand the structures of printing materials 106287L3 (Main

components: Understand the structures of plate materials)

6 Understand print quality control and management 106279L3 (Main

components: Master print quality control tools)

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Position QF

Level

Competency Recommended academic requirements,

qualifications and work experience

Technician

(Plate-

making)

2 1 Familiar with the

operation of digital

output

2 Familiar with the

operation with output

plate-making

machine

3 Familiar with plate

measurement tool for

verifying plate

4 Understand the repair

and maintenance of

output machine and

plate

5 Good communication

ability

2 years or above work experience in plate-

making

+

Achieve Level

2 of

Recognition of

Prior Learning

(RPL) of

Printing

Industry

OR

Secondary 3 or

above (Complete

related printing

courses would be an

advantage)

+

Basic ability in written and spoken Chinese

and English

Responsibilities Implement plate-making according to production requirements; verify the

plate quality after output; assist Team Leader to implement the regular

calibration and maintenance on output system; effectively retain plate;

report problems to the superior in timely manner.

Related UoCs Core competency:

1 Understand computer-to-plate (CTP) technology 106248L3

2 Understand printing machinery maintenance 106282L2 (Main

components: Know the features and basic structure of, and routine

maintenance guidelines, repairing tools, materials and methods for

prepress equipment)

3 Understand the applications of printing materials 106286L2 (Main

components: Understand the properties and utility of prepress

materials (film, plates, film and plate chemicals))

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4 Understand printing quality management 106278L2 (Main

components: Make proper use of print quality measurement tools)

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5. Limitations

The printing industry in Hong Kong is dominated by SMEs. Many companies prepress structure is

not clearly defined, so the number of interviewed companies is limited.

During the collection of prepress structure and qualification information from the companies

interviewed, even if some companies had such information, but due to the possible sensitive nature

of internal documents, not all of them were willing to provide. At the same time, not all companies

interviewed had comprehensive information on prepress, or some companies indicated that they had

not hired prepress staff for long time, so there was no updated information. APTEC also tried to get

reference from recruitment advertisement about the entry requirements during the data collection

period, but no relevant information was found. Therefore, not much information could be referenced.

However, the information provided by other responded companies hase been very valuable.

The recommended prepress structural diagram was to divide prepress functions horizontally and

vertically, and it mapped the UoCs to different positions. Some UoCs are mapped to two job levels,

reflecting there are similar skillsets for two job levels. But higher level positions required

management and communications capabilities. In addition, after years of technology development,

the technical capability for some positions had been improved, so the contents and level for

corresponding UoCs should be adjusted. For example, in the case of a Technician at Level 2, the level

of some proposed UoCs were higher than that position, but the majority of the UoCs were still

Level 3.

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6. Conclusions and Recommendations

Prepress is an integral part of a printing company. ITAC and APTEC hope that this document could

serve as a reference for the printing industry. Different companies can make use of the document

and adjust the contents according to their business and structure, so as to become its own prepress

structure pathway. At the same time, this provides a reference for training provider to plan and

design the prepress training which can build the training pathway.

In order to improve this document, APTEC has the following recommendations:

1) Re-examine the current level of UoC and update in order to fit for the current industry situation;

2) Re-examine the current contents of UoC and update, especially some old technologies, such as

manual imposition, etc.

3) At present, the UoCs related to desktop publishing skills, photo retouching skills and computer

drawing skills are related to layout making. However, for prepress practitioners, understanding

the preflight and print-related functions are very important. Other page layout functions are

minor. Therefore, it is suggested to add a UoC integrated with print-related functions for

desktop publishing software.

In summary, clear progression pathway is very important for the development of the company’s

talents. This document will be an important reference for the printing industry in the prepress

manpower development.

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7. Acknowledgement

This project was successfully completed, apart from the valuable comments provided by members

of ITAC and the Working Group on VQP of Printing Industry, APTEC also thanked the companies

interviewed for providing relevant information and opinions. The companies interviewed that

agreed to publish their names were listed as follows (in alphabetical order):

• Alpha Plus Printing Co. Limited

• Apex Print Limited

• Artron Art (Group) Co. Ltd.

• Asia One Printing Limited

• Bright Arts (H.K.) Ltd.

• C & C Joint Pritning Co., (H.K.) Ltd.

• Cheong Ming Press Factory Ltd.

• Ching Luen Printing Co. Ltd.

• CTPS Holdings Limited

• Hong Kong Dason Paper Products Company Limited

• Promise Network Printing Limited

• Golden Cup Printing Co. Ltd.

• Government Logistics Department

• Hung Hing Printing Group Limited

• Leo Paper Group (Hong Kong) Ltd.

• Luk Ka Paper Industrial Ltd.

• Millennium Printing (Shenzhen)Co., Ltd.

• New Island Printing Co. Ltd

• Paramount Printing Company Limited

• Safe Power Printing & Box Mfg. Co., Ltd.

• Sheck Wah Tong Printing Press Ltd

• Sun Hing Printing Holdings Limited

• Universe Printing Holdings Limited

• Wai Man Book Binding (China) Ltd.

• The Wing Fat Printing (Hong Kong) Ltd.

• Wing King Tong Printing Ltd.

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Moreover, APTEC would like to thank other companies and industry members who are not listed

above for their assistance in providing information.

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Printing & Publishing Industry Training Advisory Committee (2018-2020)

Membership

Chairperson: Mr Jackson LEUNG

Vice Chairperson: Mr Patrick SINN

Members: Ms CHAN Wai-man Ms CHEUNG Shin-yee

(in alphabetical order) Mr Teddy CHUI Ms CHUNG Kit-hung

Mr Percy FUNG Mr Peter LAU

Dr Elvin LEE, JP Mr Tony LIM

Mr Clarence LOK Dr Kenneth MA

Mr Ben MAK Mr John NG

Dr Sharon WONG Mr Alex YAN

Mr Patrick YEUNG Mr YU Chung-hang

Education Bureau Representative

Government Logistics Department Representative

Education and Training Subcommittee

Working Group on Vocational Qualifications Pathway of Printing Industry

Membership

Group leader: Mr Clarence LOK

Members: Mr Teddy CHUI Mr Percy FUNG

(in alphabetical order) Mr John NG Mr Paul YUEN (Co-opted member)

Education Bureau Representative