A passionate convergence of leading printers in Tasmania has occurred at the inaugural Tasmanian Printers Convention held in Ross on Friday.
Organised by Printing Industries Association of Australia (Printing Industries), the convention covered critical issues facing the industry in Tasmania and included a Standing Committee of the association.
Andrew Macaulay, CEO of Printing Industries, says, “We really value the at-times robust discussion and input from a wide variety of business representatives from all over Tasmania. It was apparent how much local industry want to support our advocacy initiatives, and are prepared to assist in whatever way possible.”
The agenda included specific topics such as apprenticeship training, book printing, industrial relations and the national and state print awards, as well as broader discussion on the current environment.
“The strong direction from industry is a requirement for the association to continue and enhance our focus on vocational education and training. The inclusion of a current and recently qualified apprentice in the meeting enabled considerable insight.”
“Also critical to the audience is the commitment from the government to buy-local and support local industry, rather than base decisions on price alone in the absence of wider value-add attributes and implications. As the voice of the industry, Printing Industries’ advocacy effectiveness is enhanced with increased and ongoing engagement from industry”, Macaulay says.
The Printing Industries Association of Australia board representative for Tasmania, Peter Clark says, “The feedback we received from the printers in attendance was fantastic. Most were genuinely surprised at the progress and initiatives now offered by Printing Industries. We look forward to hosting the next convention, currently planned for March 2018”.
