FIRST Prepress Operator Certification
FLEXO: What was your initial reaction to the idea of FIRST Prepress Operator Certification?
Desktop Lead: I was skeptical at first—I didn’t know how much it would directly relate to my job. It turned out to be very helpful and had useful information.
FLEXO: Did you find the material taught throughout the three levels new or a refresh?
Desktop Lead: I got a good mixture of both. There were a lot of things I already knew that I got to review and refresh in my mind.
FLEXO: How has the certification affected your day to day job and associated responsibilities? Where is it most evident?
Desktop Lead: Most days I’m choosing profiles to run hard copy proofs on, curves to RIP plate files through, and dealing with trapping, LPI, bar codes, etc. All of these things were reviewed in the certification. Knowing how the process works from beginning to end is beneficial.
FLEXO: How has certification improved the way you do your job?
Desktop Lead: Getting a refresher on some subjects, as well as learning new information, has built my confidence to make decisions that are best for the process.
FLEXO: Now that Smyth has achieved FIRST Company Certification, have you noticed more confidence on the part of the entire team? Has morale been boosted? Does everyone seem to understand his/her role a bit better?
Desktop Lead: Workers have realized that they are part of a process with a lot of moving parts and it takes everyone, from beginning to end, working together, to accomplish the desired results.
FIRST Press Operator Certification
FLEXO: What was your initial reaction to the idea of FIRST Press Operator Certification?
Color Lead Planner: I thought it would be good to gain knowledge and understanding, but was also a little skeptical that it might just be a way to “check a box” on the list of things to do in order to be certified.
FLEXO: Did you find the material taught throughout the three levels new or a refresh?
Color Lead Planner: The information near the beginning was a refresh, but as the course went on, the information became new.
FLEXO: How has the certification affected your day to day job and associated responsibilities? Where is it most evident?
Color Lead Planner: Better understanding of processes and methodology has helped me troubleshoot and avoid problems at press that gave us trouble in the past.
FLEXO: How has certification improved the way you do your job?
Color Lead Planner: Better knowledge and understanding has definitely helped save time and avoid some pitfalls.
FLEXO: Now that Smyth has achieved FIRST Company Certification, have you noticed more confidence on the part of the entire team? Has morale been boosted? Does everyone seem to understand his/her role a bit better?
Color Lead Planner: By and large, the people who’ve had the certification training do seem more confident and have a better understanding of their roles. In turn, morale has improved.
FIRST Implementation Specialist Certification
FLEXO: What was your initial reaction to the idea of FIRST Implementation Specialist Certification?
Madigan: My initial thought about the certification was, “How am I going to find the time to get this done? Oh no, tests!”
FLEXO: Did you find the material taught throughout the three levels new or a refresh?
Madigan: I found the learning to be evenly split between some refresh and some new topics.
FLEXO: How has the certification affected your day to day job and associated responsibilities? Where is it most evident?
Madigan: The number of employees that get the process and ask questions about the process has increased.
FLEXO: How has certification improved the way you do your job?
Madigan: It makes it easier to communicate with customers, separators and artists. There is a level of respect we have earned that seems so much more obvious since the certification. It is possible that the first pull sign offs have proven the process is working at Smyth – Minneapolis.
FLEXO: Now that Smyth has achieved FIRST Company Certification, have you noticed more confidence on the part of the entire team? Has morale been boosted? Does everyone seem to understand his/her role a bit better?
Madigan: Confidence was very high after implementation of the process more than 10 years ago. The Certification demonstrates to the employees our ongoing commitment, and to each individual employee going through the individual training.