Corrugate Board and Container Machine Minder

A Corrugated Board and Container Machine Minder sets up, runs, tests and monitors board manufacturing and equipment for quality corrugated boards. A qualified learner will be able to: • Set-up corrugated board packaging manufacturing machinery and equipment. • Manufacture corrugated boards for packaging. • Test quality of corrugated boards. • Conduct first-line machine maintenance on packaging manufacturing machinery and equipment.

The current qualification for the Corrugated Board and Container Machine Minder is outdated and does meet the requirements for a trade qualification in terms of the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations and National Artisan Moderation Body (NAMB) requirements. The lack of such quality training and education has placed the Sector in a precarious position in so far as international competitiveness is concerned not to mention the devastating impact that the increasing scarcity of skills has had on the Sector. The challenge that persists within the South African economy is that of addressing the vast range of critical and scares skills needed within an industry like the printing and packaging industry. Some of the key factors that need to be addressed within the economy are: • Prioritising and communicating critical skills for sustainable growth, development, and equity. • The promotion and acceleration of quality training for all in the workplace. • Promoting employability and sustainable livelihoods through skills development. • The promotion of entrants to participate in accredited and integrated work-based programmes to acquire the critical skills to enter the labour market and for self-employment. In an effort to support the state's objective i.e., addressing the challenges of poverty and inequality in the country through high levels of education and training interventions, industry needs, and workplace training needs have to be aligned to necessitate industry growth to yield quality and credible labourers. The apparent need of development across all sub-sectors of more middle and high-level skills and the need for workplace training programmes that bring about productivity and competitiveness drive the need to identify the skill deficiencies and address them within the printing and packaging industry. Economic gender sensitivity in the workplace also needs addressing through the requirement of more female apprentices to enter the printing and packaging industry to change the complexion of the industries male dominated reputation so that it starts to reflect the transformation taking root in the workplace. Trades and occupations need to incorporate new skills and knowledge to replace outdated skills and knowledge. Learners of this trade will receive a high standard of training and education that is occupationally aligned. Once qualified, these learners will be able to further their education and obtain access to industry related management programmes available in the Printing and Packaging sector. Printing and Packaging employers will gain access to suitably qualified artisans to operate and maintain costly printing. By creating career pathways in this sector, employees will be able to progress from general factory workers to qualified artisans. This will create a healthy employment cycle providing much needed employment opportunities to unemployed youth. While qualified artisans will currently not be able to progress to a registered qualification at an NQF Level 5 or higher, it is envisaged that Supervisory and or Master Craftsmen qualifications will be developed in the near future to provide career pathway opportunities.

• Demonstrate ways used to set-up and run the wet end of corrugated board manufacturing machinery and equipment to ensure the production of consistent quality corrugated board.
• Demonstrate methods used to set-up and run the dry end of corrugated board manufacturing machinery and equipment to ensure the production of consistent quality corrugated board.
• Use applicable knowledge to test the quality of corrugated boards.
• Conduct first-line machine maintenance on corrugated board manufacturing machinery and equipment.