Heatset Rotary Offset Lithography Printing Technician

The purpose of this qualification is to prepare a learner to operate as a Heatset Rotary Offset Lithography Printing Technician. A Heatset Rotary Offset Lithography Printing Technician performs pre-makeready and makeready operations for a printing production run, operates printing presses to produce printed material according to customer specifications and set quality standards, performs preventative and routine maintenance operations on printing presses and auxiliary equipment and machinery and complies with and reports on safety, health and environmental protection best practices and procedures for a heatset printing environment. They also oversee a printing team's performance and conduct. A qualified learner will be able to: • Conduct pre-makeready operations. • Set-up and operate a printing press to produce printed material according to customer specifications and set quality standards. • Conduct maintenance operations on printing presses, auxiliary equipment and machinery. • Comply with and report on safety, health and environmental protection best practices and procedures for a printing environment. • Oversee printing team's performance and conduct.

South Africa has a sizeable printing industry in terms of its contribution to the economy of the country. Its printing industry is one of the most advanced on the African continent, with companies prepared to invest huge amounts in purchasing advanced printing machines used in various printing processes and specialisations requiring specialised skills. The industry has a need for Printing Technicians who can manage these machines during a print production run. Heatset printing is the process through which newspapers, glossy magazines, flyers etc are printed. Generally, heatset printing is used for high-quality printing work. Printing SA engaged with the printing industry to address the concerns regarding the competitiveness of the industry against international markets during which the Printing Trades and Occupations were identified as scarce and critical skills in the industry. The existing FETC: Printing and Manufacture of Packaging (ID57898) is outdated and does not meet the requirements for a trade qualification in terms of the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations and the National Artisan Moderation Body. 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 of the increasing scarcity of skills on the Sector. The Heatset Rotary Offset Lithography Printing Technician qualification will fill a huge gap in terms of the qualification requirements. The qualification also specifies the training requirements for several specialised skills, which are: • Heatset Rotary Offset Lithography Reel-stand Operator. • Heatset Rotary Offset Lithography Stacker Operator. • Heatset Rotary Offset Lithography Assistant Printer. Considering the above, this qualification will have far-reaching positive implications for those who are or intend to be in the trade. Typical learners for this qualification are school leavers and TVET college graduates or workers who have been employed in the printing and packaging industry. Learners will benefit by receiving a high standard of training and education that is occupationally aligned. Once qualified, learners may gain access to industry related supervisory, master craftsman or management programmes that will be made available in the Printing and Packaging Sector to facilitate vertical career advancement. Employers in the printing industry will gain access to suitably qualified artisans who will be able to produce high-quality work through operating costly printing presses and reducing downtime and loss in productivity. By creating career pathways in the sector, employees will be able to progress from general factory workers to qualified Artisans. Related qualifications will create a healthy employment cycle in providing employment opportunities to unemployed youth. The work of Heatset Rotary Offset Lithography Printing Technicianis critical to the economy because of the fundamental role printing and print products play in the lives of every South African. Paper making, waste efficiency and recycling are subjects covered in this curriculum. The efficient and responsible use of paper, adhesives and other materials is of critical importance to the industry as it forms a significant component of printing costs within a green economy.

• Conduct pre-makeready operations and perform basic and planned maintenance on a heatset printing press and auxiliary components.
• Use acquired knowledge to set-up and maintain a reelstand and to solve reelstand-related problems in heatset printing environment.
• Use acquired knowledge to set-up and maintain stacker and delivery system conveyor and to solve stacker and delivery conveyor-related problems.
• Conduct set-up activities on heatset printing press and perform preventative and routine maintenance on components of the printing press.
• Operate the press, resolve problems and achieve quality requirements in a heatset printing environment.
• Oversee a printing team's performance and conduct in a heatset printing environment.