PIAG Names SkillsUSA Georgia Winners

(Atlanta, Ga., March 18, 2010) – The Printing & Imaging Association of Georgia (PIAG) has announced the winners in the Georgia SkillsUSA graphic communications and advertising design competitions held at Heidelberg USA’s Print Media Demonstration Center in Kennesaw, Ga. Through a grant from PIAG’s Educational Foundation, the first place contestants and their advisors will travel to Kansas City in June to compete in the national SkillsUSA competition. In addition, the Foundation awarded scholarships to the winners totaling $4,500.

Winners in the graphic communications competition include: first place: Christina Hillman, Effingham High School, Springfield, Ga.; second place: Eriko Smith, Bradwell Institute, Hinesville, Ga.; and third place: Jason Cagle, Walton High School, Marietta, Ga.

Winners in the advertising design competition include: first place: Karina Scholtens, Central Education Center, Newnan, Ga.; second place: Yea Jee Bae, Dalton High School; and third place: Julia Tillery, Effingham High School, Springfield, Ga.

All students competed in a job interview and written skills assessment. The advertising design competitors were given three hours to compose a logo and packaging for a fictitious new lunchbox. AIGA, the professional design association, judged the entries. The graphic communications category consisted of five competencies: pre-press work, offset press, finishing, a written exam and job interview. Winners received above average scores in all five categories. Video of the competition can be found at www.youtube.com/PIAGGeorgia.

“Heidelberg USA is honored to once again host the Georgia SkillsUSA graphic communications and advertising design competitions,” said Susan Nofi, senior vice president, Human Resources at Heidelberg USA. “The level of talent exhibited during this competition is truly astonishing. It’s great to see these high school students demonstrate such a strong interest in a graphic arts career. I certainly hope they pursue their career goals into their higher education and the workforce.”

“Finding and keeping skilled management, production, technical and sales employees is a major issue facing printers today,” said Bill Garvey, division manager at Athens Paper and chairman of the PIAG Educational Foundation, sponsors of the contest. “Participation in SkillsUSA is a win for everyone. Students get valuable job training and industry ensures a skilled pipeline of future talent.”
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About SkillsUSA
SkillsUSA (www.skillsusa.org) is a partnership of students, teachers and industry working together to ensure America has a skilled work force. The organization serves more than 280,000 students and instructors annually and has 13,000 school chapters in 54 state and territorial associations. More than 14,500 instructors and administrators are professional members of SkillsUSA.

About The Printing & Imaging Association Educational Foundation
The PIAG Educational Foundation (www.piag.org/education) is a nonprofit corporation established in 1985 as the educational and charitable arm of the Printing & Imaging Association of Georgia. The Foundation provides educational opportunities to industry professionals, career awareness programs for students and instructors and scholarship opportunities. The Foundation also promotes the printing and imaging profession within the state to future industry leaders and potential customers.

Transportation for SkillsUSA

Congratulations to all the SkillsUSA regional winners in Georgia. We're excited to see you at the state competition!

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Each year, PIAG sponsors the Georgia statewide SkillsUSA competition for Advertising Design and Graphic Communications. We also sponsor a full day of training for contestants the day before the competition. Since our contest and training is held off site at Heidelberg USA in Kennesaw, PIAG also provides transportation for contestants. Below is an timeline for transportation to the 2010 Statewide SkillsUSA graphic communication and advertising design training day and competition.


Thursday, March 11 (Training Day)
9:00 am - Bus picks up from the Airport Marriott for transportation to Heidelberg
10:00 am - Program starts at Heidelberg
2:30 pm - Bus picks up ad design students at Heidelberg
3:15 pm - Expected arrival of ad design students at Airport Marriott
4:00 pm - Bus picks up graphic communications students at Heidelberg
5:00 pm - Expected arrival of graphic communications students at the Airport Marriott

Friday, March 12 (Competition)
8:30 am - Bus picks up from the Airport Marriott for transportation to Heidelberg
9:30 am - Competition begins at Heidelberg
3:30 pm - Bus picks up students at Heidelberg
4:30 pm - Expected arrival of students at the Airport Marriott

Virtual Tours on Graph Comm Net

If you haven't been to Graph Comm Central in a while, it's worth a visit. The site is quite snazzy and has a whole list of virtual printing tours, as well as information for students on careers in the printing industry.

FREE Ink

Here is an email I received from Ashley Lenz, PIAG Marketing Manager. If you'd like the ink, please contact Leo this week.

I received a call from Leo Mascheck in Duluth Ga (right around Satellite & Boggs Rd.) - he is clearing out a warehouse and at the loading dock they’ve got 8-10 palettes of printing inks that are available for FREE to anyone who will come pick them up. Some have not even been opened. I have contact Wikoff to see if they know anyone who might be able to pick them up, but wanted to open the opportunity up to schools, too. They need everything gone by the end of this week. Spread the word! His number is 678.386.2987.

PIAG Lean Roadshow is "Mucho Helpful"

Attendees are saying this week's PIAG Roadshow was "Mucho Helpful" and "the best part is the effective balance between hands-on exercises and presentation". On Sept. 23 the Roadshow will be in Macon and in Savannah on Sept. 24. The Lean Roadshow is in Columbus on Oct. 7.

Sign up today by going to www.piag.org/lean. If you can't make it in person, follow PIAG on twitter @PIAGGeorgia. We'll have links to a live stream of the program. Remember, participants receive a FREE onsite assessment of their plant.

Want to see the recording of the Atlanta event? Go to any of the links below

http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/2171220
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/2171802
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/2171634
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/2171731

Tax Credits Available for Lean Programs

Implementing the suggestions presented in the PIAG sponsored and Georgia Tech Innovation Insitute lead program Lean Roadshow: On the Road to Lean and Green could save printers significantly. In addition to the lean savings, the government is offering tax credits.

A company can qualify for the Georgia Retraining Tax Credit as long as some element of the program is implemented in the plant. The tax credit can cover up to 50 percent of all the printer's training expenses, including cost of the training, travel and wages paid to employees attending the training.

For more information on the Lean Roadshow: On the Road to Lean and Green go to www.piag.org/lean. To watch a preview of the program click here. If you do not have the FREE Silverlight software, you will need to download that before viewing the presentation.

For more information on tax credits for training, contact Terry McMillian at 706-302-7725.

Learn How to Make Money, Be Competitive, Grow

Last week, the Georgia Innovation Institute presented a short, half hour webinar giving attendees a preview of the PIAG fall Lean Road Show. If you missed the webinar, no worries, you can download it here and watch it on demand.

Derek Woodham of Georgia Tech's Innovation Institute explained what lean is and what it can do for your business through discussion and a case study of other printers that have worked with GT. So if you'd like to make more money; be more competitive; grow; and sustain and create jobs; don't miss this preview and the PIAG fall Lean Road Show.

To view the Preview Webinar on Demand, register here and an email is sent immediately. Once you receive the email, click on the presentation. You need to download the free Silverlight software before viewing the presentation.

FREE Webinar Teaches How to Go Lean

Join PIAG for a FREE Preview of PIAG's Fall Lean Roadshow: On the Road to Lean and Green. This webinar is scheduled for Aug. 12 from 12 - 12:30 pm.

Mitigate the effects of today's economic instability by making your processes as lean as possible. What is Lean, and what can it do for you? Derek Woodham with Georgia Tech's Innovation Institute talks about the benefits and savings and who should get involved in a company's Lean transformation.

This FREE preview, taken from the comfort of your desktop, helps printers decide who to send to the customized series of Lean courses, sponsored by PIAG, that Georgia Tech has developed especially for the printing and imaging industry. The Lean Roadshow is slated for September and October and those who participate in the Road Show receive a FREE onsite evaluation.

To register for this FREE preview webinar, go to http://gtlean081209.eventbrite.com.

For more information on PIAG's Lean Roadshow: On the Road to Lean and Green, go to www.piag.org/lean.

GA DOE on Education Grants

Mamie Hanson and Sonny Cannon with the Georgia Department of Education came to PIAG's Camp T&I program today to discuss the grant process and what funds are available to schools to go after the PrintED accreditation process.

Hear from Mamie here and Sonny here.

Frank Romano Talks about the Future of Printing

Frank Romano talks about trends in the printing industry and the future of printing. At first this is just audio, but part way through we added the video. To view the video, click here.

Paul Davis on Pre-Press

Paul Davis, a pre-press consultant talked to the group at Camp T&I about the pre-press function and walked them through several areas of InDesign. To see Paul's presentation, click here.

Joe Marin on Color Appreciation

Joe Marin, senior analyst of digital technologies for the Printing Industries of America presented a program at PIAG today on Color Appreciation. Click here to view Joe's presentation. For more of Joe's thoughts on RGB Color Correction, see the Summer 2009 Issue of Georgia Printer at www.georgiaprinteronline.com. In addition, click on the valuable resource tools to download tips for color management. For a copy of Joe's complete presentation, go to www.piag.org/missionpossible.pdf.

How to Run a Press Check

Today we had Joe Marin, senior analyst of digital technologies for the Printing Industries of America at PIAG presenting a program called Mission Possible. The day long program was attended by teachers, PIAG and AIGA members. PIAG streamed the event live and a copy of the "How to Run a Press Check" portion click here. For a copy of Joe's entire presentation go to www.piag.org/missionpossible.pdf. For information on the press check portion only, go to http://www.piag.org/PressCheck_MissionPossible.pdf.

Let us know what you think. This was an experiment. Our camera wasn't very good and it took us a while to figure out the Ustream system we used. However, we're very excited to have the technology to offer programs to those who are unable to attend. In addition to this stream, PIAG tweeted during the event allowing readers to ask questions via twitter and we pushed the program out through our LinkedIn group. We plan to do this for future programs including our Road Show (www.piag.org/lean) in the fall, so follow us on twitter @PIAGGeorgia.

Dalton Sophomore Takes Bronze in National SkillsUSA Competition

(Atlanta, Ga., July 8, 2009) – Yea Jee Bae, a rising junior at Dalton High School in Dalton, GA, placed third in the National SkillsUSA Advertising Design Championship, held June 21-26 in Kansas City, MO. The gold medal went to Victoria Brown, Del Sol High School, Las Vegas, NV and the silver went to Pedro Miramontes from Pocatello High School, Pocatello, ID. The competition was part of the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference where more than 5,400 outstanding career and technical education students joined in the excitement of hands-on competition in 91 different trade, technical, and leadership fields.

Contestants earned the opportunity to compete at the national event by placing first in regional, and then state, competitions. In addition to family and friends, Bae had members of the Printing & Imaging Association of Georgia (PIAG) and AIGA, the professional association of designers, cheering for her. PIAG’s Educational Foundation hosted the state competition in April at the Print Media Demonstration Center at Heidelberg USA in Kennesaw. PIAG also provided a travel scholarship for Bea and her advisor, Nancy Hallsworth, to attend the National Competition. AIGA provided a scholarship to Bae for continued study.

“I had never been to the National competition,” said Nancy Hallsworth, a graphics instructor and Bae’s advisor at Dalton High School. “I did not truly grasp the magnitude of the Skills organization until now. It is amazing.”

SkillsUSA is a national organization for students in trade, industrial, technical and health occupations education. It sponsors the SkillsUSA Championships annually to recognize the achievements of career and technical education students and to encourage them to strive for excellence and pride in their chosen occupations. The contests are planned by technical committees made up of representatives of labor and management and are designed to test the skills needed for a successful entry-level performance in given occupational fields.

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About SkillsUSA SkillsUSA (www.skillsusa.org) is a partnership of students, teachers and industry working together to ensure America has a skilled work force. The organization serves more than 280,000 students and instructors annually and has 13,000 school chapters in 54 state and territorial associations. More than 14,500 instructors and administrators are professional members of SkillsUSA.

About The Printing & Imaging Association Educational Foundation
The PIAG Educational Foundation (www.piag.org/education) is a nonprofit corporation established in 1985 as the educational and charitable arm of the Printing & Imaging Association of Georgia. The Foundation provides educational opportunities to industry professionals, career awareness programs for students and instructors and scholarship opportunities. The Foundation also promotes the printing and imaging profession within the state to future industry leaders and potential customers.

Mr. Tim Taylor Named President of The Printing & Imaging Association of Georgia (PIAG)

SMYRNA, Ga. - The PIAG Executive Search Committee and the PIAG Executive Committee have unanimously confirmed the position of PIAG president to Mr. Tim Taylor. Mr. Taylor comes to this position with over 20 years of experience in sales and management in the print paper industry, as well as numerous years in association membership and management.

Mr. Taylor officially began his duties as PIAG president on Wednesday, July 1, 2009.

(Read More)

SkillsUSA Champ Preps for WorldSkills Competition

From What TheyThink.com...
Amela Mujkic has a giant in her corner. The Ferris State University (FSU) senior earned the title of National Champion in Printing Technology in the SkillsUSA competition last spring and is preparing to represent the United States at the biannual WorldSkills competition in Alberta, Canada this fall. Her participation marks the first time ever that a student from the U.S. will compete at the international level. This summer, Mujkic is completing an intensive, two-week Print Media Academy (PMA) training class at Heidelberg USA’s Print Media Demonstration Center (PMDC) in Kennesaw, Ga. to prepare herself for the upcoming competition.
(Read More)

Georgia Printer Magazine Adds Media Buyers To Its Readership

Georgia Printer Magazine Adds Media Buyers To Its Readership

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PIAG Announces Winner of SkillsUSA YouTube Contest

The Printing and Imaging Association of Georgia's Educational Foundation announced today the winner of a YouTube contest to promote the 2009 SkillsUSA Georgia graphic communications and advertising design competitions, which the association sponsors. William Anthony, a student at Johnson High School in Gainesville, Ga. received a $100 cash prize for his video showcasing the recent competition. Effingham High School students Jessica Parker and Chelsea McIntyre received honorable mentions.

"The introductions and slide transitions set Will's video apart. They were fresh and different," said judge Pat Klarecki, Professor at Ferris State University and a coordinator for the graphic communications World Skills competition.

Contestants were asked to produce a YouTube video of no more than four minutes using photos taken during the 2009 SkillsUSA Georgia training and competitions held at Heidelberg USA, April 16 - 18. All photos were housed on Flickr for easy accessibility. Judging was based on number of views, YouTube rating and input from a panel of industry representatives.

To view all the videos submitted, visit www.youtube.com/PIAGGeorgia. To view the photos used to produce the videos visit PIAG's Flickr site.

SkillsUSA YouTube Contest

We have 11 entries so far in the SkillsUSA YouTube contest. It's pretty exciting. Below is one of the entries. You can go to www.YouTube.com/PIAGGeorgia to view all the entries. Rate your favorite one and maybe it will win! Spread the word by sharing your favorite videos and posting them to your Myspace and/or Facebook accounts.

If you're interested in entering, there is still time. Click here for official rules. FYI, the password to upload the video has been changed to just skillsusa.

Virtual Field Trips

I've heard from several teachers that it is harder and harder to get the budget and time to visit print shops with their students. PIAG is talking to some members about producing virtual tours that you can show your students. Nothing is as good as seeing it in person, but when that's not an option, perhaps this is the solution. Take a look at this video below of a print shop in upstate New York. Let me know what you think. Would this be a good model for other virtual tours? Would your students respond to this?