There’s a lot of talk these days on the predicted shortage of skilled production workers. So I found it interested when a young man going to college for print production shared some real fears about working in our industry. He asked, “Is there always going to be a market for Digital Prepress and Photoshop users?” After consulting my Magic 8 Ball it answered “As I see it, yes.”
Feeling confident, I shared my opinion. I think in the last few years the number of positions available has shrunk due to restructuring, more automated workflows, etc. That being said, I think there will always be positions open. I think the more highly skilled you are, particularly if you have cross over skills, the more you will be in demand.
So what do you think? Should he continue on his education path and career goal of working in prepress? What skills will your company be looking for in 2-5 years?
But before you answer, you might want to check out the Job Outlook section from the US Dept. of Labor: http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos230.htm
Last week, I got an email from a previous customer, who left our training program over a year and a half ago. She had recently switched jobs and was interested in training again.