The Graphic Communications Workforce Coalition (GCWC) has completed the student design contest and is introducing its new logo. Nearly 50 entries were received from students across the US. The winning design was submitted by Brianna Macsuga, a student at the Genesee Career Institute in Flint, Michigan. She will be receiving $1,000 in tuition assistance. Two honorable mention awards of $250 will go to Qi Chen and Mandana Yaghini, both from Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, California.
Genesee instructor Michael Crawford was instrumental in encouraging his students to participate in the competition. He said: “Brianna is a first-year foundation student with an endless eagerness to ‘get it right.’ I admire and truly appreciate her tenacity and grit. I am a fan of her resourcefulness and so look forward to hearing of her future successes and accomplishments. The employer that captures her is going to be very lucky indeed.”
The tuition awards were made possible by the David W. Jones Scholarship Fund managed by Print Media Association in St. Louis, Missouri, and its director Tim Suraud. “We had a number of interesting and suitable entries. The competition for top choice was close and the committee was impressed with the results,” Suraud said.
Created about a year ago, the coalition’s membership consists of nearly 50 organizations from across the industry and the country. The group comprises concerned associations, educators and industry representatives (service providers and suppliers) who are uniting to address a key industry concern.
As stated in its organizing documents, “The purpose of the coalition will be to coordinate the efforts of all organizations representing the broad scope of the graphic communications industry for creating awareness, recruitment of new people into the industry, providing a framework for apprenticeship and training programs, and the retention of the existing workforce. By combining the separate efforts, experiences and initiatives of various organizations, coordinating actions and the sharing of ideas and resources, it is expected that all will benefit.”
GCWC’s website – www.gccoalition.org – is now live with basic information and a list of current members. This site is intended to be a compilation of resources for the industry, and the GCWC Board of Directors is very excited to announce that soon the site will contain information on the “Print Is Everywhere” campaign and a model apprenticeship program, both of which are near the roll-out stage.
Membership is open to parties representing the continuum of the graphic communications industry. This includes associations, vendors to the industry, educational institutions and all areas of print and graphic communications service providers. Those interested in participating are encouraged to use the website “Join Us” page to sign on. There is no cost to join, only the desire to participate in the process. GCWC is actively seeking service providers, educational institutions and industry vendors to both its membership and to represent their constituencies on the board.
GCWC chair Judy Durham (APTech) said: “We are making significant progress in addressing this key industry concern. This effort has wide support, and we expect that significant action will be the result of our efforts.”
For more information, visit www.gccoalition.org. To ask any questions about GCWC, please contact Judy at jdurham@aptech.org or Secretary John Berthelsen at johnb@pgsf.org or 608.575.3904.
