Eight online training modules have been released under Australia's Future of Print initiative.

The government-funded resources - the programme's first online - have been developed with the support of Printing Industries and the AMWU.

Training approaches project officer Michelle Lees says the move will allow the delivery of flexible, blended training integrated with an apprentice's work, reducing the need for apprentices to be 'off site'.

"It's important for us to ensure that the training effectively equips the apprentice to do their job and meet their qualification requirements, but it's equally important that we recognise the need for businesses to meet the very real imperatives of productivity and profitability," she says.

The new modules were developed following consultation with the five registered training organisations (RTOs) currently delivering print training across the country who are partners in the Future Print Apprenticeship Project. Future Print then worked closely with Innovation and Business Skills Australia to develop the first eight units of competency that met the identified requirements and could be used as a pilot.

The result is the release of the initial eight online training modules covering a number of core units across Certificate 2, 3, 4 and 5 including:

Participate in environmentally sustainable work

Communicate in the workplace

Inspect quality against required standards

Maintain a safe work environment

Apply knowledge of print production (please note this is a consolidated unit)

Introduction to colour management

Manage digital files

Set up and produce basic digital print

The new resources have been evaluated by RTOs, businesses and apprentices participating in the Future Print program. Following overwhelmingly positive feedback they have now been officially released to the RTOs for use in their apprenticeship training delivery.

Future Print is now developing the next 12 online units and actively looking for additional content to take advantage of the new online capabilities.

"We are very excited about the potential of online training, which works beautifully as part of the 'self-paced' competency-based training model and is particularly valuable for smaller businesses and those in rural and regional locations," Lees says.