What a great month! As part of my responsibilities at Ryerson, I got to take our first year students on an overnight trip to see the Mackenzie Printery and Newspaper Museum in Niagara Falls. The intention of the trip is to allow the students to bond while they are exposed to the history of Canadian print.
May is important for several reasons. The absolute top priority is the ability to put away the snow shovel (please!). Quick to follow are the 300 students hitting the printing industry pavement for a summer job — 100 of which are in search of a formal internship.
I often see students working in retail or restaurant services unaware of the fact that there are opportunities within our industry. And, while things may be slower than usual, there are still some jobs students can benefit from.
Another key event is the graduation of about 100 of our students. I feel for them, as they are about to enter the workforce during an exceptionally difficult time. I hope that the climate stabilizes enough that you, as owners and managers, get to enjoy the benefits of bringing these new enthusiastic individuals into your companies.
The last important marker in May for me is the start of the “Natalia Brainstorm.” Summer is the time when academics develop courses and research. I love this part of my job. I think the more collaboratively we approach learning, the further we will move as an industry. If you have a project in mind that you would like to test, please feel free to contact me and add it to my pile of weird and wonderful things to think about.
That’s enough about me. We have a couple of great treats for you. First, we have an article by one of our editors, Mandy Bayrami. Mandy has grown up in the world of photo printing and shares what that world looks like today.
Another first this month is Ryerson’s own Professor Jason Lisi exploring workflows from a prepress perspective. I am very excited to have him contribute as he is the school’s premedia manager and our own authority in the area. I hope after reading his article, you will have a good sense of what a workflow can do for you as well as the different flavours that exist out there.
This month is also our Women in Print issue. I had the opportunity to talk to some really inspiring females for the article — if you haven’t met them already (which is unlikely), it is my great pleasure to introduce them to you. They have a common thread of determination and a love for this industry.
Now, for the most important news of all: after more than 25 years of teaching at the School of Graphic Communications Management, Rye Goodyear and Manfred Breede are retiring. Their knowledge and experience will be dearly missed. I was once their student, and now their colleague, and I recognize that the high standard of education in our school is a direct reflection of their strong values. For those of you who would like to stay in touch, you’ll find their emails on the Ryerson website.
We wish you both all the best!
Natalia Gilewicz
natalia@graphicartsmag.com
