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Talent is the New Tech: Smart Strategies for Building a Skilled Print Team

Every print operation, whether in-plant or commercial, depends on skilled people to meet deadlines and deliver with precision. Workforce development is now a strategic necessity, with continuous training across all experience levels a key to staying competitive. Here are practical strategies to build a high-performing team by addressing the unique training needs of new hires, mid-career staff, and employees transitioning into new roles.

Tuesday, September 23, 2025

Source: Shutterstock Under License

Every organization that produces print, in-plant, and print-for-pay lives in a world bound by deadlines and customer satisfaction that relies on precision execution. A well-trained team can be the difference between profitability and frustration. Whether onboarding a new press operator, upskilling a CSR to become a planner, or cross-training bindery staff to handle digital finishing, how print businesses approach training impacts productivity, morale, and customer satisfaction.

The printing industry is undergoing a generational and technological shift. Print businesses should be treating workforce development as a strategic priority. Training isn’t a one-time onboarding event! For continued success, it needs to be woven into the infrastructure as an ongoing investment in the future of the operation.


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About Pat McGrew and Ryan McAbee

Pat is a well-known evangelist for inkjet productivity. At McGrew Group, she uses her decades technical and marketing experience to lead the industry toward optimized business processes and production workflows. She has helped companies to define their five-year plans, audited workflow processes, and developed sales team interventions and education programs. Pat is the Co-Author of 8 industry books, editor of A Guide to the Electronic Document Body of Knowledge, and a regular contributor to Inkjet Insight and WhatTheyThink.com. Ryan McAbee is Chief Analyst at Pixel Dot Consulting LLC.

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