pROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND gROWTH

Learning for Every Stage

Build industry knowledge, strengthen employee capabilities, develop new talent, and turn learning into better performance.

MidAmerica U PRESS NEXT Certificate Program Explore Learning
Learning Built for print

Two Distinct Ways to Keep Moving Forward

Whether you are building skills throughout a career or preparing for entry into the industry, PIA MidAmerica connects you with learning created specifically for print, packaging, and visual communications.

Member-exclusive, flexible, on-demand learning for employees at every level.

MidAmerica U gives employees of PIA MidAmerica member companies convenient access to industry-specific learning and practical resources. Employees can explore independently, while company leaders can use the platform to support onboarding, employee development, and learning tied to specific roles or areas of the operation.

Highlights:

  • 100+ industry-specific courses
  • More than 700 learning resources
  • Learning for production, sales, customer service, leadership, and business operations
  • Resources for individual development, onboarding, and longer-term employee learning plans
  • Included as a benefit of PIA MidAmerica membership

Employees register through the MidAmerica U link assigned to their member company.

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Structured certification pathway for people preparing to build a career in print.

PRESS NEXT is an online certificate program for people beginning a career in print, packaging, and visual communications. It also gives member companies a formal development option for employees who are new to the industry.

Unlike open-ended continuing education, PRESS NEXT follows a defined curriculum with textbook-guided instruction, required testing, and a certificate upon successful completion.

Highlights:

  • Eight core learning competencies
  • Approximately 144 hours of online, self-paced learning. No previous print experience required
  • Textbook-guided coursework and required testing
  • Learning that can be reinforced through hands-on experience at a member company
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A member benefit used every day

Build Skills for Today and Capability for What Comes Next

MidAmerica U makes learning available across the entire member company. An employee can find a resource for an immediate question, develop knowledge related to a current role, or explore skills that support advancement. Company leaders can also select and sequence learning to complement onboarding, cross-training, supervisor development, or a longer-term employee-development plan.

Ways to use MidAmerica U:

  • EXPLORE INDEPENDENTLY
    Choose learning based on an immediate interest, challenge, or professional goal.
  • SUPPORT ONBOARDING
    Introduce new employees to the industry, production processes, terminology, and the larger business of print.
  • BUILD A LEARNING PLAN
    Sequence relevant courses and resources over time alongside coaching, job rotations, and hands-on development.
  • DEVELOP PEOPLE AND LEADERS
    Strengthen the professional, supervisory, and leadership capabilities employees need as their responsibilities grow.

Access note:

MidAmerica U is available to employees of PIA MidAmerica member companies. Register using your company-specific MidAmerica U link. If you do not know your company’s link, contact us and we will help you get started.

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Training Built by the industry, for the industry

Learn Print. Build Skills. Get Career-Ready.

Online training for people new to print, packaging, and visual communications. No experience needed.

Print is exciting! It's packaging, labels, wide-format graphics, and visual communications — a modern industry with real equipment, real skills, and shops across the region actively looking to for people ready to learn and contribute. We'll teach you the fundamentals from the ground up, then connect you to the people doing the hiring.

PRESS NEXT is a structured online certificate program for people beginning a career in print, packaging, and visual communications. No previous industry experience is required. Participants develop foundational industry knowledge through textbook-guided coursework, eight core learning competencies, and required testing. For employees of member companies, the same learning can be reinforced through coaching and hands-on experience in the workplace.

How the learning is structured
  • Approximately 144 hours of online, self-paced learning
  • Eight core competencies covering foundational industry knowledge
  • Textbook-guided instruction. Required end-of-course testing
  • A certificate upon successful completion
    Opportunities to connect learning with employers and real working environments
  • I AM EXPLORING A CAREER IN PRINT - No previous industry experience is required. Begin by exploring the program, expressing interest, applying, and enrolling when you are ready.
  • I REPRESENT A MEMBER COMPANY - Use PRESS NEXT as a structured learning experience for a new employee or someone moving into the print industry. Coursework can be reinforced through on-the-job training, coaching, and exposure to different areas of your operation.
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From Learning to Action
Explore Additional Learning

Better performance begins with seeing the work clearly. LEAN principles help companies identify waste, improve workflow, strengthen consistency, and create better systems for the people doing the work.

PIA MidAmerica offers several ways to begin:

Learn It

Access LEAN and continuous-improvement learning through MidAmerica U.

Explore It

Begin with a free Insights resource focused on practical improvement.

Hear It in Practice

Listen to industry conversations through The Print & Packaging Lab podcast.

Put It to Work

Contact PIA MidAmerica when your company needs hands-on guidance or consulting support.

Wherever you begin, the goal is the same: turn learning into practical, sustainable improvement. Not Sure Where to Begin? Tell us what you are trying to strengthen—your own skills, a new employee’s industry knowledge, a developing leader, a print education program, or your company’s performance. We will help you identify a practical next step

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Help Print Programs Grow and Thrive - Print education programs need strong connections to the industry they serve. PIA MidAmerica works with educators, schools, program leaders, and industry partners to demonstrate the value of print education and provide practical support when programs need it.

Advocate for It

Provide letters of support, industry context, workforce information, and other documentation that helps demonstrate the value and relevance of print education.

Equip Educators

Connect instructors with industry knowledge, career resources, learning materials, and insights they can bring into the classroom.

Connect to Industry

Help education programs build relationships with member companies, industry professionals, and partners who can offer perspective, participation, and support.

Help Programs Thrive

Support new and existing programs as they pursue funding, strengthen curriculum, respond to reviews, or make the case for continued investment

Whether a program is taking shape, seeking support, or working to demonstrate its value, PIA MidAmerica can help connect education leaders with useful information, resources, and industry voices.

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Learn Through Ideas, Experience, and Connection - Some of the most useful learning happens when people hear how others are approaching a challenge, discover a new perspective, or connect an idea to their own work. PIA MidAmerica creates opportunities to keep learning through industry content and community.

Read and Explore

Find practical articles, research, guides, and thought papers through PIA MidAmerica Insights and The Advisor.

Listen In

Hear candid industry conversations, working ideas, and real-world experiences through The Print & Packaging Lab podcast.

Learn Together

Participate in webinars, workshops, events, and other shared learning experiences focused on the issues shaping the industry.

Connect with Peers

Learn from the experience of other print professionals through relationships, conversations, and the larger PIA MidAmerica community.

Learning does not stop when a course ends. New ideas become more valuable when they are discussed, tested, and shared with others who understand the industry.

Explore Insights Listen to the Podcast

Create Stronger Pathways Into Print - PIA MidAmerica connects students, educators, print programs, member companies, and industry partners to help more people discover print and see a place for themselves within it.

Build Awareness

Introduce students and emerging talent to the breadth of print, packaging, and visual communications—and the technology, creativity, and opportunity within the industry.

Create Connections

Bring educators, students, employers, and industry partners together through classroom engagement, career events, job fairs, and other shared opportunities.

Open Pathways

Help interested individuals move from awareness toward education, student membership, industry experience, employment, and continued development.

A stronger workforce begins well before a job opening. It begins by making the industry visible, helping people understand its opportunities, and creating meaningful connections that can lead somewhere.

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