As the Canadian sign industry faces challenges in finding the next generation of professionals, it has turned to a number of methods for encouraging young people to consider signmaking as a career.
由于加拿大的标识行业在寻找下一代专业人士方面面临挑战，相关人员在鼓励一些年轻人将标识制作作为一种职业。
One such method has been Sign Manufacturing Day, which invites students across Canada and the U.S. to visit and tour sign companies in their area. Held each October, this event showcases the equipment and processes involved in sign fabrication, offers educational sessions, provides a better understanding of the industry and directly results in internship and job applications. In 2017, by way of example, more than 3700 potential employees walked through the doors of the Sign Association of Canada (SAC) and International Sign Association (ISA) member companies participating in the event, marking significant growth over past years.
其中方法之一就是举行“标识制造日”，它邀请加拿大和美国的学生参观他们所在地区的标识公司。这个活动每年十月举行，展示标识制作所涉及的设备和流程，提供教育课程，以便更好的了解这个行业，促进学生参加这个行业的实习和递交工作申请。2017年，超过3700名员工加入加拿大标识协会并成功迈入国际标识协会公司的大门，这展现出标识行业过去几年的显著增长。
A related challenge, however, is ensuring students are suitably equipped with the skills they will need to join the sign industry in the first place.
然而，相应的挑战是确保学生适当地具备加入标识行业所需的技能。
Documenting progress
记录进展
One person addressing this challenge is David Liversidge, who heads a sign design program at W.J. Mouat Secondary School in Abbotsford, B.C., and is a member of Sign Media Canada’s editorial advisory board (EAB). He has been working with SAC in recent years to develop a certification program for his students.
解决这一挑战的人之一是David Liversidge，他是位于阿伯茨福德的W.J. Mouat中学标识设计项目的负责人，也是加拿大标识媒体顾问委员会的成员。近年来，他一直与SAC合作，为他的学生制定认证计划。
“To my knowledge, it is the first of its kind for the sign industry in Canada,” he says. “The idea is for the kids to earn a document they can then take to a sign shop as certification of their training and abilities.”
“据我所知，这是加拿大标识行业的第一次。”他说， “这个想法是让孩子们获得一份他们的培训和能力的证明文件。”
Liversidge introduces students in his Grade 11 class to signmaking through such elements as graphic design and substrate cutting. They start out with simple projects like wall posters.
Liversidge在课堂上向学生介绍了“如何运用图形设计和基片切割等元素进行标识制作？”，他以简单的墙壁海报为例为学生们讲解。
“A lot of it is crafty, but over time, they build up a comprehensive skill set on digital equipment,” he says. “The technology really appeals to kids of every level in school. Everyone can enjoy weeding vinyl, for example. As they learn how to make and cut graphics, they are excited to see the results.”
“很多学生都非常聪明的，经过一段时间的学习，他们在数字设备上建立了全面的技能，这项技术吸引着学校各个层次的孩子。例如，当他们在‘如何制作和切割图形’那堂课得到自己努力做出的成果时，每个人都高兴极了。”
In Grade 12, they move on to larger in-house projects, including wide-format printed banners for sports teams and non-profit events.
在12年级，他们转向更大的内部项目，包括运动队和非营利活动的宽幅印刷横幅。
“As they get more involved in the production side of things, they produce simple car wraps,” says Liversidge. “At the upper end, you get kids taking on the challenges of working with vector-based graphics, computer numerical control (CNC) routing and laser engraving.”
Liversidge说:“随着他们更多地参与到产品的生产中，他们的技能也在不断的提升。现在他们能够生产出简单的汽车包装。之后他们就要开始挑战矢量图形、计算机数控切割机和激光雕刻了。”
One of the keys to the program’s success is access to the right equipment. In addition to a computer lab running Corel software, W.J. Mouat allows students to work with inkjet printing and plasma cutting systems.
该项目成功的关键之一在于获得合适的设备。除了运行Corel软件的计算机实验室外，W.J.Mouat还允许学生使用喷墨打印和等离子切割系统。
“While other schools are getting into this sort of stuff and many in British Columbia have vinyl cutters, ours is truly a fully functioning sign shop,” says Liversidge.
“虽然其他学校也在做这类事情，不列颠哥伦比亚省的许多学校都有乙烯基切割机，但我们的标识店也是一个设备齐全的标识店，”利弗里奇说。
This means high school students can graduate with a continuum of experience that is relevant to future job postings with sign companies.
这意味着，高中毕业生可以获得与标识公司招聘职位相关的工作经验。
“Some people are already entrepreneurial, but anyone can be trained,” says Liversidge.“
“有些人已经开始创业了，但任何人都可以接受培训。”Liversidge说。
Nationally endorsed
全国支持
Liversidge began speaking with SAC about a certification in 2014 and got an enthusiastic response. By the fall of 2016, endorsed by SAC through its British Columbia chapter, he was running a ‘pilot’ class of six students.
2014年，Liversidge开始与SAC讨论认证事宜，并得到了热烈的回应。到2016年秋，在SAC不列颠哥伦比亚省分会的支持下，他开办了一个由6名学生组成的“试验班”。
“The idea was they would come out of the class certified the following June,” he explains.
他解释说:“当时的想法是，他们将在第二年6月从认证课程中毕业。”
To augment the classwork accordingly, Liversidge had the students commit to week-long work placements before their exams at the end of the school year.
为了增加相应的课堂作业，Liversidge让学生们在学年结束考试前进行为期一周的实习。
“On-the-job training is important and there are lots of family-owned sign shops where they can get it,” he says. “Years ago, the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) in Edmonton had a sign arts program that took a similar approach.”
Liversidge说:“在职培训很重要，几乎所有的标识店都会提供相应的培训。多年前，埃德蒙顿的北阿尔伯塔理工学院有一个标识艺术项目采取了类似的方法培养学生。”
Once they have completed the program, the students are endorsed with SAC Level 1 Certification, which addresses the use of vinyl cutting software. Liversidge’s vision has been to add Level 2 for digital wide-format printing of banners and wraps and Level 3 for CNC routing and laser engraving.
一旦他们完成了课程，学生就会获得SAC一级认证，该认证涉及乙烯基切割软件的使用。Liversidge的初衷是把条幅和包装的数字宽幅印刷设为二级，把数控布线和激光雕刻设为三级。
“Most of the jobs the students get are still entry-level, but it is a huge relief to sign shop owners when they can get a recent student to do some of the work they would otherwise have to do themselves,” says Liversidge. “That way, the owner can focus on the business end of things. It’s a win-win.”
“学生们在学校获得的大部分任务仍然是入门级的，但是当店主把他们签约下来，他们就可以拥有自己的工作，这样对店主也是一种巨大的解脱。”Liversidge说，“那样，店主就可以专注于业绩，这对大家来说是双赢的。“
Getting the technology into schools
将技术引入学校
The next step will be to expand the program, so other students across the country can also participate.
下一步将是扩大该计划，因此全国其他学生也可以参加。
“There aren’t a lot of schools today that teach signmaking classes,” Liversidge admits. “In Vancouver, the Emily Carr University of Art and Design focuses on graphic design for packaging and retail applications. And in Toronto, students at Ryerson University’s School of Graphic Communications Management (GCM) have earned scholarships from the Specialty Graphic Imaging Association (SGIA).”
Liversidge说:“现在很少有学校开设标识制作课程。在温哥华，艾蜜莉·卡艺术与设计大学专注于包装零售的平面设计。在多伦多，赖尔森大学图形通信管理学院的学生获得了专业图形图像协会的奖学金。”
And given those are post-secondary educational institutions, there is a need to start preparing students earlier, in high schools like W.J. Mouat.
鉴于这些是高等教育机构，有必要在W.J. Mouat等高中开始为学生提前做好准备。
“I’ve put on vinyl cutting workshops for other high school teachers, so they can share that experience with their kids,” says Liversidge. “We’ve got to get this technology into more schools. Not all of them can afford to buy wide-format printers, of course, but an old Roland VersaCamm isn’t too hard to find or too expensive to pick up. And the kids are excited to use it.”
“我为其他高中教师举办了乙烯基切割研讨会，这样他们就可以和孩子们分享经验了。我们必须将这项技术引入更多学校。当然，并非所有人都能负担得起购买宽幅打印机的费用，但旧的Roland VersaCamm既不难找，也不贵。孩子们看到它一定会很高兴。”
Indeed, W.J. Mouat’s example shows how viable the technology can be in a secondary school environment, with Liversidge running nine classes a year, with 30 kids in each class.
实际上，W.J.Mouat的例子表明了这种技术在中学环境中的可行性，W.J.Mouat在9个班级中实行了这项举措。
“We now have a full inventory of equipment, but we built that up over many years, paying for it in part by producing and selling banners and posters in the community,” he says. “If you build it, they will come!”
他说:“我们现在已经有了一个完整的设备清单，现在通过在社区生产和销售横幅、海报来支付一部分费用。如果能把它早些建好，学生们一定会开心极了！”
