Media designer: one of the most modern occupations

Media designer training includes virtually all occupations involved in the prepress stage.

The practice-based approach and the learning content make media designers genuine all-rounders. This was said by Anette Jacob of the Central Expert Committee for Media in the following interview. Anette Jacob is Managing Director of the Central Expert Committee for Vocational Education and Training in Print and Media (ZFA media). The ZFA is a joint institution of the Federal Association for Print and Media (bvdm) and the media, arts, and industry branch of the United Services Trade Union Verdi.

Ms Jacob, an amalgamation of employers' association and union is something really special!

Anette Jacob: Yes, it is quite unusual. We are normally used to hearing that partners in collective bargaining processes generally represent different points of view. However, in vocational education and training, this is slightly different. In this case both parties are pulling in the same direction and share the same goal: well-trained employees and skilled workers.

What is the ZFA's role in this?

Anette Jacob: When the ZFA was established as a joint institution almost 70 years ago, organisations representing both employers and employees said: From now on, we want to work together as a sector to stand up for and promote quality in vocational education and training. Right from the start, this involved the ZFA preparing nationally standardised examination tasks.

Does this mean that all media designer trainees receive the same tasks?

Anette Jacob: Correct. And that is also one of the quality criteria of the training. After all, what is demanded in the examination must also be delivered during the training, both in the company as well as in the vocational school.

How has the training responded to digitalisation?

Anette Jacob: Media designer is one of the most modern vocational training occupations which we have. It has only existed since 1998. At the time, it brought together virtually all prepress-stage occupations and its role was not only to amalgamate image, graphics, and text design, but also to integrate new media and digital printing.

And of course new content is also constantly being included—in the area of social media for example. This can be achieved relatively quickly via so-called amending regulations. Specific training content is also offered by means of specialist optional modules.

The training is divided into three specialisms. Broadly speaking these are consultancy, conception, and technology. By opting for one specialism, are you stuck with that forever?

Anette Jacob: The specialisation does not mean that there isn't also a broad basis. All media designers complete a common basic training. Everyone learns about digital and print and must have an understanding of both.

It is ultimately an occupation, and in an occupation you can change and immerse yourself in new tasks. Anyway, media designers learn to be flexible across all three training years, in particular because they constantly have to adapt to new software and program versions and need to understand them for themselves.

What are the prospects like for people entering the labour market - also in terms of competition with graduates of the many design courses out there?

Anette Jacob: Overall the labour market is pretty balanced. Graduates of the two training pathways do not compete directly with one another that often because they actually move into different roles and areas of employment.

And, if a trained media designer and degree graduate were to apply for the same position, then you could almost say that the media designer was more likely to be successful. This is because, in simple terms, he or she is a practitioner and can get going straight away.


Source: waz.de (website of the German newspaper WAZ), revised by iMOVE, March 2019