Screen Printing: Career Training for Rehabilitation

In today's complex world, it is becoming more difficult to find suitable career paths for those who have a limited educational background.

It is even more difficult if an individual has had a brush with the law or has made some poor decisions in life.

​Offering realistic career opportunities to disadvantaged individuals is a big challenge.

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The Challenge of Rehabilitation 
Rehabilitation is a difficult task that requires many skills to help an individual function independently in life. Part of the problem is finding the right career or interest where a person can succeed. A trade career that may be of interest to one person may not create a spark of interest for another. It must also not be so difficult that an average person can't learn and master the craft easily. And to actually succeed and stick with it, you must find a occupation that will not only earn you a living but will also give an individual a sense of fulfillment. There is a growing number of individuals, both youth and adults, who need guidance to help them choose the right path to succeed in life. This includes disconnected youth, substance abusers, prison inmates, disabled individuals, long term unemployed and persons who have experienced job displacement and need to retrain for a new career. Vocational and CTE schools offer a variety of programs where students can learn occupations that can get them a job after graduation. Some communities offer career training as after school or rehabilitation programs to get kids off the streets. Many prisons and correctional institutions have programs to rehabilitate inmates with the goal of helping them secure employment upon release.

Screen Printing Teaches Life Skills 
Screen printing is a craft that can be a creative outlet for expression. Research shows that creating something with your hands such as a printed t-shirt can provide an individual with a sense of accomplishment and purpose. Learning to screen print also teaches life skills such as team work, discipline, accomplishment, meeting deadlines, and commitment. All of these things can help build the bridge to independence. You do not have to be an artist to work in screen printing. There are many jobs available in commercial screen printing shops. Most print shops have graphic artists as well as positions in screen preparation, printing, clean-up and reclamation as well as folding, boxing and shipment preparation of products. Learning how to screen print is to learn a skill that is fundamentally the same technique as it was a thousand years ago. Sure, some of today's equipment is automated but the one thing that remains the same is that a rubber blade is used to force ink through a stenciled screen to produce a printed image–that's screen printing. And it is done this same way in commercial screen printing and sign shops.

Screen Printing Training Programs
One of the benefits to screen printing is that it can be learned in a relatively short amount of time and does not require above average skill or intelligence. With very little equipment and the right training, students can learn to screen print, which most find rewarding and enjoyable. American Screen Printing Association offers an online training and certification program designed to help train people to start their own printing business or work in a commercial screen printing shop. Completing our program and earning a certificate as a Certified Screen Printer (CSP) can boost the confidence of someone who may not have accomplished or done anything positive in life before. Our certification programs provide a sense of accomplishment and can bolster an individual's self esteem to help prepare them for the working world.

Useful Training for At-Risk Youth, Inmates, and Disabled Persons
If you are working with at-risk youths or adults who need to learn a trade where there are jobs available, consider how a screen printing training program can help. A career in screen printing can also help individuals with mental or physical disabilities achieve suitable employment and independence.

ASPA Training for Screen Printing Teachers
If you are a teacher or instructor and have no experience with screen printing, American Screen Printing Association has developed a training program that also includes lesson plans and a training course for the instructor. It can be used in a classroom or individual setting. Each participant will receive a Diploma in Screen Printing and a ASPA Certified Screen Printer Certificate. Whether you want to start a screen printing training program or already have one, our training materials and certification can be a great way to train.

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