The Roadmap to Automotive Packaging Success
For the past three years, our team here at The Packaging School noticed a gap in automotive packaging education that needed to be filled, and we set out to do just that. What started out as an extension of our intensive one-day annual training summit quickly blossomed into something even bigger! This event helped us begin building the foundation of what would become our next packaging certificate through interviewing and collaborating with industry experts. Early last year, we held an intense brainstorming session, and everyone gathered on the couches to take this project from a concept to reality. Ideas flew back and forth, whiteboards were filled with sketches and half-baked thoughts, and coffee was in abundance. Now, looking back, we claim that as the day the Automotive Packaging Certificate (APC) was born!
It would take months of collaborative effort to create the first online academic program of its kind. Our goal was to develop a brand new curriculum that would enable students to develop the professional skill set needed to advance in the automotive packaging field. And we succeeded. We teamed up with subject matter experts and visited state-of-the-art facilities to give our students a front-row seat to the unique roles of Tier 1s, OEMs, and packaging suppliers.
We’re always thinking of new ways to put our students at the forefront of the packaging world, so our focus is on helping those looking to expand their packaging knowledge in any and all facets. Whether that means partnering with The International Society of Beverage Technologists (ISBT) to offer beverage courses, or combing through careers in the industry and posting them to our job board, we strive to stay current with the needs of our students. That’s precisely why we knew our next program had to deal with automotive packaging; thousands of professionals in the industry want information and training, and the supply just hasn’t been there—until now.
About Automotive Packaging
The APC provides a comprehensive understanding of the packaging supply chain through a thorough study across the intersection of automotive manufacturers, part suppliers, and packaging providers—knowledge that will expand YOUR opportunities to bring value to the many employers within this industry. The automotive world is highly complex. A single car can have 30,000 parts, and it’s not uncommon for one of these parts to have three, five, or even seven completely different packaging systems! Consider a few of the components involved:
- Parts: parts must arrive precisely when the car is on the production line
- Inventory: OEMs may need to track inventory of a specific part
- Sales: a dealership only needs a single-part package for after-sales transactions
- Exports: to export a fully-assembled vehicle it first needs to be disassembled into its own packaging to then be reassembled overseas
And that’s just a tiny glimpse into the world of automotive packaging. With multiple stakeholders and thousands of new parts to package for an automotive launch, a career in automotive packaging is diverse and greatly rewarding!
What will YOU learn in the Automotive Packaging Certificate?
Regardless of your educational background, whether you’re at the start of your career in automotive packaging or a seasoned veteran, the APC is the perfect addition to your resume, allowing you to be a valuable contributor to the automotive packaging industry without ever setting foot inside a classroom. The automotive industry is global, so we cover the different packaging options needed to efficiently move parts around the world—returnable packaging (e.g., racks and totes) and expendable packaging (e.g., corrugated containers). We also cover costing, provide cheat sheets and templates, and help students understand how to decide on the best packaging options for various projects.
The best news?!
The program is licensed through the state of South Carolina, and it happens to be 100% online, meaning you can learn industry specifics without leaving your home! And, as an added resource, we’re here for you every step of the way to answer your questions as they arise. No application is required for the Automotive Packaging Certificate. We launched the certificate on 3/2/2020, which means it’s ready for you to dive in immediately.
Want to learn more about the newest packaging certificate? Head over to our website to see a curriculum overview, or send us a message at info@packagingschool.com and we’ll answer any questions you may have!
