Five decades of training and education excellence for packaging technologists

The Australian Institute of Packaging (AIP) was established on 12 September in 1963 when 14 men had a vision to create an institute that would provide a professional identity for packaging technologists in Australia.

The founders of the AIP wanted to ensure that packaging technologists were recognised as professionals in their fields and that their training was acknowledged on par with other degrees and accreditation. Noel McLennan, Arthur Harris, Frederich M Flentje, Edward R Dann, William A Ross, Marcus Heselev, Leslie Buck, Ray Cox, A Hislop, J Trotter, G Jeudwine, W Smith, FH Ottaway and EG Davis have long been recognised as the official foundation members of the AIP, and without their vision, the institute would not be as relevant today.

AIP mission statement:

• To serve as an independent professional body of packaging specialists.
• To promote professional standards of competency through education and training.
• To advance and promote the standing of packaging specialists as a profession.
• To serve and establish the confidence of the community in the packaging profession.
• To aim towards professional qualifications for all Members.
• To uphold professional integrity and ethics within the profession of packaging.

Fifty years on, the AIP remains the only professional body designed to educate, train and develop packaging technologists and other individuals involved within the packaging industry throughout Australasia. The only difference today is that the AIP is much wider in its reach and has opened up its membership to all fields within the industry (marketing, sales, designers and engineers to name a few) and is also assisting New Zealand and parts of Asia through its educational programs.

The AIP is now a member of the World Packaging Organisation (WPO) and works closely with many other international packaging organisations. As a part of the 50-year celebrations, the AIP accepted the responsibility to host the prestigious World Star Packaging Awards and the event saw 230 people from 26 different countries come together in Sydney for the celebrations earlier this year.

“The Australian Institute of Packaging celebrates its 50th anniversary this year and achieving this milestone is proof that the institute has provided relevant and meaningful support to the Australian packaging industry,” said Keith Pearson, Secretary General, World Packaging Organisation.

“The WPO values the AIP membership and participation in contributing to the WPO vision of providing better quality of life through better packaging for more people. The AIP is a respected member of WPO and is directly involved in the WPO education initiatives that are planned to take place in Africa and South East Asia. Its fifty years of packaging experience will continue to make a major contribution in accelerating the transfer of packaging knowledge and foster the improvement of social upliftment, an important dimension of true sustainability.”

The AIP today provides professional and personal development to all levels of the packaging industry - educational offerings include the Diploma in Packaging Technology, the Certificate in Packaging, in-house corporate training programs, more than 20 different half-day training courses, the biennial national conference, the biennial national technical forum, site visits, seminars and technical dinners. The institute has divisions in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland and also has regional programs in South Australia and New Zealand.

The AIP offers a range of educational opportunities to individuals and packaging departments seeking to expand their knowledge and commercial opportunities across the breadth of the packaging industry. These courses are internationally accredited by the Packaging Industry Awarding Body Company (PIABC) in the UK and are the benchmark for training worldwide. Graduates of AIP courses are recognised internationally, expanding their global employment opportunities. The AIP also offers a program of half-day training courses that provide key up-to-date information on specific areas within the packaging industry.

The AIP’s flagship course is the Diploma in Packaging Technology, which has been developed to provide in-depth understanding of the packaging industry. It is aimed principally at technologists and managers in jobs with a packaging focus.

The Diploma in Packaging Technology is a Level 5 qualification, which is internationally recognised for those wishing to pursue a career in the packaging industry or for those who are already in the industry and who wish to extend their knowledge and expertise. It has been offered by the AIP continuously since 1980 and has an exemplary record of successful students. It has been revised, updated and offered online. It is accredited by PIABC, which is in turn accredited by OfQual (Office of Qualifications and Examinations).

The Certificate in Packaging is a Level 3 qualification designed to meet the training needs of a wide variety of people involved in packaging. From the new entrant to the industry who wants the best possible preparation for a career in the industry, to design, production, management, sales and marketing or purchasing staff who need to deepen their understanding of this vital and complex discipline. It is also an entry qualification to the diploma and offers the opportunity for fast tracking.

“At IOM3 and the Packaging Society we are delighted to join with colleagues at the Australian Institute of Packaging in celebrating its 50th anniversary,” said Gordon Stewart, IOM3 (the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining).

“Our long association with the AIP, in our present guise and formally as the UK Institute of Packaging, has brought benefits to both our organisations, especially in the field of packaging education. The AIP has shared with us developments in this area over many years as we have both been the standard-bearers for enhancing the skills and expertise for the packaging industry in our respective countries.

“Long may the AIP continue.”