The Certificate in Packaging provides a level of insight and understanding of the packaging industry that adds real and measurable value to careers and businesses. Packaging is a fundamental part of modern business, and the Certificate in Packaging provides you with the "detailed overview" of packaging processes that broadens your knowledge, adds value to your business and helps you to prove your worth.

Delegates to the Certificate in Packaging come to the course from a variety of areas. You may already be established in packaging as a buyer, marketer, production manager or sales person, now looking to expand your knowledge and deepen your understanding of the packaging environment. You may be embarking on a career within the industry and looking for the training that will provide you with a solid bed of information that you can build on.

This consists of four parts:

1. The Fundamental Principles of Packaging – introducing students to the subject, examining the role and function of packaging in preserving, enhancing and selling products.
2. Understanding and Managing Packaging Cost – examining the factors influencing finished costs and how they can be effectively managed.
3. Introduction to Packaging Materials – the various roles of packaging are considered along with the properties of materials that make them suitable for packaging applications.
4. Packaging Development – presents a logical approach to managing and implementing packaging development.

(students choose four from twelve)

1. Legislation in Packaging – all packaging materials, machinery and processes must comply with legislation. This unit considers common legislation and how it applies to packaging.
2. Understanding Packaging Line Operations – introduces students to the packaging line, its components and how appropriate equipment selection impacts on efficiency and production costs.
3. Understanding the Hazards of Warehousing and Distribution –most physical damage to packed product occurs during warehousing and distribution, and this unit looks at packaging’s role in reducing damage.
4. Packaging Design and Marketing – the role of marketing and the importance of close co-operation between marketing and packaging functions is considered as part of the process of delivering a product successfully to market.
5. Paper and Board Packaging – by weight, the largest materials usage sector in packaging. This unit explores the use of paper and solid board in packaging, including cartons and cases. Unit 10 deals specifically with corrugated board.
6. Plastics Packaging – an introduction to this complex subject, encompassing basic polymer chemistry to explain why plastic materials behave as they do, what their properties are and how they may be improved.
7. Flexible Packaging – flexible packaging types and applications, laminates and mono-layers, materials and decorative techniques.
8. Printing of Packaging – this unit addresses the requirements for printing and compares the various printing processes.
9. Labelling and Coding – labels are a vital tool in communicating the sales message and product information to the customer. This unit examines the importance of labels, the materials and printing techniques available.
10. Corrugated Board Packaging – the uses and importance of corrugated packaging, grades and flute sizes and correct specification.
11. Rigid Plastics Packaging – main uses, materials and manufacturing processes for jars, bottles, pots, compacts, closures, pails and drums etc.
12. Environmental Aspects of Packaging – examining the concept of environmentally responsible packaging and the impact of legislation on designers, specifiers and users of packaging and packed product.