It’s back to school time again. Chances are that many of you have sons, daughters, nephews, nieces or other youngsters in your life that are about to start their senior year of high school or their freshman year of college. Now is a good time for them to be thinking about what to study.

Let me say a word: Packaging

I’ve spent my professional life in packaging and it’s been very good to me. Too many people take it for granted and don’t realize how important packaging is in our lives. Even fewer realize that it is a professional discipline with professional education and satisfying careers. We need more people who come into the field on purpose rather than drifting into it by accident.

Packaging as a profession encompasses many different activities. There is physical and graphic package design, materials science, machinery design and fabrication, invention of new packaging formats, manufacturing at all levels and more. There is more than enough scope for even the most imaginative person to satisfy their creative tastes.

One way to find out about the seemingly infinite variety is to visit PackExpo in Las Vegas this September www.packexpo.com where in 3 days one can see virtually every machine, process, material and package made. Most of the packaging schools also have exhibits at PackExpo where one can talk to students and faculty about the various programs. Most of the schools of packaging have a broad general focus, but some emphasize particular areas. Clemson, for example, is noted for food science & packaging. Pratt Institute for graphic design and Purdue for mechatronic machine design. Dunwoody and Wisconsin Indianhead train packaging machinery technicians. Some other schools do without specific packaging programs, but have packaging related courses that they offer as part of engineering or other majors.

In short, there’s pretty much something for everyone.

Packaging is a growing field with more and more variety and more and more need for professionals. It should offer stable employment for decades to come. What it needs is professionals. It is a field that every youngster should be aware of.