The AIP would like to congratulate our latest graduate from the Certificate in Packaging, Maria del Mar Josefina Becerril Roman AAIP, Packaging Technologist – R&D Team, Lactalis Australia. Please join us in congratulating Maria for this outstanding achievement and we look forward to watching her career progression.
The Certificate in Packaging is the ideal first qualification for those working in the packaging industry and an introduction to the industry for those starting out on an exciting career in packaging.
1. What is your current role? What are your areas of responsibility?
Maria:
I currently work as a Packaging Technologist at Lactalis Australia within the R&D team. My role is to support and lead the development of packaging solutions for projects related to new product development, process improvements, sustainability and innovation.
I work with the manufacturing sites, the commercial teams and suppliers to test, specify and bring solutions to market.
2. What does graduating from the Certificate in Packaging mean to you?
Maria:
I am very proud of this achievement. I was looking to increase my knowledge and awareness of all different packaging technologies, current trends, and ways to measure and design sustainable packaging, effectively develop new packaging from a clear and well-defined brief and reflect deeper in the importance of packaging in the world.
I believe the Certificate in Packaging helped me achieve these goals and given me extra credentials as a packaging professional trained in world-class standards.
3. How will you apply this knowledge moving forward?
Maria:
I am already applying this knowledge in my day-to-day work and conversations with others. I can understand a lot better how packaging works, and what to look out for.
I am more aware of the different materials and their advantages and disadvantages for certain applications, and I can work better with suppliers to develop solutions that best fit the company, customers, and consumer’s needs.
I also share this knowledge with other peers at work to educate them where I can about the importance of packaging, how packaging contributes to sustainability, what good packaging design looks like, the types of things a packaging technologist looks for.
Packaging as it turns out, is a fascinating topic that a lot of people show interest in knowing more about, so it is very enriching to have conversations about it, even outside of work.
By knowing different packaging technologies, you can also understand more about manufacturing processes, and how to find efficiencies, in general, which can be applicable to other processes.
4. Do you have any advice on why other people should complete the Certificate in Packaging?
Maria:
I believe this qualification is essential for anyone working in the manufacturing industry, even if not directly in a packaging function. This course can enrich the knowledge of people working in food manufacturing, pharma, cosmetics, personal care, home care, electronics, and more. There is a high focus on packaging around the world at the moment, so this knowledge is absolutely valuable.
Having a working degree of knowledge about packaging technology and manufacturing processes can open a big number of doors for someone looking to explore a different career path.
I believe also people working for NGOs and in workstreams relating to waste management and sustainability can highly benefit from this course.
5. So where to from here for your career?
Maria:
I find that working knowledge of packaging and processing technology is a highly transferable skill. The field of packaging is very diverse and there is so much to learn about and keep growing. Packaging is a very dynamic field at the moment, with lots of emerging technologies and new solutions continuously developed and available in the market.
I recently made a career move from my position as a Packaging Technologist at Mondelez International, working with the lovely R&D team in the Chocolate portfolio on big flagship brands such as Cadbury Dairy Milk, Cadbury Favourites, Cadbury Roses, and Toblerone. In this previous confectionery role the most common packaging formats are wrappers, carton board and corrugated board, as well as some metal tins and rigid plastic containers.
I started at Lactalis in May 2024, where I will be working in the chilled dairy industry to focus on innovation and sustainability initiatives. At Lactalis, I will grow and develop my experience with different packaging formats and processes, as well as more insight on different products, such as cheese, custard, yoghurts, bottled and UHT milk, including their different transportation and supply chain requirements.
I can confidently say that completing my Certificate in Packaging gave me extra confidence to make the move onto a very different product and packaging portfolio.
In the near future, I am still willing to continue learning and working in the packaging field and focus on packaging sustainability initiatives. I find it highly fulfilling and motivating to know that through my work I can make an amazingly positive impact in society and the environment, and I feel really proud whenever I see any product that I have worked on in the shelves.
I also feel great to see the effort of different brands who strive to make an impact in the field of packaging sustainability and see more and more products made from recycled materials, or packed in lighter weight packaging, reusable packaging, and the gradual phasing out of non-recyclable packaging every day I go shopping.
Longer term, who knows where my qualifications and career experience in packaging will take me! The possibilities seem endless, and I very much look forward to seeing how my career unfolds.
6. Will you consider applying to become a Certified Packaging Professional as your next professional development stage?
Maria:
Yes, I believe I meet the requirements now, so this will be a great next step to continue to build my professional acumen and credentials in the field of packaging technology.
WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME?
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. This qualification provides you with the detailed overview of packaging materials and processes that broadens your knowledge and equips you for progression within the packaging industry.