Océ
Case Study
Worcester Technical
High School
Worcester Technical leverages digital printing technology to inspire excellence
In the summer of 2006, Worcester Technical High School opened its doors to what is widely regarded as the finest
vocational technical high school in the United States. Located in Worcester, Massachusetts, the state-of-the-art, multimillion dollar high school, funded by a public and private partnership, seeks to provide an exceptional vocational
education to students in grades 9 through 12. The school serves 1,500 students during the day and 3,000 after school
with more than 24 vocational programs that encompass everything from drafting, automotive technology, electromechanics, and finance to telecommunications, plumbing, carpentry, cosmetology, and graphic arts.
The challenge—transitioning to digital
document production
In an increasingly technology-driven world, digital tools that
streamline administrative processes and enrich education are key
components of a world-class education. When plans were approved
to replace the 90-year old Worcester Vocational High School with
the new state-of-the-art educational facility, the Graphic Arts
Department, led by Director of Vocational Education, Peter Crafts,
began scouting for state-of-the-art digital equipment for the on-site
print center. The district wanted to implement a full-service print
shop that would support the printing needs of the school and the
district. The intent was to offer students hands-on experience using
a mix of monochrome and color digital technology that could handle
a variety of jobs, bindery requirements, and software applications.
Previously, the school had used Xerox equipment and some
offset devices. However, dissatisfied with the equipment and the
organization, the team decided to expand its search to include all
the major players.
“We spent two years looking at all the major companies that produce
hardware and software,” Crafts states. “We used one of the other
company’s equipment on a trial basis and found it to be totally
unacceptable. We wanted the best of the best—a company that
was on the cutting edge, education-friendly, had the most current
technology, and could meet our needs as the industry changes. Most
important, we wanted a company that wasn’t just interested in selling
a product, but in creating a partnership that would benefit both
parties for the long term. We found that this philosophy resonated
with Océ.”
Worcester Technical High School was impressed with the robust
engineering and maintenance, longevity, scalability, flexibility, ease of
use, and reliability of the Océ equipment. They also were impressed
with the Océ corporate culture. “The people at Océ are graphics
experts all the way up the org chart,” Crafts continues, “after talking
with Océ major account references, Océ was the obvious choice.”
Océ also offered some important differentiators. For starters, the
school system could rely on one vendor to support everything—
one leasing company, one service organization, and one point of
accountability. The real differentiator was the combination of stateof-the-art equipment with a graphic arts curriculum that would
provide hands-on educational opportunities for students. The
digital printing curriculum was developed specifically for the print
industry—one of the largest manufacturing employment segments in
the United States—by Océ partner, Chesnut and Associates.
The multi-faceted curriculum combines theory, classroom training,
and hands-on experience to provide an overview of the graphics
industry, and best practices for running a print shop and succeeding
in a digital world. “Xerox offered a curriculum,” Crafts recalls, “but
it didn’t have the flexibility or provide the overview of the industry
that the Chesnut and Associates curriculum did. With the Chesnut
curriculum, provided in partnership with Océ, students gain an
understanding of modern printing environments and how to do
things in different ways.”
The combination of advanced technology, the digital printing
curriculum, and an emphasis on partnership proved to be a winning
combination that would provide an economic and educational
advantage for students interested in pursuing careers in the print
industry.
The solution—advanced digital printers,
workflow, and booklet making
In May 2006, Worcester Technical High School installed the new
Océ equipment that would power its state-of-the-art, on-site print
center. This included two Océ VarioPrint® 2100 production
printers for black and white printing, copying, and scanning, with
an integrated BLM6100 booklet maker and Océ Doc Works Pro™
software to enable electronic job submission, automate workflow
and track and manage jobs. An Océ CPS800 digital color press
was installed for full color work, along with Océ 3165 network
printer/copiers. One Océ 3165 was installed in the print center with
scanning software and Océ DocumentManager™ archiving software.
The other eight were installed throughout the school for general
copying purposes. In August 2006, the new print center—aptly
named the Océ Graphic Arts Training Center—went live when
the Worcester Technical High School opened its doors for the new
school year.
The document operation today
Today, the Worcester Technical High School print center combines
innovative digital technology with two offset presses, bindery
equipment, and silkscreen technology to provide a full menu of
printing and document production services for the school, other
Worcester public schools, the City of Worcester, and non-profit
agencies in central Massachusetts. “We are an entrepreneurial center
that operates on a cost-recovery plus basis,” asserts Crafts, “run by
80 students and four instructors. We print more than a million pages
a month including everything from course materials, text books,
work books, and lesson plans to invoices, report cards, payroll sheets,
brochures, posters, business cards, and marketing materials for
the city.”
Worcester Technical High School was impressed with the robust
engineering and maintenance, longevity, scalability, flexibility, ease of
use, and reliability of the Océ equipment. They also were impressed
with the Océ corporate culture. “The people at Océ are graphics
experts all the way up the org chart,” Crafts continues, “after talking
with Océ major account references, Océ was the obvious choice.”
Océ also offered some important differentiators. For starters, the
school system could rely on one vendor to support everything—
one leasing company, one service organization, and one point of
accountability. The real differentiator was the combination of stateof-the-art equipment with a graphic arts curriculum that would
provide hands-on educational opportunities for students. The
digital printing curriculum was developed specifically for the print
industry—one of the largest manufacturing employment segments in
the United States—by Océ partner, Chesnut and Associates.
The multi-faceted curriculum combines theory, classroom training,
and hands-on experience to provide an overview of the graphics
industry, and best practices for running a print shop and succeeding
in a digital world. “Xerox offered a curriculum,” Crafts recalls, “but
it didn’t have the flexibility or provide the overview of the industry
that the Chesnut and Associates curriculum did. With the Chesnut
curriculum, provided in partnership with Océ, students gain an
understanding of modern printing environments and how to do
things in different ways.”
The combination of advanced technology, the digital printing
curriculum, and an emphasis on partnership proved to be a winning
combination that would provide an economic and educational
advantage for students interested in pursuing careers in the print
industry.
The solution—advanced digital printers,
workflow, and booklet making
In May 2006, Worcester Technical High School installed the new
Océ equipment that would power its state-of-the-art, on-site print
center. This included two Océ VarioPrint® 2100 production
printers for black and white printing, copying, and scanning, with
an integrated BLM6100 booklet maker and Océ Doc Works Pro™
software to enable electronic job submission, automate workflow
and track and manage jobs. An Océ CPS800 digital color press
was installed for full color work, along with Océ 3165 network
printer/copiers. One Océ 3165 was installed in the print center with
scanning software and Océ DocumentManager™ archiving software.
The other eight were installed throughout the school for general
copying purposes. In August 2006, the new print center—aptly
named the Océ Graphic Arts Training Center—went live when
the Worcester Technical High School opened its doors for the new
school year.
The document operation today
Today, the Worcester Technical High School print center combines
innovative digital technology with two offset presses, bindery
equipment, and silkscreen technology to provide a full menu of
printing and document production services for the school, other
Worcester public schools, the City of Worcester, and non-profit
For information and services, visit us at www.oceusa.com
© 2007 Océ. Illustrations and specifications do not necessarily apply to products and services offered in each local market.
Technical specifications are subject to change without prior notice. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Beyond the Ordinary
Océ helps the people who make our world. Companies everywhere
use Océ technical documentation systems in manufacturing,
architecture, engineering and construction. Each week, high-speed
Océ printing systems produce millions of transaction documents
such as bank statements and utility bills. And in offices around
the world, people use Océ professional document systems to keep
the wheels of business and government turning. Océ is also at work
in publishing on demand, newspaper production and wide format
color for spectacular display graphics. It all helps our professional
customers go ‘Beyond the Ordinary’ in printing and document
management.
Océ North America, Inc.
Commercial Printing Division
5600 Broken Sound Boulevard
Océ, the Océ logo, Océ North America and Océ Imagistics are trademarks owned
Boca Raton, FL 33487
by Océ N.V. and/or Océ-Technologies B.V. All other terms and product names may
be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners and are hereby
Océ North America
acknowledged. Specifications subject to change without notice.
Corporate Printing Division
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Copyright 2007, Océ Imagistics Inc.
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All Rights Reserved
An Equal Opportunity Employer
BR50262
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