The International Card Manufacturers Association (ICMA) members recognize that continued education is crucial in getting to the top of the industry and staying there. That is especially true in an industry like card manufacturing that involves a high-level of technology. That is why ICMA offers the Advanced Card Education (ACE) program, which includes specializations in manufacturing, personalization and advanced materials.
There are three ACE specializations, which are all stand-alone designations:
- ACE-M focuses on PVC/plastics, inks, adhesives, printing, collation, lamination, die-cutting and standards/testing
- ACE-P delves into printing and barcodes, magnetic stripe encoding, embossing, laser engraving, smart card encoding, financial transaction card data and fulfillment and standards/testing
- ACE-A reviews card technologies in advanced materials and card construction, security technologies and environmental initiatives
Six ICMA members have received their triple ACE designations, including Dori Skelding of CompoSecure. As vice president of supply chain and marketing at CompoSecure, Skelding has seen the benefits of the ACE program firsthand. With 20 years in the card manufacturing industry, as well as experience in print production, inventory management and marketing, Skelding pursued all three ACE designations because she wanted to expand her knowledge base.
“As an ICMA member, access to programs like ACE, are an absolute necessity to remain competitive. Not only do these designations make for better practices in the industry, but they also provide a level of prestige and reliability in the minds of customers, which is invaluable,” Skelding said.
Read the full article: Spotlight Series: Six ICMA Members Earn Triple ACE Designation & Lead Global Card Industry (ICMA)
