The International Card Manufacturers Association (ICMA), a global non-profit association for card manufacturers, personalizers and service providers, recently announced the expansion of its password-protected Basics of the Card Industry Training Program.

The program – which is free to ICMA member companies and was designed in 2001 to provide a basic understanding of the history, definitions and technical information about cards of all types including manufacturing, personalization and application processes – now includes a Spanish translation of the original program. Additionally, a new personalization tutorial program has been created. Both can be viewed on the ICMA website at www.icma.com.

"Latin is one of the fastest growing regions in the world and Spain, specifically, is a highly sophisticated card market," said Jeffery Barnhart, executive director of ICMA. "The Spanish translation of the Basics of the Card Industry Training Program, was created to benefit the thousands of Spanish-speaking ICMA member employees worldwide."

The new Personalization Tutorial provides an overview of the concepts and processes involved in card personalization. It includes an introduction to personalization, data recording technologies and the personalization process.

"One of the ICMA’s goals is to expand upon the Basics of the Card Industry Training Program and its features," said Barnhart. "ICMA’s additions will greatly benefit its members. The addition of the new Personalization Tutorial will help to shed light on a complex area of the card production process."

For more information about the Spanish version and the ICMA’s Personalization Tutorial, or to learn how to become a member of the ICMA, contact Lynn McCullough at (609) 799-4900; e-mail lmccullough@icma.com or visit the ICMA website at www.icma.com.