THE importance of apprentices to the future of Scotland’s printing industry was highlighted at the recent Scottish Print Apprentice of the Year Awards.
Four young apprentices were honoured at the event, organised by Print Scotland, the trade association for Scotland’s graphic communication industry.
The ceremony also shone a spotlight on the way the industry is increasingly being seen as a ‘rewarding and socially worthwhile’ career option for younger people.
Garry Richmond, director of Print Scotland, said, “The number of young people seeking life opportunities in the printing industry is growing all the time and 2023 could be a record year for apprentices, which is extremely encouraging. Employers are well aware of the imbalance in the age profile of their workforces and are very conscious of the need to introduce fresh, new talent, with new ideas and enthusiasms. Such people will be the future of the industry.
“The sector has significantly enhanced its support for apprentices the last two years and is definitely seeing the benefit of this forward-looking approach for employers and individuals. Now, we hope that the Scottish Government and its agencies will also loosen the purse strings to allow us to create more opportunities for our young people.”
The Overall Apprentice of Year accolade went to Nathan Burns from CCL Design in East Kilbride. Nathan, from Blantyre, is doing SVQ Press at SCQF Level 3 at the company, whose team of designers, engineers and production staff develop and manufacture decorative plastic components and assemblies for the automotive and consumer sectors.
He said, “My apprenticeship started in January last year and I am now working primarily on flexographic printing machines. The days are always busy, but what strikes me is that everyone is enthusiastic and enjoy what they do.”
The Pre-Press Apprentice of the Year category was won by Becky Young from J Thomson Colour Printers in Glasgow. Becky, from East Kilbride, is doing Pre-Press SVQ 3 at JTCP, which has been supplying print products and service across the UK since 1952 and has now evolved into a project management group.
She said, “I didn’t know anything about the printing industry until I started my apprenticeship, so just learning about it is enjoyable. I very much want to continue to work in the sector and learn. It’s definitely better than just college or university, as you earn money at the same time as building a really good career. I really enjoy seeing anything that I have worked on in person.’
Fraser Galloway from NSD Labels in Dalkeith triumphed in the Press Apprentice of the Year category. Fraser, from Mayfield, Dalkeith, is doing Press SVQ 3 at NSD Labels, a labelling and packaging specialist which offers an end-to-end labelling service.
He said, “The people I work beside are all brilliant. They get the job done and they are really good at what they do. I enjoy getting moved about the factory working on different machines. HP Indigo WS6800 is my machine of choice at the moment, especially after getting the accreditation for it when in Barcelona.”
The Post-Press Apprentice of the Year award went to Laura Macdonald from Bell and Bain in Glasgow. Laura, from Paisley, is doing SVQ 3 at Bell and Bain, which has been printing in Glasgow since 1851 and is one of the oldest independent book and journal printers and binders in the UK.
She said, “The company has been great and my hours are a lot more social than in my previous job as a pizza franchise manager. I’m exposed to a huge variety of work. I’ve done well and then tried more and more machines and binders, creating more opportunities. I love learning new things and meeting new people. There is a lot of pressure but it is enjoyable. I have just been promoted to head of paper back binding and can see a very rewarding career ahead of me.”
Susan Graham, Print Scotland’s president, commented, “As well as congratulating these very worthy winners, I want to thank all the employers who take on modern apprentices and the production teams and managers who take them under their wing to teach while hitting their own targets. Mentors have such an important role.
“The life choice of the apprentices is to be celebrated. We need to grow our own to control our own success. To illustrate the potential in the industry, I have just promoted someone who started as a graduate apprenticeship to commercial director and someone who started as an apprentice to manufacturing director.
“A big thank you also to training officer Jim McKenzie. He has modernised the whole process. It is no longer paper-based and is now a flexible model which works for everyone. His industry knowledge is second to none.
“Finally, and far from least we would like to thank our sponsors: Antalis, Muller Martini and CCL Design who have made this Award ceremony the success it has been.”
