Zeitgeist


Bring it on


THE PRINT INDUSTRY NEEDS TO NURTURE NEW TALENT. WE KNOW ABOUT THE FESPA UK ASSOCIATION NEXT GENERATION PROJECT AND THE BPIF’S SCHOOL ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMME, AND NOW A GROUP CALLED YOUNG PEOPLE IN PRINT HAS BEEN FORMED TO INSPIRE YOUNGSTERS AND DEVELOP A PASSION A CAREER IN PRINT.


industry to schools and colleges to put the industry on the career map.” With an annual turnover of £13.7bn and


employing around 98,000 people in 7,200 companies, the UK printing sector is an important economic contributor in all UK regions and is the fifth largest print market in the world. It is also an advanced manufacturing sector, utilising cutting- edge innovation and production technologies, connecting organisations around the world. Despite this, attracting young people to work in the industry continues to be a challenge, because while we are aware of that data, most outside the industry simply aren’t. “Sadly, our industry has developed an old- fashioned image and there is very limited print or packaging education available today, apart from print apprenticeships, but even then, not all printers are using their levy to fund employees,” bemoans Bowerman, citing negative (yet false) environmental perceptions about the industry and competition from better-publicised industries like aviation, engineering, automotive and biotech, among other barriers to encouraging young people to the sector.


“YPIP has been established to promote the


Young People in Print (YPIP) has a mission - to cultivate a passion among youngsters for entering the printing industry. To that end a group volunteers from across the print and packaging industry will deliver events at printing facilities across the UK, welcoming groups of students from local schools and universities, and flagging up print as a potential career choice. The first event is slated to take place at FE Burman in London on 14 March.


The group is led by Stephen Austin and Sons head of sales, Elizabeth Bowerman, who has been a long-term advocate of the need to attract young talent into the industry to ensure the future success of the sector. Stepping up to organise and promote events alongside her are Paul Stead, sales at ASL; Joanna Stephenson, managing director of PHD Marketing; Kelvin Bell, sales director of VPress; Lucy Swanston, managing director of Nutshell Creative; and Delroy Simmons, managing director of Dayfold Print. “We’re reaching out to schools and university career hubs to enable students to see for themselves how amazing the print and packaging industries really are,” says Bowerman “Students really have no idea about what the sector can offer in terms of careers; there’s no positive spin in the media to encourage them to explore nor is there an educational route to direct them into the industry. YPIP is hoping to fill that void by opening up the


26 | April/May 2024


industry as a far more dynamic, high-tech, innovative, connected, and exciting place to work with clear career progression routes and opportunities, and I’m delighted to see so many companies and associations from across the UK offering their support,” she says. Group member Joanna Stephenson, adds:


“Having come from the packaging side of the print industry, we seem to have an image issue that is difficult to shift. First print is often considered a dirty industry and then packaging is perceived as waste. Combine this with the often-maligned use of plastics and chemicals in the print industry and students generally have a very poor opinion of the sector in general.


WE’RE REACHING OUT TO


SCHOOLS AND UNIVERSITY CAREER HUBS


“YPIP is an exciting opportunity to showcase the advanced nature and value of our sector - the tremendous opportunities that are available for students interested in everything from IT, engineering, manufacturing and graphic design to HR, sales and marketing.”


The group is now at the stage of connecting PSPs with local schools and universities to promote print as an attractive career and showcase its realities, opportunities and benefits. Half-day events are being planned across the UK initially, to engage with and to talk about the opportunities that lie in working in print. “We’re hoping by opening our doors and showcasing the fantastically vibrant print industry we have in the UK today, we can enable young talent to connect with us and can start to move the dial on talent attraction to our sector,” says Bowerman.


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