Industry News
Enginuity backs new government training scheme
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nginuity, the former sector skills council for engineering and manufacturing, has
welcomed the Government’s new package of measures to bring more young people into skilled roles in the workplace. The government is launching a £2.5 billion “new deal” and “Youth Guarantee” package, including a £3,000 hiring grant and a guaranteed six-month paid job placement for eligible young people on Universal Credit, designed to support 500,000 work opportunities and 50,000 new apprenticeships. Promised at the end of last year, the initiative is set to start by Spring 2026 and will hope to reverse the Young People unemployment figure, which rose to 16.1% in December, 10.9% above the national average.
Ricoh co-innovates new applications with RICOH MediaMax
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icoh has been working with customers across the print value chain to co-innovate new applications and improve environmental outcomes using its RICOH MediaMax technology.
MediaMax is a customisation option for the Ricoh Pro C9500 digital colour sheetfed press that enables printing on a wider range of Ricoh-approved media, including substrates up to 800 microns
thick and weighing up to 600gsm. Erwin Busselot, director business innovation and solutions, graphic communications group, Ricoh Europe said: “RICOH MediaMax opens the door to new application opportunities that were previously impossible to produce on digital presses.
“Crucially, our unique technology enables our clients to add high value, high margin, short run, data driven applications.
“By collaborating closely with the full value chain along with our engineering teams and early adopter clients, we are continuing to bring new products to market through our Co-innovation principle of HENKAKU.”
MediaMax is currently available across EMEA for the Pro C9500 and can also be retrofitted to existing systems, helping customers maximise the value of their original investment.
New products with Ricoh MediaMax
| 12 | April 2026 Ann Watson CEO of Enginuity
Ann Watson, CEO of Enginuity, said: “Employers across our industries are facing persistent skills shortages at the same time as the UK transitions to new technologies and ways of working, including greater use of digital tools, automation and AI. “Supporting more young people into apprenticeships and entry-level roles will be vital to building the skilled workforce needed to drive productivity, innovation and growth.
“Alongside employer support, it will also be important to ensure the wider skills system works effectively for both businesses and young people. “Simplifying access to training, maintaining the quality of apprenticeships and ensuring that reforms to the Growth and Skills Levy work for smaller employers will all be key to unlocking the full potential of these reforms.”
AI adoption grows across textile and apparel supply chains
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rtificial intelligence is increasingly being used across the textile and apparel industries to improve efficiency in design, manufacturing and distribution, according to a new report from Textiles Intelligence.
The study highlights how AI is helping reshape the value chain into a more data-driven and responsive system. In design, brands are linking AI to historical sales data to guide product decisions, while in manufacturing the technology is improving process stability, reducing defects and predicting downtime.
In distribution, AI is supporting smarter logistics through route optimisation, consolidation and risk management. However, the report notes that the full benefits of AI are yet to be realised, as many businesses continue to deploy it in isolated workflows rather than as an integrated system.
Despite this, the long-term direction is clear, with AI expected to become embedded as a core infrastructure underpinning more efficient, demand-driven production.
www.printwearandpromotion.co.uk
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