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Marketing agency, leap, has introduced a new print apprenticeship in response to statistics showing that skilled print workers in the UK fell by 73% between 2006 and 2021
Independent UK marketing agency, Loveurope and Partners (leap), has introduced a new Level 3 Print Technician Apprenticeship to its business operations.
The announcement coincides with National Apprenticeship Week, an annual celebration of apprenticeships in the UK which has taken place this week.
As part of the new apprenticeship scheme, leap welcomed print apprentice Oliver Owens into the business through a structured apprenticeship programme delivered in partnership with training provider, Learn2Print.
The programme combines hands-on production experience with college-based learning, with the aim of ensuring that apprentices can develop both practical capability and industry-recognised qualifications.
Neil Essam, head of operations at leap says: “Ollie is joining us at an exciting time as we re-structure our print offering to cover the demands of our clients.
“By enrolling him on the Level 3 Print Technician Apprenticeship, he will gain both hands-on and college-based training, combining real production experience with industry-recognised qualifications which will provide him the key skills required in a highly technical sector.”
The marketing agency highlights industry data showcasing what it refers to as the “urgency of investing in new technical talent.”
Leap quotes figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showing that the number of skilled print workers in the UK fell by 73% between 2006 and 2021, declining from 112,300 to just 30,500 across roles including pre-press technicians, printers, post-press specialists, and print machine assistants.
In launching the new apprenticeship, leap hopes to address the skills gap in the print and production industry caused by a retiring workforce and a lack of new technical talent, with a focus on rebuilding capability and training the next generation of technicians.
Leap’s decision to introduce a new print apprenticeship is designed to “address that challenge early,” ensuring the business maintains the specialist expertise required to deliver complex, multi-channel work for clients.
Speaking about his new apprenticeship role, Oliver Owens adds: “I’m excited to be joining leap and starting my apprenticeship at such an important time in the business.
“I'm looking forward to gaining practical experience as well as expert knowledge to kickstart a strong foundation for a career in the print industry.”
