Visual Print’s MD moves To Solopress
Graham Hunstone, managing director of recently acquired print provider, Visual Print & Design, has been hired as head of partnerships by fellow UK printer, Solopress
The future generation of print have been honoured in the Scottish Print Apprentice of the Year Awards
Print industry apprentices in Scotland have been honoured in the eighth annual Scottish Print Apprentice of the Year Awards.
The Awards are organised by Print Scotland which provides training for Modern Apprentices through the Scottish Training Scheme. The Scheme provides a grant from the Scottish Government to cover the cost of this training.
Four apprentices were honoured at the Awards in an event on June 16th with the event also highlighting the way in which the industry is being seen a rewarding for younger people.
Nathan Burns of CCL Design won the Overall Apprentice of the Year Award; Becky Young of J Thomson Colour Printers won the Pre-Press Apprentice of the Year Award; Fraser Galloway of NSD Labels won the Press Apprentice of the Year Award; and Laura Macdonald of Bell and Bain won the Post-Press Apprentice of the Year Award.
According to Garry Richmond, director of Print Scotland the number of young people seeking life opportunities is growing all the time, and he predicts 2023 could be a record year for apprentices.
“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 fresh new ideas and enthusiasm,” he says, adding: “Such people will be the future of the industry.”
Richmond continues: “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.”
Susan Graham, president of Print Scotland adds to Richmond’s comments by thanking all the employers who take on modern apprentices and the production teams and manager who take them under their wing to teach while still hitting their own targets.
“Mentors have such an important role,” she says, adding: “The life choice of the apprentices is to be celebrated. We need to grow our own to control our own success.”
Illustrating the potential in the industry, Graham has 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,” Graham says. “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.”
Graham concludes by thanking the Award sponsors Antalis, Muller Martini, and CCL Design.
Antalis has sponsored the Awards since their inception and Stephem Paul of the company, says: “These young people are the lifeblood and future of our industry and anything we can do to encourage them we would happily support. We wish all this year’s apprentices a long and successful career.”
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