TRAINING AND ENTRY POINTS It is impossible to escape the fact that many industries and workplaces are struggling with the challenges of skills and employment right now. The raft of issues that have hit different parts of the world in recent years have led to stagnated growth, development, and investment. In the print industry, a big challenge has been addressing the skills shortage and loss of talented workers due to reasons like retirement, business closures, and changing technologies. With this in mind, many organisations are trying to ensure the print industry remains relevant and can thrive with the involvement of the next generation of printers and business owners. Here, Print Monthly takes a look at the training and entry points available that can help tackle the hurdles stopping people joining the print industry. Embracing New Talent BPIF Training, a partner company of the British Printing Industries Federation (BPIF) and the British Office Supplies and Service Federation (BOSS), says it is the largest supplier of apprenticeships in the UK print industry. Max Walkington, operations director at BPIF Training, reaffirms: “Print businesses are facing a clear skills challenge. A large part of the workforce is nearing retirement age, and many companies are finding it difficult to attract new recruits. Training and clear entry routes are essential to keep the industry strong – not just to fill current roles, but to bring in new energy, fresh ideas, and digital skills that will shape the future of print. Without investment in people, the industry risks falling behind at a time when it's evolving faster than ever.” When it comes to the changes BPIF Training is seeing, Walkington says there is encouraging growth in the number of businesses taking on apprentices and structured training. “We also know that we’ve only engaged a small proportion of the industry so far,” says Walkington, who adds: “There’s still a lot of untapped potential, and many businesses that could benefit from apprenticeships which aren’t yet involved. That’s why we launched the Apprenticeship Champion Network – to bring employers together, share best practices, and work collectively to strengthen the future talent pipeline across the whole sector.” The network was launched as part of this year’s National Apprenticeship Week 2025 in order to create a place for members to mentor apprentices, and advocate for skills development within the industry. Business coach and consultant, Marcus Clifford, also believes it is important for several different organisations to come together to solve the issue of recruiting new talent into the industry. Clifford says: “It’s time now for all trade associations, suppliers to the sector, and allied stakeholders to collaborate on a joint action plan, with a bold vision and a coordinated approach. Someone needs to take ownership, set the tone, and bring the parties together.” With increasing challenges facing print companies regarding recruitment, David Osgar looks at what the industry can do to continue to develop and push training and entry points into print Offering training and entry points into print 47 www.printmonthly.co.uk May / June 2025 - Issue 354
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