I joined the print industry just over two years ago, but being in recruitment, it feels much longer. Flash back to two years ago and it was a tossup whether I would be part of a packaging or print team, and it was purely down to chance that I found myself in the industry. Like most people I speak with, I hadn’t heard of print or signage before working in the space. Sure, you have your assumptions, my mind would go straight to an old-fashioned newspaper factory if you had asked me a few years ago, but I think we all know, and you quickly learn – there’s much more to print than just that. I remember when starting out I had a little list in front of me when speaking with candidates, highlighting all of the different brands of printers, finishing equipment, and different roles and duties. The production side was where I found myself having the most conversations at the beginning, learning all the different names, probably stumbling my way through initial qualifications at that point, purely learning the ropes and finer details about the industry. If you told me two years ago that I would have moved on from the first recruitment business I worked for (with one of the leading factors being how involved with the print industry the new business is) I would have thought you were joking. Being completely truthful, as a fresh 20-year-old with no responsibilities, I didn’t care what industry I recruited in, I just wanted to try and earn as much money as possible at that point. Little did I think over the next two years I would become so invested and intrigued by print, going out of my way to dig deeper, learn more, and find new ways to get myself involved in the industry (albeit often from a distance at my desk). The industry I fell into by chance, was now something I was following when deciding the next steps in my career. But it’s not just me, as a recruiter I hear it day in and day out, people falling into the industry by chance, falling in love with the capabilities, seeing their designs, their prints, their installs come to life in front of their eyes. Print has a way of really grabbing you without you realising, and by the time you do, you’re in too deep. Nathan Mclauchlan – Welsh, recruitment consultant for MTWO (Matching Talent With Opportunity), talks about his introduction to the print and signage industries, as well as how we can bring younger people into businesses Future Proofing Print and Signage ►Mclauchlan – Welsh was interviewed by David Osgar at this year’s Print Show as part of Print Monthly’s daily video coverage I hear it day in and day out, people falling into the industry by chance, falling in love with the capabilities, seeing their designs, their prints, their installs come to life in front of their eyes 29 www.signlink.co.uk Issue 262 - December 2025 | January 2026 FRESH PERSPECTIVES | NATHAN MCLAUCHLAN - WELSH
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