The British Printing Industry Federation is in a good place, CEO Charles Jarrold told the AGM last week. “It has been a year of change for the BPIF,” he opened, before detailing the work that has been undertaken over the past year.
This had produced an operating surplus of £259,000 (£76,000) on an operating income of £4.6 million (£3.2 million). This came from subscriptions, training income and income from commercial activities. While membership had been hit by companies forced to close, revenue from subscriptions was static as it proved possible to attract new members to compensate for the closures.
Income from training doubled over the previous year representing what the association’s review of the year “a strong performance”. It signed up 315 new apprentices across 160 employers over the year, two-thirds in trade programmes and the remainder in the business skills programme. The attrition rate is lower than similar industries with 268 still engaged on courses. The completion rate is 62% compared to the national average of 54.3%
BPIF Training has expanded into the Irish republic following a deal with the Irish Printing Federation. More than 20 learners started as the first cohort in September last year. A new cohort will start later this year.
In England and Wales 25% come from the east of England and the East Midlands, 22% from the North and 18% each from London, south east and Yorkshire and Humber.
Environmental issues are concerning an increasing number of members. The ClimateCalc carbon footprint measuring tool is offering greater value as print buyers are asking about impacts with greater frequency. The tool has become available on an additional 24 sites during 2023. An upgrade to the calculation engine means that it can be integrated with an MIS system to expand visibility and increase usability.
Greenwash and dubious claims about the supposed environmental impact of print, blamed for supposed deforestation, are on the increase. Legislation across Europe to implement the Green Claim Directive, the UK included, will criminalise false statements.
Members are less enthusiastic about the increase in the minimum wage, said Jarrold, because of the impact on wages across their business, “adds to their costs due to linked pay scales”.
