Print Scotland has won a full government review over funding for apprentices after a campaign to highlight the huge difference in the way that training is funding between England and Scotland.
In the south a print technician apprenticeship can attract funding of £10,000 while the equivalent print industry occupations apprenticeship in Scotland attracts just £3,200 – a gap of almost £7,000.
“How can a Scottish apprenticeship be worth less than half their English counterpart?” says vice president of Print Scotland Richard McCombe. “The qualification level is comparable. The industrial skill level is comparable, but the funding support is nowhere near comparable.”
McCombe is managing director of Graphic Warehouse and represents the large format sector on the board of Print Scotland. He points out that the disparity means that while the industry in Scotland retains its commitment to developing the next generation of talent, employers are being asked to shoulder an unsustainable share of the cost.
Print Scotland president Michiel Molenaar adds, from the point of view of his role as managing director of packaging company Kennedy Smith: “Packaging supports some of Scotland’s most successful export industries, including food and drink and pharmaceuticals. These industries depend on highly skilled technical operators.
“If apprenticeship pipelines weaken because funding does not match the real cost of training, that will ultimately impact the wider economy.”
The funding issue will hit the ability to replace skills lost as the older generation retires, prompting McCombe to add: “We are heading towards a skills cliff edge.”
The organisation has tabled calls for a review of apprenticeship funding bands, alignment of funding for print training to aligned with comparable technical frameworks, greater parity with England’s print apprentices and stronger incentives for SME companies to take on apprentices.
The campaign may not have changed Sottish government policy as yet, but it has drawn attention to Print Scotland. Its campaign has attracted 22 new associate members, a category for suppliers to the print business membership. The likes of Kodak, Ricoh and Bank of Scotland have signed up.
The expansion comes just weeks into Molenaar’s term as president. Print Scotland director Garry Richmond says: “Michiel’s impact since taking on the role has been phenomenal. His drive is fantastic, and he is already making a real difference.”
The growth gives strength to the associations ability to speak for the whole industry in Scotland. Molenaar adds: “Our industry achieves far more when we work together rather than in competition with one another, and the recent success of our lobbying on apprenticeship funding disparity with our colleagues in England, which has now resulted in a full review by the Scottish Government, is proof of what a unified voice can achieve.”
