Four youngsters have received recognition in Print Scotland’s Scottish Print Apprentice of the Year award, each from different businesses across the country.
This is the ninth occasion that Print Scotland has organised these awards, increasing participation each time. Print Scotland director Garry Richmond says: “The print sector has significantly enhanced its support for apprentices in recent years and is definitely seeing the benefit of this forward looking approach for employers and individuals.
“We urge the Scottish Government and its agencies to reinforce our success by continuing to invest significantly to allow us to create more opportunities for our young people.”
The four youngsters received their awards at a ceremony in Glasgow. Jack Campbell, from Deacon Brothers in Kirkintilloch was the prepress apprentice of the year; Adam Dobbie, Newsprinters UK at Eurocentral, was press apprentice of the year and Jack Clark, Bell & Bain, was postpress apprentice of the year. The overall apprentice of the year was Liam Thomson, FLB in Midlothian. In addition Gordon Sally from Bell & Bain was recognised as mentor of the year, the first time this award has been presented.
Print Scotland’s training officer Jim McKenzie says of the overall winner: “What makes Liam stand out is that he’s taken all his learnings on board very quickly and his manager, Tony McGuire, says he is an integral member of the production team and one of the strongest apprentices FLB has had.”
At the event Susan Graham, president of Print Scotland, called for more young people to consider the appeal of an apprenticeship in print. She says: “Print is still here, present in all our lives. It is a renewable resource, it is tactile and people, across the globe, continue to use it every day, not just to inform and entertain themselves, but also to organise their lives. We need to grow our own to control our own success.
“So as well as congratulating today’s award winners, my message to the young people of Scotland is that a career in the print industry continues to be rewarding, satisfying and important to the health and strength of our economy and one that I urge them to consider.”
Jack Campbell was guided by his school’s careers adviser to apply for an apprenticeship at Deacon Brothers, while Jack Clark applied to Bell & Bain at the suggestion of a neighbour who already worked at the book printer.
