With the skills gap in print growing and print companies becoming increasingly concerned about how they are going to fill positions moving forward, LFR takes a closer look at how several organisations are championing print as an exciting career path for younger people.
Let’s get straight to the point; the print market is an aging sector. During visits to industry events, we are met with many of the same faces that have been involved with print for longer than many of them dare to remember.
The fact is that many people that enter the industry often remain members for life, working their way up companies to take on more senior positions as their careers progress. But with grey – or in some cases, balding – heads far from a rare sight in the industry, the issue for print service providers (PSPs) is how to replace these industry veterans when they finally do hang up their boots.
How do we make print a more attractive proposition for younger people? This is crucial for the future of the industry as with fresh minds come fresh ideas, many of which can help the industry evolve and ensure it continues to respond to the demand of the modern customer.
Web-to-print, SEO and social media are just some of the subjects that come to mind when thinking about major developments in more recent times that are now crucial for printing companies. Many of these are driven and championed by younger minds, eager to make their own impression on the industry.
However, when it comes to core skills in print – think workshop floor and managing printing presses – this is perhaps of most concern to PSPs. Where are they going to source workers to take on these roles when other staff move on? Luckily for the UK print market, there are several organisations taking the lead in championing print as a career path for younger people, opening their eyes to the opportunities in the industry and how they too can build a career in the market.
Industry needs to do more
First up is FESPA UK, the regional arm of the global FESPA organisation. Managing Director Suzi Ward simply says that as an industry, we need to do more to engage with colleges and schools, not just to open up more career pathways, but to help educators understand the full range of opportunities we offer.
“If the people guiding young learners don’t know what’s out there, how can the students themselves?” Suzi said. “We also have a great resource already working among us: the young professionals who are thriving in this industry. Their stories and experiences are powerful, and we should be encouraging them to share those journeys, especially on social media, to help raise awareness and inspire the next generation.”
So, what can the industry do? Suzi wastes little time in drawing attention to FESPA UK-led initiatives such as Next Generation, a project created to address the need for succession planning in the print, graphics, and signage industry. Launched in January 2023, the initiative focuses on this skills gap, offering a structured, supportive space for emerging professionals to develop both personally and professionally.
Importantly, the project has young people at its heart. The Next Generation Committee works with the FESPA UK team and board to give a voice to the younger generation. This working partnership has helped create a series of events and initiatives, with the Committee acting as a conduit between the industry and young people seeking a way into print.
In addition, FESPA UK works with several industry professionals to support young people in their careers. Suzi is one mentor alongside Jon Hutton, also of FESPA UK, Sarah Lees from Compass Business Finance, Tristan Harrold of OPG, and The Online Print Coach, Colin Sinclair McDermott.
“Supporting initiatives like our Next Generation project is essential,” Suzi said. “The young professionals already working within our industry are in the best position to connect with people their own age, and without their voices, it’s incredibly hard to reach a broader, younger audience.
“It’s time for businesses to shift the mindset that encouraging young team members to engage with peers outside the company is a risk. Worrying about them being ‘poached’ misses the bigger picture. In reality, giving them the space to build industry networks, share experiences, and learn from others not only boosts their confidence but also helps them grow professionally and become more invested in their future within the business.
“This is an industry that truly has space for everyone. Whether someone’s just finished their GCSEs, recently graduated from university, or is simply looking for a new direction, there’s a wide range of roles and career paths to explore.”
Evolving roles for younger people
Also stepping up is the Printing Charity, another UK-facing organisation that has put in plenty of work to ensure the longevity of the industry. Liz Ross Martyn, Director of Marketing & Engagement at the Printing Charity, highlights the organisation’s ‘Rising Stars’ initiative as one way it is helping to make print a more attractive prospect for younger people.
Held each year, the Rising Star Awards celebrate young talent in print, offering winners up to £1,500 to help further their career not just in print but also across packaging, paper, publishing, graphics and other related sectors. The initiative is open to people aged 18-30 working within the industry.
“Providing people on the cusp of making career choices with the chance to hear first-hand from those starting to build careers in our sector, who have recently been in the position of making that choice themselves, and whose perspectives are therefore realistic and relatable, would be a great way to encourage young people to think print,” Liz said. “Alongside this, it’s important for businesses to be present in places where young people go to look for knowledge and advice about potential careers.”
As with all these initiatives, the proof is very much in the pudding; how does it help young people in print and what does it do to draw more youngsters to the sector? Rising Star Award winner Isabel Shanahan said: “Before entering the industry, I was blind to how much print was around us. When you see it, it’s a complete game-changer.”
Building on this, Liz said that as the print industry rapidly evolves, jobs within it do too, and offer people a route to build a career in innovative, dynamic and fast-paced companies across a huge range of disciplines
“We see this first-hand through the diversity of job roles held by each year’s Rising Star Award winners,” she said. “In 2024, there were more than 50 job roles held by our 61 winners, ranging from print operatives, HR professionals and sustainability experts to security officers, print makers, team leaders and analysts.
“We also see it through the wide range of courses Rising Star Award winners undertake through their funding. These can indicate the industry’s direction of travel, as our winners are looking to build the skillsets they know will help them thrive in their careers. In 2024, courses we funded encompassed training to understand AI, environmental management, public speaking, negotiation, women in leadership, maths and personality profile training.
“It certainly seems to be the case that whatever someone’s career goals and professional interests, they’ll find print has a place for them. This is a really exciting message to put out there to young people.”
Passion for print
New initiatives and projects are being rolled out on a regular basis, helping draw more young people to print. One of the latest ventures to launch is the aptly named Young People in Print, or YPIP for short, a collaboration of industry friends that are keen to champion opportunities for youngsters.
Professionals behind the scheme include Kelvin Bell of Vpress, Elizabeth Bowerman from Thistle and Rose Print Consultancy, Sarah Kilcoyne at Webmart, Del Simmons of Dayfold, Paul Stead from ASL Group, Jo Stephenson at Think B2B Marketing, and Lucy Swanston from Nutshell Creative.
“We are working to share our own experience of the wonderful world of print,” Elizabeth from the Thistle and Rose Print Consultancy said. “The intention being that young people will consider the print industry as a career choice.
“Our mission is to cultivate a passion for the print industry among young minds through engaging events held at schools, universities, OEMs and print organisations. We strive to empower students with valuable insights into the multifaceted realms of print, fostering an appreciation for its artistry, innovation and sustainable practices.”
Elizabeth agreed with Liz at the Printing Charity that there are roles to suit all ages and abilities, with the jobs on offer continuing to evolve alongside the industry. She said: “Ranging from AI whizzkids to graphic designers, press minders, brand ambassadors, finance and client services, there is so much to do in print.”
So, what can the industry to support YPIP and the work it is doing to support the printing industry in the UK? Elizabeth simply says business can do so by “starting a conversation”.
“This can take a number of guises,” she said. “Reach out and work with the careers and enterprise hubs to facilitate an open-door experience for groups of local students. Become an enterprise advisor and visit local educational establishments to evangelise about the industry and all it has to offer.
“Also, ascertain where in your business a young person would add most value and be encouraged to flourish. As an industry, print contributes just under £13.7bn to the economy and employs around 97,000 people, with the opportunities only being restricted by peoples’ imaginations.”
Learn from your mistakes
In reality, this is just a small sample of the work being done to draw in young people and, to borrow the name of FESPA UK’s project, create the ‘Next Generation’ of print specialists. The industry needs fresh blood to continue to not only survive but also thrive. It is down to industry members to make that happen.
One leading name that is championing print as a career to younger people is HP. Running a range of in-house schemes to help develop and nurture new talent, HP is very much of the standpoint that in order to progress in print, newcomers need to be out and about experiencing print in action.
“I always say the same thing to my team; I want them to spend time with customers to understand their problems and see if there are any solutions,” said Oscar Vidal, Global Director, Product Portfolio and Strategy for Large-Format Printing at HP. “The more you learn, the more space there will be to innovate. That obsession of asking questions, shadowing customers, is what really excites me to be innovative.
“I tell our younger staff that I don’t want to see them in the office, but instead to be spending their time with customers. Pick up the phone, feel their pain and this will make you more creative in the office. Listening to the customer and being able to help them is where the magic happens.”
As to whether wide-format print is an attractive and long-term career prospect, Oscar said that this is possible, so long as those getting involved are proactive and passionate about innovation and want to contribute to the future development of the wider industry.
“As long as you bring innovation, it is definitely possible to work in wide-format print for your entire career,” Oscar said. “People have gone to other places and come back to HP, bringing with them new ideas. We work with them to see how we can apply that to our business at HP.”
On this, Oscar said younger people and newcomers to print should not be afraid of making mistakes. He said this is all part of the learning process and will help strengthen both their knowledge and skills with print in the longer term.
“They need to make some mistakes,” he said. “It is important they make some mistakes. I’ve always tried to look at all the different roles available in the industry and see how much I can learn about each one to broaden by knowledge.”
Oscar concludes by offering advice to those younger people starting out with their own businesses in print, something he is highly supportive of as he said this will help the industry to evolve and ensure it caters for the changing requirements of consumers.
“What I would say is to identify your uniqueness and build on this,” he said. “You need to understand why you are unique and build strengths on this, whether it is a service or type of product you offer to customers. Shout about it and spread the word to ensure people know about you and what you can do. Large-format print is everywhere; people need to be made aware of that.”
So, what next? Reach out to organisations such as those featured here to see how you can support and benefit from their schemes, consider developing your own programmes and, perhaps above all else, speak with younger people in your organisation to understand their opinion on print and how they believe it can continue to evolve. Only by doing so will the industry we all love continue to evolve, progress and thrive.
