The Future Skills Zone is one of the new features at IPEX, and is aimed specifically at the smaller print businesses that make up the bulk of both specialist and general printers in the UK. These businesses in particular need to attract college students to fulfil a variety of demanding skill-based roles. The Future Skills Zone will therefore provide a forum that will showcase the world of print to the up and coming talent, in a way that engages ambition.
IPEX is partnering with key industry associations, The British Printing Industries Federation (BPIF), the Independent Print Industries Association (IPIA), Picon and The Printing Charity to deliver the Future Skills Zone which will spotlight the concerns about attracting young talent into the industry.
Rob Fisher, event director of IPEX, said; “A high priority for print businesses today is to address a growing skills gap through creating jobs at all levels from school leavers to graduates. We feel IPEX 2017 provides a platform to facilitate discussion that aims to promote print as an exciting career choice and to help printers know what support and guidance is available to them. We want to encourage anyone looking for a fulfilling career to attend IPEX as it will give them the opportunity to engage with all aspects of print, see its diversity and they can appreciate, and realise its potential as a valuable career choice.”
“Our industry has always offered a wide range of exciting career opportunities, and IPEX 2017 will enable the sector to explain what’s on offer. The Future Skills Zone will enable us to demonstrate the range of opportunities, and the quality of training and development available, key to both attracting individuals into the sector and to ensuring we have a great, highly trained and skilled workforce for the future,”, commented Charles Jarrold, CEO of The British Printing Industries Federation.
Students who are interested in finding out about specific opportunities and possible training schemes can connect with industry training providers, meet representatives from both print and manufacturing businesses, tour the exhibition and listen to presentations delivered by apprentices within the industry.
Neil Lovell, chief executive of The Printing Charity, said; “Supporting the sector’s skills are vitally important as we see challenges from both ends of the skills system – from the apprentice levy coming in next year, to the reality of seeing existing skills retiring from the sector. Some smaller businesses may not be affected by the levy directly but they will continue to find themselves trying to attract and retain the skills they need in an ever more competitive market.”
Rob Fisher concluded; “IPEX wants to play a significant role in assisting the print industry with its efforts to regenerate itself and one of the key ways is to help it address the talent shortage. Our aim is to demonstrate that this is an exciting and highly creative industry with a wealth of career opportunities that make use of creative, business and technical skills. The Future Skill Zone is just one of the features that we believe will actively promote the print industry.”
