UK Print Education Programme Changes Hands

Proskills, the Sector Skills Council for the printing industry, has taken over the running of PrintIT!

PrintIT! is the UK educational initiative to attract young people to consider a career in printing.

The project, which is currently planning year three of its nationwide schools competition, was handed over to Terry Watts, chief executive of Proskills, from original founder, Picon.

Terry Watts, chief executive of Proskills, said: "PrintIT! is an excellent initiative that has really captured the support and goodwill of the industry as a whole, who all see the need to attract a youthful, motivated future workforce.

The aims and focus of the project are completely in line with the objectives of Proskills, to ensure the future workforce of our industry has the skills to boost productivity and competitiveness." He continued: "By adopting and developing PrintIT!, we can continue to enhance and sustain the public image of the printing industry in the consciousness of eligible students, who are at the stage in their education when they are considering their future careers." And he added: "If PrintIT! hadn't already been conceived, we would have had to generate a similar initiative but the phenomenal success of the project during its first two years has proved that this is a winning formula and we are delighted to have this opportunity to nurture and expand PrintIT! for year three and beyond." In handing over PrintIT! to Proskills, Roy Caslon, chairman of Picon and chairman of Caslon, commented: "We are pleased that the mission we embarked upon two years ago has been so successful and captured the imagination of the industry.

It is immensely satisfying that we have been able to hand the baton to Proskills, whom we see as the natural home for PrintIT! going forward." PrintIT! was developed by Picon, the association for manufacturers and suppliers to the UK printing industry, to address the need to attract young people to consider a career in print.

Sponsored by industry manufacturers and suppliers, the scheme is based around a print-centric competition to design promotional collateral for The Fairtrade Foundation and aimed at students studying in their first year GCSE graphic products and product design courses.

To date, over 38,000 students and more than 600 schools nationwide have taken part in PrintIT!.

The competition for 2007-2008 of PrintIT! has started positively with a number of schools already registered to participate in the competition, which will take place during the Autumn academic term.

An ingredient of the scheme is the 'twinning' programme, in which participating schools are 'twinned' with local printers that assist the schools in the delivery of the course, by giving them a personal insight in to the world of print.

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