More than 9,000 students from around 250 schools took part in the 2011/2012 Proskills-organised scheme, which aims to highlight the opportunities in the print industry and can form part of various GCSE and A level syllabuses.

This year’s overall winner was Aleesha Patel, from Beauchamp School in Leicester, who took home a raft of prizes for herself and her school from PrintIT! sponsors, including an all-expenses-paid two-day trip to Hunkeler Innovationdays in Lucerne, Switzerland courtesy of Friedheim International.

"I was nervous about being a category finalist but to have been selected as the overall winner is amazing. I am shaking. I would like to thank everyone and to all the sponsors, today has been amazing," said Patel.

Last Friday’s event (6 July) also served as the springboard for the launch of the 2012/2013 scheme, with Duplo managing director Tony Lock confirming that he would remain as PrintIT! chairman for another year.

"Compared to financial services or healthcare we might not be the biggest industry, but 130,000 students have taken part in PrintIT! and we have the largest schools into industry programme in the UK. And that is something to be immensely proud of," said Lock.

The scheme’s goal is to promote the awareness of print among young people, and one of the key ways it does this is by twinning participating schools with local print firms.

This year, Cornish book printer TJ International was crowned "Best Industry Twinner" following its work with St Ives School. The firm’s training and development manager Nigel Hawke used the event to  talk about the industry’s need to do more to attract young people and how schemes such as PrintIT! played a pivotal role in that.

For more information on getting involved with PrintIT!, visit www.printit.org.uk.

Overall winner
Aleesha Patel, Beauchamp School

20011/12 Special Awards
Best Twinner
TJ International, Cornwall

2011/12 Category Winners

Best Wall Poster
Daniel Baynham, Saints Peter & Paul Catholic College
Best Packaging
Aleesha Patel, Beauchamp School
Best ‘Free’ Design
Jake Woodgate, Charlie Sloan and Will Ede, Devonport High School for Boys
Best Use of Brand across the Range
Megan Herrick, The Beauchamp School
Best Floor Graphic
Wioletta Strek, St James Catholic School
Best Presentation
Anna Edgell, The Beauchamp School

20011/12 PrintIT Scotland

Best Poster
Jennifer Carmichael, Uddingston Grammer
Best Graph
Katriona Anderson, Milnes High school
Best Table Talker
Laura Yule, Bucksburn Academy