Presumably not recently, but that’s how it was described by Richard Harnasz, a first-year student of the London College of Communication’s (LCC) foundation degree in print media management, at last week’s PrintIT! Awards ceremony.
For many at the event, Harnasz and his fellow student Raj Marway’s presentations on why they wanted to join the print industry were one of the highlights of the event. And, importantly, they went a long way to answer one of the most commonly levelled criticisms of the PrintIT! scheme: that getting children excited about print doesn’t really help as it will be years before they’re old enough to join the industry and in the meantime they’re enticed by different careers.
As Harnasz and Marway mentioned in their presentations, they both almost slipped through the industry’s net as neither even thought about print as a career and both were studying different courses (design and photography, respectively) before they stumbled across the print courses on offer at the LCC.
This raises the question of how many other young people are in the same position and are oblivious to the industry’s opportunities.
"It’s important that young people realise that there is an attractive career for them in print, and PrintIT! is based on exactly that premise," said Terry Watts, chief executive of print’s sector skills council Proskills, who presented the PrintIT! awards.
This was echoed by Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who sent a message of support to PrintIT!: "I believe it is vitally important that young people get high-quality work-related learning to equip them with the skills they will need as they step out into the wider world."
More than 25,000 students from 600-plus schools took part in this year’s competition (see below for the rundown of winners), which is open to GCSE students from 13 to 16 years old.
"If we can attract some of that talent, we will be all the richer," said Heidelberg UK managing director George Clarke, who has taken over as PrintIT! chairman from Martyn Elmy, director of RW Coatings, who founded the awards in 2006 along with PrintIT! project director Paul Evans.
"PrintIT! has already enriched the lives of thousands of children, and if we can get some of that talent into our industry, we will be the richer. We need support from the industry itself, it's vital… and we need more printers to be involved, more great 'twinners'," said Clarke.
At the Stationers’ Hall-hosted event, MPGi chief executive Mike Milton was named the 2008/2009 ‘Best Industry Twinner’.
"I’d say to any printer, give it a try, you’ve nothing to lose… it takes an afternoon and you might even get an apprentice out of it," said Milton.
Students from Esher Church of England High School students visited MPGi's Chessington factory, where they were given a tour of the site and saw some of the coursework being printed.
"Their teacher told me afterwards that they were absolutely blown away [by the visit] and it really opened up their eyes to some of the opportunities in print," added Milton.
Last Friday's event (20 April) was also used to launch the 2009/2010 Awards, which will be hosted at Ipex next year.
Evans said: "It will be particularly significant year for the UK printing industry. Not only will PrintIT! reach its fifth birthday, we will [also] see the very best of British print on display at the NEC… [which] will provide us with the perfect backdrop to showcase our incredible industry to the finalist students."
And if only a fraction of the school students that take part develop half of the passion and enthusiasm for the industry that was shown by Harnasz and Marway, then it won’t be long before the cynics are silenced and the industry starts to benefit from the fruits of PrintIT!
For information on PrintIT!, visit: www.printit.org.uk
Rundown of winners
Overall Winner of PrintIT! 2008/9
Laura Whitehouse - Beauchamp College, Leicester
Best Wall Poster
Dan Akman and Tom Wicks - Holmfirth High School, Kirklees
Best Table Talker
Emma Stafford and Rebecca Woodward - St Ives School, Cornwall
Best ‘Free’ Design
Jack Jarvis and Josh Williams - Springwood High School, Norfolk
Best Use of Brand across the Range
Emma Banerjee - Westhoughton High School, Lancashire
Best Understanding of Printing Techniques
Richard Taylor - Kirk Balk School, South Yorkshire
Best Use of Materials
Catherine MacGeorge - Didcot Girls School, Oxfordshire
Best Overall Presentation
Laura Whitehouse - Beauchamp College, Leicester
Best Understanding of Environmental Concerns
Kirsty Collings - Burford School and Community College, Oxfordshire
Best Industry Twinner
Mike Milton, chief executive - MPG Impressions
Best Teacher
Jon Lambert - Aylesbury High School, Buckinghamshire
Best Overall School Effort (teacher)
Ricardo Arbelaez - Thomas Deacon Academy, Cambridgeshire
Best PrintIT! Student
Damon Friel - William Howard School, Brampton, Cumbria
