Would love to be an influencer

Rising Star: Becky Young, apprentice pre-press operator, J Thomson Colour Printers

28 February 2024

Interview

"I like that every day is different and it’s great seeing final printed copies of a job that you have been involved with"

Medicine’s loss is print’s gain! Becky is 19 and has been working at Glasgow-based J Thomson Colour Printers since April 2022.

What did you study, and did you have a particular career in mind?

I passed Maths, English, History, French, Science and HE Nat 5’s and English, Biology, Politics and HE Highers. I originally wanted to go to university to study to be a doctor

How did you find your way into the industry?

My uncle works for Koenig & Bauer and services the presses at J Thomson and he got me to send my CV in

Did you know anything about print beforehand?

I knew nothing about print before joining, I used to think everything was printed using a laser printer

What does your current role entail?

I am an apprentice pre-press operator and my daily role is proofing files, either electronically or hard copy proofs, using our Prinergy workflow, imposing jobs and plating jobs

What’s the most enjoyable or interesting thing about it?

I like that every day is different and it’s great seeing final printed copies of a job that you have been involved with

Do you have an ideal career path mapped out?

Not at the moment, I am just enjoying my role within J Thomson

What would be your dream job (print related)?

Pre-press manager would be a great position to have in the future

What would be your dream job (not print related)?

I would love to be a TikTok influencer, travel the world and receive loads of free stuff

Who do you view as an inspiring person?

My mentor Mark Jones is an inspiration to me as he started as an apprentice at J Thomson and has now joined the management training scheme and will one day be the pre-press manager

Do you have a ‘side hustle’?

I don’t really drink much so I am a taxi driver for my friends at the weekend

What’s top of your playlist at the moment?

Candy by Paolo Nutini

Which box set would you recommend?

Prison Break

What’s your most-used app?

TikTok

What has surprised you most about working in the printing industry?

All the different processes and steps you need to go through to get a finished printed product.

What could the printing industry be doing more of to entice young people into print?

They would need to promote it more to be a glamorous career path