Rising star: Ronan McKechnie, lithographic apprentice, CPI William Clowes

Ronan is 20 years old and has been working in the industry since the summer of 2017. Earlier this year he was awarded Learner of the Year by specialist training provider Learn2Print, which provides teaching across a number of CPI’s sites.

What did you study?

Engineering, environmental science and history

How did you find your way into the industry?

I was introduced to printing by a family friend

Did you know anything about print beforehand?

No

What does your current role entail?

I operate a zero-makeready printing press while managing a crew of three

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

The various different products we produce. The format, colour and substrate changes almost every day. The products we print can include anything from diaries, law books, novels and more.

Do you have an ideal career path mapped out?

To progress as effectively and efficiently as possible

What would be your dream job (print related)?

Company director

Do you have a ‘side hustle’?

No

What’s top of your playlist at the moment?

Oasis and Tom Grennan

Which box set would you recommend?

Peaky Blinders

What’s your most-used app?

Twitter

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

The fact that the industry is so large, yet not well known

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

Spread awareness about the large variety of jobs available, ie everything from engineering to graphic design