The recently launched initiative aims to bring together passionate advocates from across the print industry to support, promote, and enhance apprenticeships, ensuring the future success of businesses and professionals in the sector.
The network is designed to connect employers, training providers, and industry leaders, creating a collaborative space where members can share best practices, mentor apprentices, and advocate for skills development within the printing industry.
By becoming an Apprenticeship Champion, BPIF Training said individuals and businesses would play a key role in raising awareness of apprenticeship opportunities and the benefits they bring to both employers and learners.
BPIF Training, which has over 400 apprentices currently in training and partnerships with more than 150 employers, said the Apprenticeship Champion Network was a natural next step in strengthening the industry’s skills pipeline.
Throughout National Apprenticeship Week, which runs from today (10 February) to 16 February, BPIF Training will be sharing stories of successful apprentices, employer case studies, and insights from Apprenticeship Champions.
Employers can access resources for National Apprenticeship Week at BPIF Training’s NAW 2025 Resource Hub.
BPIF Training will also be releasing guides and documents throughout the week, covering topics such as Understanding Apprenticeships, Ongoing Support, Onboarding, Mental Health, Maximising Benefits, Interview Questions, FAQs, Identifying Business Needs, and the Recruitment Process.
Max Walkington, operations director at BPIF Training told Printweek: “This provides an excellent opportunity to everyone within the sector to unite and promote both apprenticeships and print in the best possible light.
“What we're trying to do is piggyback on our stakeholders - both members and non-members and anybody else involved in training - and trying to get the message out there a bit beyond our typical reach, which is when it's really valuable to put on a united front and have support from across the sector and willing ambassadors; there are plenty of those and there are plenty of great success stories from the last few years. A lot of our trainers came from the print shopfloors, have years and years of experience and are passionate about print.”
More information, and details on how to sign up, are available on BPIF Training’s website.
Separately, HR body the CIPD has kicked off National Apprenticeship Week by calling on the government to take urgent action to develop the skills and capabilities needed to deliver economic growth, by involving employers in the early design of the new Growth and Skills Levy and introducing an Apprenticeship Guarantee for all young people aged 16-24.
In its submission for the Spending Review, the CIPD said it was crucial that investment is directed towards apprenticeships and skills development.
This will be key to tackling current skills deficits, especially technical skills, and ensuring the workforce is equipped to deliver the government’s industrial strategy and wider growth ambitions, the body said.
Lizzie Crowley, senior skills policy adviser at the CIPD, said: “In the Chancellor’s recent speech there were multiple references to boosting growth through investing in major infrastructure projects and key high-tech and green industries, but very little focus on the workforce skills and capabilities needed to deliver on these ambitions.
“We need to see a significant increase in apprenticeships for young people to address technical skills shortages across the economy, not just in the relatively few sectors the government is prioritising to accelerate growth through.
“It’s also important that we see rapid progress on the development of the Growth and Skills Levy with early input from employers to ensure that it can play an effective role in supporting the training and upskilling of the wider workforce.”
The CIPD is also calling on the government to introduce an Apprenticeship Guarantee that will give all 16-24-year-olds access to either a level 2 or level 3 apprenticeship.
It said current plans for a Youth Guarantee promising support to find employment, training, or apprenticeships for 18-21-year-olds would not be sufficient to address the collapse in apprenticeship provision for young people or tackle rising youth unemployment.
