Five new hires have joined the business this year, enabled by a windfall of new client contracts and award wins for Imageco, alongside a local government grant that will see the company install a SwissQPrint Nyala 4 in late November.
Joining the design team are Robert Lee, who join the firm's senior account management team to take on client services work, with a background in 3D design for POS and wide-format, and Isabel Shanahan, who has joined as the firm's junior Mac operator, and will soon start a part-time degree in Graphic Design.
Callum Maltham has also joined the team as a trainee account manager. Maltham has taken the step into the office after eight years in a conventional print room.
Going into the print room themselves are trainees Josh Hargreaves and Sam Fielding, who will work across the firm's service offering as part of their training.
Nathan Swinson-Bullough, the firm’s MD, began his own career as a Mac operator and graphics technician at the now-defunct Nova Retail Display, and worked his way up to become the owner of Imageco after running the firm’s print room.
He told Printweek that he felt it absolutely crucial that print companies give younger employees the chance to grow.
“I sympathise with juniors these days, because not many people give them a chance without relevant experience.
“I see good in young people, and I’d like to nurture them. It’s nice to bring them in, and see them grow with the company.”
The fact that it makes good financial sense, he added, was an added bonus.
“We always encourage them getting on the ladder to management level and beyond, and I always tell them the sky’s the limit.”
He added that Imageco had seen some real successes hiring like this: the firm’s senior Mac operator, Caydn Adams, came to the company aged 15 with solid photoshop skills, and now looks after national campaigns for Imageco.
“We often speak to colleges and schools, and just say – if there’s anybody out there who looks like they’re interested in what we do, just get in touch, just let us know.
“We like to bring people on for work experience, then maybe paid work in the holidays.
“It’s about finding the right role, and making the role appealing to them, too,” Swinson-Bullough said.
