The programme, which is already open for applications, has been devised in partnership with Ricoh, Canon, Kyocera, Xerox, Konica Minolta, Sharp and computer technology firm, CompTIA.
Available across England the apprenticeship offers 16-24 year olds up to 12-months of learning through a combination of classroom and on-site job training after which participants will hold a certificate of Advanced Apprenticeship in Print and Document Solutions.
The course structure is based on the framework of the existing Advanced Apprenticeship for IT, Software, Web and Telecoms Professionals but the curriculum content has been adapted so that apprentices learn the theory and practical skills of a print support technician rather than an IT technician.
Apprentices will undertake two six-week blocks of theory and practical training at one of Pearson in Practice’s 30 training centres across England, which will be separated by two months working at their employer's site.
Following the second six-week training block apprentices will return to their employer to complete the programme in-house.
The first successful candidates started this month with nine being taken on by Konica Minolta and two at Kyocera. A further eight will begin with Ricoh in October.
Curriculum manager Michael Lafferty worked with the partners to develop the scheme and said that the apprentices would learn a broad range of skills: "They will learn to go out to visit customers to fix printing devices starting with smaller office multi-functional devices but expanding to include much larger commercial and industrial equipment."
Lafferty said that with recently announced improvements to the government's apprenticeship programme Pearson and its partners would promote the new course to their suppliers and customers in order to encourage smaller print businesses to take on their own apprentices.
He added: "The idea is that the companies see their apprentices as long term employees and the future talent and knowledge on this side of the industry."
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