Young People In Print (YPIP) will hold its first event, for around 20 students and young people, at FE Burman on 14 March.

Founded by Stephen Austin & Sons head of UK sales Elizabeth Bowerman, Lucy Swanston of the Strategic Mailing Partnership, Paul Stead of ASL Group, Joanna Stephenson of PHD Marketing, Kelvin Bell of Vpress and Delroy Simmons at Dayfold, the group came together to help bring print to a generation that sees little of the industry.

Bowerman told Printweek that the concept came to her in October last year, through a chance meeting with a student whose girlfriend was looking to get into the packaging industry, yet had no idea of how to get started.

Giving advice to the young woman, Bowerman realised that there would be many other students and young people who wanted to get into the industry, but lacked the guidance.

“I reached out [to the founding members] with a bit of a wacky idea,” she said.

“We’re very good as an industry and there are so many fantastic people – but we’re very inward facing, in the respect that we have all these amazing events, but most of it is preaching to the converted.

“So I thought, what if we turned that on its head and reached out to the community?”

The group is planning four events in 2024, with the first at FE Burman in March. 

“We’re reaching out to schools, looking at that age from 16 to mid-20s. We’ll do an introductory talk around print, the diversity within the industry, and do a factory tour.

“We’re actually going to be printing a personalised box, for the people that attend, with creating their own from a template created prior to the event.”

The students will then see their box printed and converted from scratch – right up to being filled with Creme Eggs for the students to take home.

“With this first event, it’s about trying to find our feet, but at the end of the day, it’s about communication and trying to encourage young people into the industry.”