Training, like education as a whole, is one of those political footballs kicked around by successive governments who spend vast amounts to try to win industry votes. This usually involves money being tied in wasteful quangos, with little real benefit to the underlying industry it is intended to serve.

The NSA initiative, however, is launched with the intention of becoming self-sufficient within three years of its foundation, providing each industry with access to independent training that will sustain and support the next generation of its growth.

Its grants have been a great success so far, with 11 sectors now active and two more on the way.

Details of the reasons for the deferment of the bid have not yet been released and Proskills is quick to point out that the delay does not constitute a rejection. However, the emergence of infighting within Proskills and criticism from other printers is what worries me as it resubmits the bid. Whether the bid needs tweaking or a substantial overhaul will be of little importance if the industry is not united behind it.

The NSA has hinted that it will be willing to consult rival bids. Having competing bids for the grant would do nothing but harm our cause and further the impression of disunity within print. Now is the time for print as a whole to get behind Proskills. This is an employer-led initiative and must, therefore, be driven by total support from the industry, not simply by one group dodging the arrows from within as it attempts to get the bid back on track.

An independent self-sufficient training academy for print would give the industry the profile and opportunities it needs to secure its future. It would also mean that we are not subject to highly political initiatives, such as the much-maligned Train to Gain scheme. We must unite and help Proskills secure the grant. Only then can we begin to debate what exactly the academy will entail.

William Mitting is news editor of PrintWeek.