The PIAA is leveraging the success of Future Print to attract more young people to the industry, with a video interviewing some of its 230 apprentices.

In the video some of the apprentices speak of how shocked they were to learn about the range of opportunities in the print industry, and gave their views on the future of print.

Apprentice printing machinist Tomas Ujhelyi says the industry is underrated among young people who do not understand its diversity, and it is rewarding to be part of an industry that is not common.

“I have gained so much respect for the printing industry since I started. It is not talked about that much, people think it is about operating a photocopy machine, and it is so much more than that.”

[Related: More Future Print news]

Apprentice prepress operator Felicity Wrangles says she needed a good mentor and now appreciates the high level of support she receives from her employer.

“I am really interested in getting into screen printing, and perhaps even one day opening my own business in graphic signs,” she says.

Apprentice digital printer Jess McAuley says she has learnt a lot from attending the Future Print forums and it has helped her see how much she has advanced in her career.

“Coming to this has been really eye opening as all the Tafe stuff is online so being here I didn’t really realise how much of a good job I was doing,” she says.

“Everyone is really surprised about how good they are doing and I am still a bit shocked about how good it has worked out for me.”

The federally-funded $11m Future Print Project has now been running for nearly two years and will conclude at the end of 2015.

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