Apprentices from the Future Print Apprenticeship programme have given the initiative, funded by the federal government and Printing Industries, the thumbs up at a recent event in Melbourne. The Future Print project was launched in 2014 to help develop a sustainable future training model to meet the needs of the rapidly transforming print and graphic communications sector. A group of Future Print apprentices from across the country gathered under one roof to share their experiences working in the print and graphic communications sector. Apprentices were divided into smaller groups to discuss their experiences undertaking the new apprenticeship model. This covered how they feel about the industry and its opportunities and challenges, their experiences of workplace supervision and support, onsite learning and a range of topics that illustrate the apprentice experience. Representatives from the Printing Industries and Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU) joined the group to help evaluate the competency level of the Future Print Apprenticeship program, which has been running for the past two years. National Secretary AMWU Print Division, Lorraine Cassin, officially invited the apprentices’ input, saying this was their chance to be heard by the people reshaping the future of their ‘vibrant industry’. Several apprentices were interviewed individually about their experiences, and the new doors which the training was opening for them. Jessica McAuley, digital print apprentice from Drum Print in WA, says she found print ‘a rewarding industry to get into’. Kurtis Vaness from One Point in NSW, who is training in digital wide format print, says his field was ‘an interesting area to get into’, which he believes will give him a practical career path. Prepress operator Felicity Wrangles from Griffin Press in SA also sees plenty of opportunities and options. Wrangles says, “So many different technologies have come through and really helped expand and introduce new fields to the print and graphics industry.  “With the new opportunities I can see emerging in screen printing; I can even see myself one day starting up my own business in graphic design.” Brett Maishman, national business manager at Fuji Xerox, who was at the event, says apprentices will play a major role in reshaping the industry of the future as they ‘pave their way’ to a successful career. The project has already met its key target of 240 apprentices, but additional apprentices will be recruited before the project concludes at the end of the year.  

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