In July the Simpson Group took part in an event in Newcastle called STEMfest Net Zero, where local businesses were invited to engage with more than 3,000 young people from the region’s schools via fun, hands-on sessions relating to their industries and their Net Zero goals. It’s just one many initiatives the group is involved in as it plays its part in making print a more obvious career choice. Development director Sarah Tishler explains.
How proactive are you in ‘selling’ print - as a career? Perhaps not as much as the industry needs you to be. As Simpson Group development director Sarah Tishler reiterates, “the average age in the print industry is currently 43 years old - according BPIF stats. You may find it’s even higher in your own business.”
We know the situation all too well, but in Tishler’s words: “It would appear a whole generation has fallen out of love with print, potentially seeing it as messy and unsustainable compared to smart phones and digital screens, or just generally adding to the environmental woes of the world we live in.
“What is more worrying, is that many of the school pupils I am in contact with are not even aware that the print industry exists. There is no connection made between their Happy Meal box, football programme or advertising hoardings for the latest must-have trainers to the versatile and engaging industry we work in.
“Not only do we, as an industry need to be more proactive in selling the exciting products that we produce, but we need to connect with the youth - and now is the time that the schools around you will welcome your support and interest with open arms, as they grapple to fulfil their Gatsby Benchmarks requirements of good career guidance [these are: having a stable careers programme, learning from career and labour market information, addressing the needs of each pupil, linking curriculum learning to careers, encounters with employers and employees, experiences of workplaces, encounters with further and higher education, and personal guidance] and comply with the Baker Clause [introduced as an amendment to the Technical and Further Education Act 2017, the clause stipulates that schools must allow colleges and training providers access to every student in Years 8 to 13 to inform them about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships].”
Tishler continues: “I have been a STEM ambassador for several years, working with RTC North as a mentor to local students and I am also an Enterprise Adviser, working with the NELEP and matched to a local school, Oxclose Academy.
“As a member of industry, volunteering your time within the education sector, you get a chance to give back to the community around you and to help prepare today’s students for the time they leave their years of education and start to work.
“Schools are measured on exam results, so that’s where their focus often lies.
“Post Covid, there has been a lot of work that has needed to be done to get some year groups back on track. Many have not been permitted to leave the classroom and engage with employers as the logistics or transport, cover for absent teachers who oversee any visit etc can become too complex and the return on the school’s investment is sometimes not seen immediately in the students’ exam results.
“We at the Simpson Group have successfully engaged in some visits to Influence Park [where the group is based in Washington, Tyne and Wear], introducing students to print and the imaginative displays we can create, and taking them on a tour of the print hall, grabbing their interest when they see the large-format machines in action.
“It is also beneficial for the schools to work with industry and promote the top ten employability skills as highlighted by STEM [www.stem.org.uk/resources/elibrary/resource/418157/top-ten-employability-skills]. These are as equally important as exam results and students should be encouraged to start thinking about how they can demonstrate these skills ahead of applying for jobs or further education, whilst they may not yet have examples of work experience to quote on their CVs.
“At Simpson Group we have participated in the Esh Group ‘Building My Skills’ programme [http://www.eshgroup.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Building-My-Skills.pdf ] - going into schools to talk to students about the print industry in general and, more specifically, to introduce students to our focus sector - point of sale.
“Within the programme, we have also covered student checkpoints such as where individuals can go after leaving school [known as ‘My Pathway’], job applications including CV writing, online appearance (think twice about that email address you find so comical at 13), personal finance (the latest smart phone is not essential expenditure), employability skills and preparing for interviews, culminating in a mock interview day away from school.
“Where we can spare the resources, we will also attend careers day and aspiration events at local schools including classroom talks covering print or how an individual landed in the job they are doing. We will also offer work experience and internships to Year 9 students and above if appropriate mentors are available within the workforce.
“We have supported Bring It On, The North East Exhibition for Future Engineers, which targets young people aged 9-14, aiming to raise the aspirations of North East youngsters and help to address the engineering skills gap [https://bringitonne.co.uk/].”
Tishler adds: “The 3D cardboard engineers we employ to create eye catching displays to influence our customers’ brands instore, created an interactive Halloween stand across two days, allowing 2,000 students (and adults alike!) to experience print in 3D, creating subtle learning opportunities, introducing visitors to the stand to print, whilst they took selfies on our Ghost Train and lost their heads with Frankenstein’s standee.
“Having worked with RTC north on several occasions we saw the recent STEMFest as another great opportunity to engage with both primary and secondary school students and let them know about print.
“With the support of PopHeads [part of StackaWraps Global] we caught the imagination of over 3,000 students across three days, working with them to cut out, create and secure 3D dinosaur heads. The enthusiasm and feedback were amazing, and if just one student remembers their experience when they are starting to think about their career and what job they would like to do, then today’s investment in time was worth it.
“This isn’t something any of us are necessarily going to see the return on overnight but each encounter creates a possible chain of events that could lead future talent through the welcoming doors of print and more specifically your front door.
“If you are interested in getting involved in events near you, speak to your local LEP (Local Enterprise Partnership) in the first instance.”