Print Trailblazer receives approval

The print industry has its first new print standard for apprenticeships.

The Print Technician Standard Level 3 programme, which began in March 2015, has received full and final approval from the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) - the department given the responsibility for development, approval and review of all new Trailblazer standards by government. The consortium has been led by the chair James Buffoni of Ryedale Group, vice chair Ian Wilton of CDS, and is made up of representatives from BCQ Group, BPIF, CDi, CDS, De La Rue, GQA, Learn2Print, Leeds City College, PageBros, Reach Plc, Ryedale Group, The Printing Charity, Unite the Union and Westrock - MPS, with the BPIF providing organisation and administrative support throughout this project. Wilton said: “Print has a long history of support for apprenticeships and it is great to see that through the collaboration of our industry these standards have been futureproofed.” With input from the industry, the standard was first defined, and secured agreement for the standard itself as a core of print technician, with the specialist options of pre-press technician, press technician and post-press technician. This approval was secured early in 2018. The last year has seen work undertaken on developing the assessment plan to support this new standard. With the support of the BPIF and the consortium, input from training providers and awarding bodies the assessment plan has now been approved by IfATE and also by Ofqual, as the external quality assurance body, along with allocation of the funding band. Training providers will now be able to develop the training programmes required to support this new standard. Assessment organisations will now need to seek approval to get onto the government’s Register of Approved End Assessment Organisations for this standard. Progress now needs to be made on the application for a Level 2 Trailblazer. Government has stated that all frameworks will be withdrawn by the 2020 to 2021 academic year.