Employing The Next Generation of Sign Makers
Simon Ward, Print Manager at Greens, addresses the realities of employing young people in print with Eye on Display.
Aside from ensuring the future of the industry, what motivates you when looking to employ young people?
“When I see a young person looking to gain employment within the company, I look at how enthusiastic they are when they see the technology and software we have here at Greens. If they express an eagerness to become part of the team, ask questions and show a willingness to learn, that will motivate me to mentor them and help them become as good as they can be within the industry.”
How do you create an environment for young people to develop?
“We try to make the print department as welcoming and as fun a place as possible to work whilst maintaining a productive working environment. We have a department Spotify account, and I encourage all apprentices to add their favourite songs to the queue. This often results in some interesting playlists, but always breaks the ice between the apprentice and the more experienced staff within the department.
I always encourage apprentices to “knock on my door” If they have any problems, worries or anything else bothering them, whether work-related or otherwise. I’ve been described as a “Work Dad” on more than one occasion!”
What lessons have you learned along the way, both in terms of encouraging young employees and things they have taught you?
“I’ve learned that no two young people are the same, that everyone has strengths and weaknesses, and a technique that helps one young person doesn’t necessarily work with another, so I’m continually tweaking how I present a task or technique – especially when it comes to software packages. I feel that I’ve become more patient over the years – deep breathing and counting to five often helps!
Often, especially when observing apprentices working with software packages, I see the apprentice carry out a task more efficiently than I would have done, and I’m not afraid to say I’ve adopted their methods to carry out a task on many occasions in my everyday jobs.”
How does collaboration with other organisations benefit your young employees and consequently your wider business?
“We have such a good relationship with Hull Training and Mike Gooch, the apprentice’s tutor. I feel that if we have to address an issue or if Mike has an issue with the apprentice while they are at college, I’m convinced that between us, 99% of problems can be resolved.”
How can the print sector encourage more young people to enter?
“I think we need to show that becoming an apprentice within the print industry can lead to a successful career. We use some amazing pieces of kit and industry-standard software, so there are many career paths that can be taken. Within Greens, it’s been proven on numerous occasions that entering the print industry can lead to a fulfilling career.”