Leah – Wide Format and Digital Print Operator, inPrint Colour

Leah – Wide Format and Digital Print Operator, inPrint Colour

What attracted you to print? / How did you come to work in print?
In all honesty, I never planned to go into the print industry and it was never something I wanted to do, I’d never even thought about it. When I applied for the apprenticeship at InPrint Colour it was for a sales role. During the interview, I was offered the opportunity in the large format department printing as well as the apprenticeship role I originally applied for. At the time I didn’t know what I wanted to do, as I had dropped out of college due to having anxiety and stress. My plan was to do something totally different and to start a fresh. I did interviews for other office based jobs and even completed trials which I didn’t enjoy or found didn’t challenge me. When they offered me this role in the interview, I thought, sure why not, not expecting it to come of anything. I’d never even thought of working in a printers, never mind thinking wide format printing was ever an option. Turns out that saying yes was the best decision I’ve ever made. I have loved every minute. I was so unhappy before and now I feel as if I have purpose in something that is so greatly satisfying. The people I work with are wonderful and the work I do is so varied and interesting.

What has been your greatest challenge?
I have challenges everyday as no job is the same. I get to see the work I produce around town and in the city, I can take pride in what I do and see how it is making a difference to the world.

What is it you most enjoy about your job?
If I had to pin point the thing I most enjoy, it has to be the relationships with the people I work with, it’s just like one big family. I have never been happier.

What do you think the benefits of an apprenticeship are over alternative routes?
The apprenticeship itself has enabled me to be in a working environment as a pose to a classroom to which I really struggled with as it would bring me a lot of stress. Here, I can get one on one help in my education and have space and time to get over any anxiety. I know that I would never have been able to have the success I’ve had now had I have tried to carry on college and university because I would never have had the experience of others who have been in the industry and most of all, I’d probably have never known that this is something I love to do. Now, I have my own car and I’m saving up for a house, friends of mine who have gone to university are in debt and have no guarantee of jobs where as I’m in a stable job with future prospects, looking to a bright future.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years’ time?
In ten years’ time, I vision myself still with this company but I would like to have grown the company I’m in. In the last two years my department has been expanded due to the success I’ve had with it, adding a new machine and moving to a larger building and I look forward to furthering this and making it even more successful. Already I am learning another digital machine in a different department as I want to further my knowledge and widen my experience with different forms of printers. I will always be learning new machines.

Would you recommend a print apprenticeship to others?
I would recommend an apprenticeship to everyone and I would highly recommend it be a printing one as I know the opportunities are vast and the job will always have room for expansion.