So what is it really like to employ young people? Our contributors discuss the day to day realities in the third part of our special feature.
There can sometimes be the impression that young people are seen as a source of cheap labour, but to do so would be to sell them and the industry short.
Anthony says, “We work hard to provide clear and inspiring career paths, backed by hands-on training, apprenticeships, and mentoring opportunities. Whether they join in marketing, customer service, software development, or production, our approach is the same: support continuous learning, celebrate curiosity, and encourage cross-functional collaboration. We differentiate Tradeprint – and the print industry as a whole – by showcasing how varied and progressive the sector is. Young people are often surprised to discover just how many exciting opportunities print offers across technology, innovation, and creative disciplines.”
As with all employees, Lawrence sees how the right support enables development. “I think what we do depends on the person, but ultimately, the person has to want to progress. We’ve had some that are quite quiet and need support to be confident and come out of their shell, but in the right environment or department, they can soon gain confidence. We are very keen on supporting each other here, which means if one department is exceptionally busy, then other teams will have the skills to step in and help. By training people for multiple roles, it allows for natural progression through the business when the time is right.”
Working well
Creating the right working environment by setting expectations while considering wellbeing is something Simon Ward has developed at Greens. “We try to make the print department as welcoming and as fun a place as possible to work whilst maintaining a productive working environment. 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!”
Simon Wheeler is a parent of three and adopts the same formula when dealing with new, younger employees at Stylo. “We show them a path of what a normal working acceptable level is like. They will sometimes stray from this path, and it’s our job to help them back to it. We had one young person who fell ill one day, and as I could not reach his emergency contact, I headed out to his home to ensure someone was able to assist him at the hospital. What I found would have melted the sternest person, the deprivation he was having to live in made me wonder how he had presented himself to work every day. That’s why we as leaders must ensure we give young people every opportunity to succeed. Our job is to do everything in our power to teach the life skills and grow the individual person, so they have an opportunity to earn a decent wage and move them on from their expected narrative of remaining where they are.”