Signs of the future
“You’re hired”. These two words can make the world of difference to young, inspiring talent, with apprenticeship schemes proving a great window of opportunity for budding sign-makers to find their spotlight in signage.
Apprenticeships are a great way for companies to fill gaps in the workforce; and offering employment to younger staff can help harness raw talent and pave the way for fresh skillsets inside a business. The sign industry is a very hands on one, and it can certainly be advantageous to put faith in apprentices who have new ideas to generate.
The signage industry provides up a gateway into many diverse skills, from graphic design to sign fabrication – the work of a sign-maker is never done with the next order or big contract just around the corner. But this busy environment provides a unique opportunity to train in a vast array of methods in an industry where specialities and niches can be found and refined inside and out.
Apprenticeships bring with them many advantages for both young workers and employers. For apprentices, it’s a chance to work towards a qualification and earn and learn on the job. For the company, it’s a chance to give back to the industry and utilise contemporary approaches that could help strengthen its business model for the future.
In 2020/21 the number of apprenticeship starts in small employers (those with fewer than 50 employees) increased for the first time in five years, with a 12% increase in figures recorded for the previous year.
With things gradually getting back on track after the pandemic, the hope is that more apprenticeship starts in medium sized employers (50-249 employees) and large employers (250+ employees) are offered as more established companies have better assets and financial backing to provide these types of schemes.
The sign-making process comes with a magnitude of different methods, such as using computer-controlled routers for cutting out moulded glass fibre lettering, screen printing to create posters, and traditional signwriting that requires special brushes and paint to do the job.
On top of this, sign-makers must know how to work with materials such as perspex, vinyl, plastic, metal, and glass – this means that by the time an apprentice has finished their scheme they have the chance to be equipped with a variety of skills including how to design signs, prepare different types of surfaces, cut out and design plastics into letters and logos, use digital technologies, and install signs.
Where can these apprenticeship schemes be found and how can they help bring new talent into the industry? Many leading sign companies have designated roles for apprentices, with many trainees going on to gain full-time work once their training is complete. We take a look at some of the companies offering young workers the chance to get a taste of the signage industry and how they bring benefits to all involved.
Master and Apprentice
Across the world, if not the galaxy, you’ll find good, honest, hardworking, and trustworthy apprentices in abundance. Young hands work hard in the hope that one day in the future, they go from being the apprentice to a fully-fledged master of their work.
The stages before that day are testing with many challenges and jobs to overcome, but if a signage apprentice enjoys the work they do, then it’s a good chance they will commit and become experts in their field.
Very Displays designs and supplies indoor and outdoor display solutions, concentrating on four main categories: Exhibition & Events, Retail & POS, Textile solutions, and Outdoor options.
Very Displays has a large trade print facility and a 25,000sq ft warehouse in Leicestershire which it uses to produce work for trade customers. The business has been running for nearly six years as it evolves with new e-commerce technologies.
Very Displays recently took on its first apprentice Lydia Harding who is doing her training in digital marketing. Speaking on her experiences, she says: “For me the best part about doing an apprenticeship is learning on the job, being able to put my learnt skills into practice straight away, in real scenarios and in real workplace environments. Being able to do this for a period of a year means I can confidently go into any job with the basic skills I need to for digital marketing within this dynamic industry.”
She continues: “My confidence has grown massively and I’m now working on campaigns nearly self-sufficiently. Coming from a completely different background and into the print and signage industry I have learnt a lot not only about digital marketing but about signage, events, exhibitions and the industry as a whole, which has been an incredible experience. The apprenticeship has let me hit the ground running and work and learn simultaneously in a fast-paced sector.“
Apprenticeship stats fell from 494,900 in 2016-17 to 322,500 in 2019-20, a rather big drop in number that could be associated with many external factors. It’s been difficult to predict trends and consistencies over the past two years with the way the world has been. But, with the industry starting to bounce back on all-fronts, the hope is that we see the same for apprenticeships and for companies taking the leap to take on new staff in the industry.
Total apprenticeship starts have fallen from 494,900 in 2016-17 to 322,500 in 2019-20
Harding supports this: “There is certainly more awareness about apprenticeships for the younger generation, and much more information available in education. I didn’t expect to get into display solution marketing without a degree, and these opportunities are great for people who wanted to start a career without the traditional route of university. It’s one of the best ways to get into the profession you want to go into, and these days there is a much wider variety of industries and job types which schools are informing students on. With this in mind, I certainly see the industry benefiting and growing apprenticeship opportunities.”
Upon first impression, the signage industry might make you think of hard labour, long hours and a very one-stop career path, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Sign-making and printing provide plenty of roles, offering great opportunities to young people wanting to get into the industry. Apprenticeships can bring fresh faces to the sector who will come to the table with new ideas and no preconceptions on ways of working.
Rising Stars
The next generation of sign-makers and industry specialists are a great asset to any organisation. In this growing market it’s important to offer fulfilling career opportunities where personal and company growth is promoted.
The rising stars of the industry are the ones with the innovative ideas to take a business forward into new eras – every company can benefit from a maverick that can sprinkle their individuality onto problems and find new solutions or think completely outside the box.
FaberExposize UK, sister company of Northern Flags, is a large-format print specialist with years of experience in display print manufacturing.
Offering a wide range of solutions for both interior and exterior branding projects, the company is dedicated to assisting companies with their transition to sustainable branding. As such, FaberExposize UK recently launched its Enviro product range and Action Now brochure incorporating eco-friendly alternatives to each of its core products.
Putting its faith in apprentices in the past, FaberExposize UK has reaped great rewards from doing this. Some of its trainees have gained senior positions in the company. Neve Scott started as one of these trainees and is now senior account manager; and Paisley Woods started her journey into signage with an apprenticeship as a seamstress and is now deputy production manager. These are just two examples of how prosperous these types of schemes can be and how they can help forge careers.
[L to R] Neve Scott, senior account manager, Paisley Woods, deputy production manager, and Iva Dobreva, marketing executive of FaberExposize UK
Iva Dobreva started as a marketing assistant for FaberExposize UK and has worked her way up to becoming a marketing executive. She was also shortlisted as a Rising Star for the UK Graphic Awards as she establishes herself within the industry.
Dobreva says: “I initially joined FaberExposize UK and Northern Flags as a part-time marketing assistant during my final year at university. I had an interest in marketing, but I knew nothing about wide-format printing, which seemed like an intimidating industry at first. As time went by, I took full ownership of all PR and marketing activities.
“The management team took me in and provided weekly product training for me alongside factory tours and guidance on how to improve my marketing content. Soon enough I was writing blogs about wide-format printing, social media posts about dye-sublimation, and marketing emails on the benefits of using eco-friendly substrates. After the completion of my university degree, I was offered a full-time position as a marketing executive, and I could honestly say that I could not have asked for a better graduate job!”
This is a prime example of finding your feet and how being around seasoned industry workers is extremely important for a deeper scope of the industry. These types of employees are vital to the existence of the signage industry, and this is an opinion that Iain Clasper-Cotte, managing director of FaberExposize UK mirrors.
Clasper-Cotte says: “Apprenticeship schemes are of great importance for any industry, not just signage and wide-format printing as they allow companies to shape people to their way of working. As new trends emerge, companies need a fresh perspective on the products and services they offer as well as on the way their businesses operate.
Apprenticeship schemes are of great importance for any industry, not just signage and wide-format printing as they allow companies to shape people to their way of working”
“As employers we need to make sure that we have the skillset and staff for the future, which can be achieved by hiring apprentices and equipping them with the skills needed to succeed in the industry.”
The impact of the pandemic cannot be overlooked. It has affected many businesses around the world, forcing many to close their doors for the final time. The work stopped, and this meant so did the apprenticeships being offered. Clasper-Cotte continues: “The start of the pandemic forced businesses to shut down as they were unable to cope with the lack of demand for their products. We witnessed whole industries such as events and exhibitions temporarily halt their activities, and many people lost their jobs.
“As a result, there was a decline in apprenticeship schemes which explains the drop in 2019-20. As businesses are recovering from the pandemic, the print and signage industries are needed more than ever to assist companies in their branding campaigns and initiatives. I don’t think that apprenticeship schemes in the signage industry are declining, however, signage doesn’t have a high enough profile which is why we are working with FESPA UK on an initiative to attract young talent into our industry.”
Many youngsters have passed through FaberExposize UK, each one looking for a flying start in their professional careers. For this company, these types of schemes have led to an improvement in structure, and the company’s faith has well and truly been restored.
Clasper-Cotte finishes: “Our current deputy production manager, Paisley Woods initially joined us as an apprentice seamstress but her unmatched curiosity and passion for print made us realise that she had what it takes to run our print room. Another brilliant example is Neve Scott who joined our trainee programme after finishing college and is now senior account manager at our company due to her incredible work ethic and leadership skills.
“Our most recent addition to the team nominated for a Rising Star Award at the UK Graphic Awards is Iva Dobreva whose natural flair and ability to absorb information in one take led to her appointment as marketing executive. At FaberExposize UK and Northern Flags, we’re keen to employ more young talent and provide them with the training and skills they need to build a career in the print industry. Despite the industry being predominantly male-dominated, we’re breaking the stigma as we have female executives in every department of the business.”
Straight to work
More is starting to happen in the signage industry when it comes to generating apprenticeship schemes. For example, Walsall College called on businesses in the sign-making market to explore the industry’s new apprenticeship standard.
Brought to fruition in November last year, the standard aims to highlight how government funding, online training resources and a higher level of skillsets can help drive interest. This rounded approach is a great way for young apprentices to gain a heightened level of skills during their training level.
Clive Mitchell, trainer and assessor at Walsall College, says: “This new standard is an industry game changer. While on the job training continues to be a key component of the apprenticeship, there is also a focus on the bigger picture and a wider set of skills.”
Walsall College has called on sign businesses to explore the industry’s new apprenticeship standard which was introduced in November last year
Mitchell adds: “We welcome the opportunity to talk to employers about how to access this training and funding now, in readiness for when their clients reopen and/or rebrand their businesses for a new start.”
Breaking through to the industry isn’t easy, but promoting apprenticeships, is a great way of ensuring future growth. Hull Training and Adult Education is one of the largest training providers in the area, it has a long history of working with local employers and it prides itself on matching the right apprentice to the right
employer.
Assets like this are a great way for companies to promote any upcoming apprenticeship schemes and can help find the best fit for a business. The organisation’s website is a very useful tool for young people looking for their first taste of a profession, with Hull Training and Adult Education working in tandem with the National Apprenticeship Service website. Support and further help are offered throughout the application stages, with the organisation adding a personal touch and truly supporting applicants.
The UK Graphic Award’s Rising Star Award is a nod to individuals who have been in the industry for three years or less and have shown great potential and a natural accruement for someone of their experience level.
It’s a further point that you don’t need to go to university to achieve success and satisfaction in the workplace and that you can in fact train from apprenticeship level and rise the ranks fairly quickly.
This is the stance that Laura Lee Hill, creative design manager for HG Graphics, has about the industry. She says: “I personally think it’s very important. I had been to university to study graphic design and I really don’t think college or university teaches you the real aspect of work like an apprenticeship does. If I could go back and they offered a design apprenticeship within the signage industry, I 100% would have chosen an apprenticeship to learn on the job.”
If I could go back and they offered a design apprenticeship within the signage industry, I 100% would have chosen an apprenticeship in order to learn on the job”
HG Graphics was founded in early 2013, with humble beginnings from the spare bedroom. It all started with the production of keyrings and using a small vinyl cutter. The company has twice grown into bigger premises and now has seven full-time staff members that help across the business.
Speaking on the struggles for apprentices, Hill says: “Apprenticeships I feel are hard to come by and that’s not for want of the industry trying! The courses just aren’t as available as they once were, for example, sign-making at Leeds College of Building is no longer a thing where our managing director went.”
This has led to HG Graphics adapting and offering its newest employee Blaine Hill a hybrid form of training that will hopefully advance his future career options. She continues: “We wanted to place our newest member of the team on an apprenticeship, but there was nothing out there to suit what it was we did! Instead, Blaine’s training is a mix of in-house, and supplier training courses to build his knowledge and skill set.
FaberExposize UK’s Iva Dobreva and HG Graphics’ Blaine Hill have been shortlisted for the UK Graphics Awards’ Rising Star Award
“A recognised qualification for him to have taken part in would have been the way we all would have wanted to go down, but unfortunately, there wasn’t the opportunity for him to partake in one, not for our region anyway. I think the opportunity for apprenticeships is on the decline from the providers and not the employers.”
This concern for a decline in apprentice opportunities not being offered can easily be backed up. Human resources body the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has urged the government to reform the apprenticeship levy after data showed a sharp drop in the number of apprenticeships.
The hope is that more opportunities will now be offered going forward, and more funding made available as the industry recovers from the pandemic. Hill continues: “It’s only recently we have given traineeships a go, as previously we just didn’t have the space to grow our team. Blaine, our latest member of the team has gone from strength to strength. He hadn’t ever worked within the signage industry and was a self-confessed practical learner rather than via a traditional written course. He had a keen passion for vehicles and an enthusiasm to learn and be given the chance, so what more do you need? He has benefitted our business no end.
“Our main installer now has a right-hand man. He is able to take on his own jobs and is confident in all aspects of weeding, placing and installing sign-written graphics onto vehicles as well as making flat panel signs, running our plotters and understanding the different vinyls we use. More businesses should take on trainees and apprentices because once you get over the initial training, what you put into them you really do get out. They are also really well introduced to your company and its ethos right away and they become used to your company’s way of working.”
O Factoid: There are four finalists for the Uk Graphic Awards’ 2022 Rising Star Award O
HG Graphics also entered Blaine into the UK Graphics Awards’ Rising Star Category, where he has been shortlisted alongside Dobreva and two other up-and-coming young professionals within the industry.
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