Opportunity to Apprentice in Printing

An opportunity to apprentice in printing using state-of-the-art, automated digital and litho printing systems producing high-quality commercial print.

About the Role

Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.

Each day will be spent on a printing press with the operator:

• Running the press
• Setting the press
• Cleaning the press
• Maintaining the machine
• Reporting progress to management
• Planning production schedule for the day
• Managing crew members
• Interacting with upstream and downstream process owners
• Collaborating in improvement focus teams

Specialist Training

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

Course Contents

• Apply environmental and sustainability procedures in compliance with regulations and standards, for example, segregating resources for reuse, recycling, and disposal.
• Apply health and safety and manual handling procedures in compliance with regulations and standards.
• Plan and prioritise work.
• Record or enter information - paper-based or electronic, for example, work sheets, check lists, handover records, job sheets.
• Apply continuous improvement techniques. Devise suggestions for improvement.
• Follow equality, diversity, and inclusion procedures.
• Communicate with others verbally, including colleagues or stakeholders.
• Communicate in writing.
• Apply problem-solving techniques to common problems.
• Use information and digital technology. Comply with GDPR and cyber security regulations and policies.
• Identify, organise, and use resources effectively to complete tasks, with consideration for cost, quality, safety, security, and environmental impact.
• Apply team working principles.
• Convert customer files to print-ready files using software and workflow packages.
• Check, process, and transmit digital files using software.
• Create and edit digital images.
• Conversion of digital files into colour separations for the defined production method.
• Apply digital techniques to produce a proof.
• Apply colour profiles to the design.
• Apply production techniques to produce plates, screens, or output files.
• Apply pre-press quality assurance procedures.
• Set up and check the multi-unit print press, including speeds, inks, and toners, and pre-printing quality checks.
• Follow print press start-up or warm-up procedures.
• Apply print press operations and techniques, including managing colour. Handle variable data on digital presses.
• Follow quality control processes during printing, including checking for colour matching, print resolution, product consistency.
• Apply press equipment and machinery maintenance techniques, including cleaning and servicing.
• Follow machine shut down, safe isolation, hand-over procedures. Escalate issues.
• Apply press quality assurance procedures.
• Apply safe systems of work to the printing press process in compliance with regulations, standards, and guidelines. This should include identifying risks and hazards and the handling and disposal of chemicals.
• Set up finishing equipment, for example, guillotines, stitching-trimming machinery, binding machinery, laminating equipment, die-cutters.
• Operate finishing equipment to apply different finishing processes, for example, varnishing, folding, embossing, and debossing, foil blocking, scoring, packing, gluing, match and attach, tab and slot, sorting, banding.
• Prepare printing for the next stage, including packing and wrapping.
• Apply post-press equipment maintenance techniques, including cleaning and servicing.
• Apply post-press quality assurance procedures, such as checking for folding accuracy, stitch alignment, foil position.
• Apply safe systems of work to the finishing process in compliance with regulations, standards, and guidelines, including the handling and disposal of chemicals.
• Apply environmental and sustainability procedures in compliance with regulations and standards, for example, segregating resources for reuse, recycling, and disposal.
• Apply health and safety and manual handling procedures in compliance with regulations and standards.
• Plan and prioritise work.
• Record or enter information - paper-based or electronic, for example, work sheets, check lists, handover records, job sheets.
• Apply continuous improvement techniques. Devise suggestions for improvement.
• Follow equality, diversity, and inclusion procedures.
• Communicate with others verbally, including colleagues or stakeholders.
• Communicate in writing.
• Apply problem-solving techniques to common problems.
• Use information and digital technology. Comply with GDPR and cyber security regulations and policies.
• Identify, organise, and use resources effectively to complete tasks, with consideration for cost, quality, safety, security, and environmental impact.
• Apply team working principles.