20th October 2016

IPEX 2017 gives talent shortages in the print industry centre stage

Informa Exhibitions today announced details of its key Future Skills Zone at IPEX 2017. The Future
Skills Zone will address the skills shortages predicted and (in some cases) already being experienced
within the print industries and allied trades.
IPEX 2017 will take place at the NEC from October 31 st to November 3rd 2017. It is the worlds longest
running show for the printing industry, and serves as the UKs premier international event for printers.
As such, it attracts printers, print buyers, marketing professionals and brand managers from the
English-speaking nations, Northern Europe and the emerging centres of print innovation such as Italy
and the Balkan states. Over 400 exhibitors are expected to display an exciting range of traditional and
digital technologies, inks, substrates, pre-press and finishing equipment and services.
Rob Fisher, Event Director of IPEX, said; a high priority for print businesses today is to address a
growing skills gap through creating jobs at all levels from school leavers to graduates. We feel IPEX
2017 provides a platform to facilitate discussion that aims to promote print as an exciting career
choice and to help printers know what support and guidance is available to them. We want to
encourage anyone looking for a fulfilling career to attend IPEX as it will give them the opportunity to
engage with all aspects of print, see its diversity and they can appreciate, and realise its potential as a
valuable career choice.
The Future Skills Zone is one of the new features at IPEX, and is aimed specifically at the smaller
print businesses that make up the bulk of both specialist and general printers in the UK. These
businesses in particular need to attract college students to fulfil a variety of demanding skill-based
roles. The Future Skills Zone will therefore provide a forum that will showcase the world of print to the
up and coming talent, in a way that engages ambition.
IPEX is partnering with key industry associations, The British Printing Industries Federation (BPIF),
the Independent Print Industries Association (IPIA), Picon and The Printing Charity to deliver the
Future Skills Zone which will spotlight the concerns about attracting young talent into the industry.

Our industry has always offered a wide range of exciting career opportunities, and IPEX 2017 will
enable the sector to explain what's on offer. The Future Skills Zone will enable us to demonstrate the
range of opportunities, and the quality of training and development available, key to both attracting
individuals into the sector and to ensuring we have a great, highly trained and skilled workforce for the
future,, commented Charles Jarrold, CEO of The British Printing Industries Federation.
Students who are interested in finding out about specific opportunities and possible training schemes
can connect with industry training providers, meet representatives from both print and manufacturing
businesses, tour the exhibition and listen to presentations delivered by apprentices within the industry.
Neil Lovell, Chief Executive of The Printing Charity, said; Supporting the sector's skills are vitally
important as we see challenges from both ends of the skills system - from the apprentice levy coming
in next year, to the reality of seeing existing skills retiring from the sector. Some smaller businesses
may not be affected by the levy directly but they will continue to find themselves trying to attract and
retain the skills they need in an ever more competitive market.
Rob Fisher concluded; IPEX wants to play a significant role in assisting the print industry with its
efforts to regenerate itself and one of the key ways is to help it address the talent shortage. Our aim is
to demonstrate that this is an exciting and highly creative industry with a wealth of career
opportunities that make use of creative, business and technical skills. The Future Skill Zone is just
one of the features that we believe will actively promote the print industry.

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