Christmas has come early for PrintIT! as it celebrates having attracted more than 100,000 students to participate in the innovative school-based campaign. This year PrintIT!, which introduces young people to the potential of a career in print, reached a new audience of 13 -16 year olds with the introduction of a ‘Green’ supermarket theme focused on the printing industry’s commitment to sustainability and the environment.
Paul Evans, project director of PrintIT! commented on the achievement, “This figure is a landmark for PrintIT! and a milestone we are delighted to have achieved with the help of all our supporters in the industry. However, its significance extends farther than just PrintIT! itself. It is a triumph for UK print plc, as much of PrintIT!’s success can be attributed to the support, collaboration and funding of the print industry as a whole, in recognition of the contribution that young talent will make to its future.”
This year PrintIT! students have been challenged to create a print-based campaign to promote Fairtrade products in supermarkets. With the opportunity to engage with printing techniques from narrow-web to wide-format printing, each participant has been asked to produce a workbook of their proposals for submission to the annual PrintIT! competition.
“Each year, as the entries pour in, we are astounded by the quality and maturity displayed within each set of designs,” said Paul. “This year we gave the students a new theme and an even greater opportunity for creativity and variety in their concepts and we look forward to seeing exciting work of a high quality as the January deadline approaches.”
Judging will once again be divided into two stages, with finalist workbooks reviewed by some of the industry’s leading print and design experts. All finalists will be invited to attend IPEX 2010 on Saturday 22nd May at the NEC, Birmingham, where they will be given guided tours of the exhibition and the opportunity to experience the dynamic reality of the print industry first hand, before attending the prestigious annual PrintIT! Awards ceremony. Also in attendance at the awards will be many of the PrintIT! sponsors and Twinners (printers who have linked with PrintIT! schools), all of whom have had significant roles to play in attracting PrintIT!’s first 100,000 participants.
Aside from hosting the awards, IPEX 2010 will provide the platform for a number of exciting PrintIT! announcements. The achievements of PrintIT! over its first five years and the success of the new theme in 2009/10 will be recognised, while Proskills, the Sector Skills Council responsible for PrintIT!, plans to introduce a number of fresh new features, spin-off projects and communications tools.
“As the reputation of PrintIT! continues to grow, the initiative’s full potential has really become apparent,” says Terry Watts, chief executive of Proskills. The PrintIT! Awards ceremony at IPEX 2010 will provide an excellent opportunity for students, schools and the industry to celebrate five successful years and to look forward to the future with confidence”.
