Young guns fire away: Print 21 magazine article

They're a funny bunch this Generation Y - demanding and driven, always after more. Not quite the stuff that printers are made of. Or is it? Mitchell Jordan investigates.

This is Generation Y in a nutshell: they are ambitious, influential, socially aware; they want everything and they want it all right now. It sounds more like the average print customer rather than a printer.

But when it comes to choosing a career, don't rule out printing completely. Mark McCrindle, a social researcher specialising in Generation Y, believes that any profession involving technology will always have an appeal to youth.

"We're talking about a generation who have grown up in a technological world," he explains. "Printing connects well with the visual arts, marketing and advertising; all areas which are key to Generation Y."

New kids on the block
21-year-old Ben Paynter (pictured below) wasn't sure what he wanted to do when he finished Year 12. Dreams of being a rockstar were high up there on the wish list, but a career as a printer was never on the radar, until by happy accident, Paynter went from delivering pizza to starting an apprenticeship with Offset Alpine.

"My father was a printer for most of his life at Offset Alpine and the company offered me some work experience in different areas," he says. "I tried IT and prepress but found printing the most enjoyable."

When the company mentioned an apprenticeship to Paynter, there seemed nothing left to loose: printing beat pizza and left him with enough time to continue playing music if he felt like it.

In the four years that he's been with the company, Paynter has risen from the ranks of apprentice through to production controller, complete with a number of awards including the NSW LIA Graduate of the Year 2007.

He admits that printing is "not a glamorous-looking job" and "something you grow to like", but is still worth the effort. "Once you learn the history of printing you appreciate the trade much more," Paynter says.

Paynter isn't the only one who has found satisfaction through printing. 22-year-old Aaron Milner and 25-year-old Sarah Thomas are just two examples of the younger generation blowing out the cobwebs of an industry commonly associated with old age. Ironically, the three all share a similar story of entering their trades unintentionally.

After trying a number of different courses at both university and TAFE, an interest in graphic arts took Thomas on an apprenticeship in prepress at Collotype Labels, where she has remained for four-and-a-half years.

"I never would have imagined that I'd be working in printing," admits Thomas, now a graphic reproducer. "I never even knew that printing existed."

For her, the discovery has been life changing. "It's a different industry to any other that I've worked in," she says. "There's a lot of jovialness and fun; it's like a big family where everyone knows you."

As a young female, Thomas (pictured) has well and truly made her mark in an industry that has long been considered to be a man's world, taking out this year's GAMAA-LIA National Graduate Scholarship. While she admits the number of men in printing far outweighs the women, Thomas has not noticed any discrimination or negative attitudes towards females.

"Printing is definitely male-dominated," she says. "When I go to conferences or technical sessions there are only ever about three ladies in the room. But I don't feel like I get treated any differently; I'm still respected."

A family affair
Milner, a fourth-year printing apprentice at Lilyfield Printing, first had his sights set on being a policeman, only to change his mind at the eleventh hour. "I got the marks I needed to study policing, but after a few people suggested what it could be like I decided that it really didn't suit me," he says.

Like Paynter, Milner took on an apprenticeship because of his father's background as a printer. "I got my apprenticeship because my dad knew some people and I think that's how most people get started in this industry," he says.

Paynter agrees with this claim. "If my father wasn't around I'd have no idea what printing was," he observes.

"In schools they promote all sorts of trades like plumbing and mechanics, but not many people know that there's printing out there or even what it's like. I think this is a real shame because it's a good industry to get into and we need the numbers."

With this lack of awareness comes a number of misconceptions about what the trade involves, all of which are obvious detractors to young people deciding on a career.

"A lot of my mates think printing is operating photocopying machines," Paynter says sardonically.

Having worked in a variety of jobs, Thomas can testify that printing is in fact an innovative environment to work in. "There's definitely more modern industries out there, but I think printing is still modern," she says. "We have to keep up with the latest software and innovations."

Proving that the kids today really aren't the slovenly lot people would like to think, Milner says that he enjoys the dedication and attention to detail that his job involves.

"Printing can look a bit complicated, but once you know what's going on then you can enjoy the jobs that you print," he says. "I also like the responsibility that the different jobs involve."

Their respective careers have made all three more aware of just how print-orientated our society is. Rather than keeping up with the latest fashion labels, Thomas now has her eyes firmly fixed on those printed on bottles instead. Ask Paynter what is the best part of being a printer and he wastes no time in boasting: "Going into the newsagency, pointing to a copy of FHM magazine and saying 'I printed that.'"

Socialising and networking are also high on the agenda for Generation Y and, unlike policing or journalism, printing allows for a lifestyle of long weekends and extended breaks - all courtesy of 12-hour shifts.

"Printing is rewarding in terms of both the money it can lead to and the lifestyle," Milner (pictured) says.

"It's the type of industry where people stick around so you get the chance to make good friends," Thomas adds. "We all socialise a lot out of work."

Rage against the machine
That said, Milner also points out that 12 hours a day is a long time to be working and can take a lot of patience and stamina. "Sometimes the 12-hour shifts have their downsides," he says. "Having four days off a week is good, but you don't always feel like doing 12 hours. You've got to push yourself through it."

If there's one thing Generation Y love to do it's communicate: from SMS-ing, Facebooking and partying, this is not a generation that likes to isolate itself. As far as printing goes, this can prove problematic.

"It's just you and the machine all day and sometimes you want a bit more interaction with others," Milner confides. "Not all workers are people persons so it suits them, but I couldn't see myself doing that for forty years."

Back to the future
Paynter, Thomas and Milner all recommend the industry to other youths, and through the power of word-of-mouth have inducted both family members and friends into the profession.

"I'd definitely encourage more young people to work in the industry," Paynter says. "Whenever there's jobs advertised on our intranet I always ask people I know if they're looking for a job."

The trio each have an enviable amount of awards behind them, and a promising future ahead. But is this enough to keep them onboard? Job-changing is, after all, a defining trait of Generation Y, who are known to go off in different directions on a whim.

"That's a tough question to ask," Paynter admits. "At the moment I will stay in printing - it's not only well paid but also a good career. The only thing I would consider is maybe some short courses for my hobbies."

Millner and Thomas don't know whether they will always stay confined to careers in printing and prepress, but they do see themselves firmly rooted in the industry for the long haul.

"I'd like to move up without leaving behind printing completely," Millner says. "I would ideally like to end up in management. That's one of the positives about this industry; it can lead to so many different things."