A Birmingham firm offering print, office and branded merchandise services is taking on a series of extra apprenticeships as they look to support the future generation of industry leaders.
LG Davis, based in Kings Heath, Birmingham, has been in the city for nearly 6 decades and is looking to offer up to four new apprenticeship roles as the company continues to grow.
The news comes after the latest details from the Government’s Skills Trend Deck shows a drastic decrease in businesses offering apprenticeships in the last few years.
It is a trend LG Davis would like to see change, particularly in the print industry, as they are keen to add new ideas to help young people see the flexibility and variety of skills on offer in the industry.
Already having appointed one apprentice they are keen to speak to other young people who would like to get a background in print with an accredited one year apprenticeship scheme covering everything from design, production, warehousing, innovation and technology.
Managing Director Liz Smith, whose father Ron O’Donnell started LG Davis in 1962, said print was seeing a resurgence in demand and it was important printers took the time to pass on their wealth of knowledge so that valuable experience isn’t lost and young people are at the forefront of delivering the next stage of innovation.
She said: “Print is definitely back in fashion as demand for direct mailing campaigns and printed materials increase. However, it unfortunately has a predominantly older workforce.
“If we are to continue to grow as an industry it is important we not only pass on all those decades of experience and knowledge but also learn and continually grow by investing in new people who can shape the future growth.
“We are excited to be able to continue to offer new apprenticeship opportunities and are proud to support the future generation of workers who will continue to inspire and innovate the industry.”
Josh Hannon, who is 18 from Billsley in Birmingham, has already been appointed and is supporting the team within the warehouse helping with LG Davis’ innovative stock and deliver initiative offering customers the benefits of the cost reduction of bulk buying supplies while storing stock and managing delivery to meet demand.
Talking about his appointment Josh, who was keen to join LG Davis as a way of broadening his skills, said he was looking forward to finding out more about all areas of the business as he was passionate about setting up his own t-shirt printing business one day.
He said: “I never really knew anything about how printing worked before getting the apprenticeship and it certainly wasn’t a career I had ever thought of in this way.
“However, it is a great way to learn a variety of skills and the apprenticeship gives me the flexibility, experience and solid foundations that I can easily go into any career.“
LG Davis is a print, stationery and branded merchandise specialists in the Midlands. Having continually grown since setting up in 1962 they are passionate about innovating the industry and pride themselves on offering an all round design and print management service.
The latest recruitment drive for apprenticeships follows a number of recent acquisitions in the industry which has strengthened their offer and capacity within the digital and traditional sectors.
In July the team acquired former Birmingham print shop Positive Print bringing their total work force to 44 and acquiring new wide print machinery.
Many of the workforce has decades of experience in the industry and LG Davis is keen to make sure this knowledge is used to nurture new talent.
According to the Skills Trend Deck 2021 there were 322,500 apprenticeship starts in 2019 and 2020, 70,900 less than in 2018 and 2019. It is hoped these figures will increase post pandemic.
More information on the new apprenticeship opportunities is available at www.lgdsolutions.co.uk or by calling Alan Gibson on 0121 430 9000 or emailing [email protected]