01732 759725 40 Attracting young talent to a career in print This month, PrintIT Reseller explores if the print sector is an attractive career choice for young professionals offices, until COVID hit. The impact it made on our way of working still drives change today. For businesses to stay competitive in the marketplace now, they need to invest in IT infrastructure that includes smarter, more efficient print solutions. That’s where the real opportunity lies for young people in tech – to be part of something that’s still transforming. Steve Pearce, Group Head of Marketing, Kyocera Document Solutions UK: We’re definitely seeing challenges in attracting young people into print careers these days – let’s be honest about that fact. Disciplines like cyber or AI are very much flavour of the month so have a natural draw to them, which means we’re up against it to an extent. That said, the print industry has a huge amount to offer. In my view, the issue isn’t print itself, but the way the benefits of working in this industry are being communicated. There’s certainly more that could be done to celebrate the industry and make sure more young people know about all the brilliant work being done. After all, some of the best salespeople in the country work in print! solutions around document management, digitisation and workplace transformation (e.g. Ricoh’s acquisition of DocuWare back in 2019 was an early leader in this) there is an opportunity here to attract younger people. As digital natives, their expectations are high, they expect technology to be integrated into all aspects of work, from basic tools to innovative software that improves workflows. If the print sector can effectively communicate their vision and the opportunity around this, then it can be a highly attractive sector to work in. Nick Taylor, Head of Office Print Sales, Epson: It comes down to the people you work with and the role you choose, that really determine how exciting your career will be. Whether you’re in technology, fashion, or pharmaceuticals, a sales professional will sell, and an engineer will build. If you enjoy working with technologies that have real-world impact – from education and healthcare to logistics and design – print is offering a sense of fulfilment that you can hold in your hand, and it’s full of genuinely passionate people. AI, cybersecurity, and software roles may be attractive due to their high demand and perceived skills gap, but as they’ve fast become intersecting parts of printing, it means our industry can offer a thrilling opportunity for a much broader range of professionals. Shaun Wilkinson, Managing Director, UTAX: Print alone might not appear to have the same initial pull as more mainstream tech sectors, but the industry is evolving fast. There is huge opportunity within print when it’s paired with AI, intelligent workflows, document management, and automation. These areas are reshaping how businesses operate, and young people interested in technology have a real chance to be part of that change. Over my career, we have made very little progress toward paperless PrintIT Reseller: Technology is perceived to be an exciting sector for young people in areas such as cybersecurity, AI and software development – does print have the same pull? Caz Butcher, Head of People and Culture, PaperCut: It might not be obvious from the outside, but once you join PaperCut, it’s clear how quietly but proudly impactful print is as a corner of the tech world. PaperCut is where sustainability, complex tech, and purposeful culture meet. For new talent starting out in tech, it’s a domain with surprising depth, global scale, and meaningful technical challenges. It’s a great space to build foundations in systems thinking, product development, and problem solving. Also, how many companies support 100+ million users in 195 countries, yet are small enough that you can still work alongside and learn from the brightest minds in the business, including our Founder? Catherine Kennedy, Sales and Marketing Director, Intuitive Business Intelligence: As print companies transition into offering wider digital transformation VOX POP continued... Catherine Kennedy Caz Butcher
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