Advanced Standard for Print Technician's aimed at those aged 16yrs +
Looking to build a career in print? The Level 3 Print Technician Apprenticeship is designed for anyone starting out in the printing industry, whether your path is in pre-press, machine printing or print finishing.
Across the programme, you’ll develop the skills, knowledge and behaviours needed to become a capable, confident print professional.
Learning is split between two settings. Monthly classes led by experienced tutors give you the technical understanding behind the work. Back at your employer, you’ll put that knowledge into practice with hands-on training and real experience on the job.
Entry Requirements
A Grade C/4 or above, or equivalent, is desirable for the Level 3 Apprenticeship. In cases where this grade has not been achieved initial assessments will be carried out on individual basis to establish suitability to the course. In some instances, it may be necessary for the Apprentice to study Maths and/or English alongside the Print Apprenticeship.
Level 3 Print Technician Apprenticeship (ST0309)
The Print Technician Apprenticeship was developed by employers and industry experts to give apprentices thorough training in print. It covers three specialist routes: Pre-Press, Press and Post-Press.
The programme runs over 26 months. During that time, apprentices build the knowledge, skills and behaviours they need to become fully competent print technicians. At the start, the employer chooses which route their apprentice will follow:
- Pre-Press: for apprentices who design and create print-ready digital artwork, produce image carriers, or plan and prepare jobs for press.
- Press: for apprentices who set up and run printing machines across a wide range of print processes.
- Post-Press: for apprentices who turn printed work into the finished product for the customer.
Learning with Learn2print
On study days, our tutors cover the knowledge for each apprentice’s chosen route. All of them have years of experience in the print industry. Apprentices also learn about the wider industry they are joining. Throughout the programme, we help each apprentice build a portfolio of evidence from their work. They use this portfolio later in their end-point assessment.
The employer’s role
Employers play a major part in their apprentice’s success. Each apprentice needs a supportive workplace mentor who gives hands-on training and helps them develop their skills on the job.
Apprentices must also complete a minimum of 648 hours of off-the-job training over the course of the programme. This training takes place during their paid working hours, and it must be recorded and evidenced.
End-Point Assessment
Learn2print delivers the training. At the end of the programme, an independent end-point assessment organisation assesses the apprentice. Our end-point assessment partner is GQA. The assessment has three parts:
- Observation with questioning: a 4-hour observation in the apprentice’s own workplace
- Interview underpinned by a portfolio of evidence: a 60-minute interview with a GQA assessor, using the apprentice’s portfolio as supporting evidence
- Multiple-choice test: 30 questions in 60 minutes
Apprentices can achieve an overall grade of Pass, Merit or Distinction.
Your next steps…
Learn2print have linked up with the Sheffield Hallam University and Axia Solutions of Stoke-on-Trent to create an education pathway in the print sector. This means you can progress from a level 2 apprenticeship right up to a level 6 degree qualification.
How the Apprenticeship is funded.
The total cost for the Level 3 Apprenticeship Standard is £14,000.00
Funding for Apprenticeships can be confusing and varied depending on
the size of your company and the amount you pay out in wage bills. You
will firstly need to identify whether the company pays into the new
levy. The table below can then be used to establish how the funding
structure will affect your company. You will see that in some cases a 5%
employer contribution is required – this is 5% of the total cost of the
Apprenticeship (total cost of Apprenticeships listed below) and is
required from the offset of the Apprenticeship. Should your company be a levy paying company the cost of the Apprenticeship will be taken from this levy in monthly instalments – providing you have sufficient fund in the levy, this information should be available from the designated person in your company.
In cases where you employ an Apprentice aged 16-18 years old you will
receive a £1000.00 employer incentive.
This is paid out in the following way:
£500 after the Apprentice has been on programme for 3 months
A further £500 after the Apprentice has been on programme 12 months.