Apprentice Print Finisher
FORSYTHE & STEELE LTD
BISPHAM (FY2 0PJ)
Closes on Monday 1 December 2025
Posted on 27 October 2025
Contents
Summary
A fantastic opportunity to work for a specialist printing house established in 1986. This is a great opportunity for an apprentice to develop a broad understanding of print finishing in our production department, under the supervision of a friendly and helpful team.
- Wage
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£14,722.50 to £23,809.50, depending on your age
National Minimum Wage
Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)
£7.55 per hour for your 1st year, National Minimum Wage for the remainder of your training. Incremental wage increases throughout the apprenticeship, dependent upon successfully passing performance reviews.
- Training course
- Print technician (level 3)
- Hours
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Monday to Friday 08.00 to 16.00
37 hours 30 minutes a week
- Start date
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Monday 8 December 2025
- Duration
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2 years 6 months
- Positions available
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1
Work
Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.
What you'll do at work
Print Finishing Technicians use precision cutting, binding, foiling, laminating mounting and packing equipment to complete the final product for the client.
Responsibilities include:
- Setting up finishing equipment ready for the next job on schedule
- Identify, set up and operate small format finishing equipment. For example, guillotines, stitching-trimming machinery, binding machinery, laminating equipment, die-cutters. Set up and operate wide format equipment for mounting, laminating and trimming wide format posters banners and vinyls
- Accurately carry out instructions from job tickets
- Inspect the quality of the finishing and report any issues arising during the process
- Adjust bindery machines, such as knives, guides or clamps, to accommodate sheets, signatures, or books of specified sizes
- Use our MIS (Management Information System) and electronic job board to accurately record progress of jobs
- Pack and prepare materials
- Adhere to company health and safety procedures
- Check final output meets specification and works instructions
- Support continuous improvement initiatives in print activities
- Maintain a clean and tidy workspace
- Learn about customer expectations, how to resolve problems and how to ensure quality
- Learn how to organise and work in a H&S compliant environment
- Plan workload to meet production deadlines
Where you'll work
UNIT 2C
KINCRAIG BUSINESS PARK
KINCRAIG ROAD
BISPHAM
FY2 0PJ
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
BPIF TRAINING LIMITED
Training course
Print technician (level 3)
Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)
What you'll learn
Course contents
- Apply environmental and sustainability procedures in compliance with regulations and standards for example, segregating resources for reuse, recycling and disposal.
- Apply health and safety and manual handling procedures in compliance with regulations and standards.
- Plan and prioritise work
- Record or enter information - paper based or electronic for example, work sheets, check lists, handover records, job sheets.
- Apply continuous improvement techniques. Devise suggestions for improvement.
- Follow equality, diversity and inclusion procedures.
- Communicate with others verbally including colleagues or stakeholders.
- Communicate in writing.
- Apply problem-solving techniques to common problems.
- Use information and digital technology. Comply with GDPR and cyber security regulations and policies.
- Identify, organise and use resources effectively to complete tasks, with consideration for cost, quality, safety, security and environmental impact.
- Apply team working principles.
- Convert customer files to print-ready files using software and workflow packages.
- Check, process and transmit digital files using software.
- Create and edit digital images.
- Conversion of digital files into colour separations for the defined production method.
- Apply digital techniques to produce a proof.
- Apply colour profiles to the design.
- Apply production techniques to produce plates, screens, or output files.
- Apply pre-press quality assurance procedures.
- Set up and check the multi-unit print press, including speeds, inks and toners and pre-printing quality checks.
- Follow print press start up or warm up procedures.
- Apply print press operations and techniques, including managing colour. Handle variable data on digital presses.
- Follow quality control processes during printing, including checking for colour matching, print resolution, product consistency.
- Apply press equipment and machinery maintenance techniques including cleaning and servicing.
- Follow machine shut down, safe isolation, hand over procedures. Escalate issues.
- Apply press quality assurance procedures.
- Apply safe systems of work to the printing press process in compliance with regulations, standards, and guidelines. This should include identifying risks and hazards and the handling and disposal of chemicals.
- Set up finishing equipment for example, guillotines, stitching-trimming machinery, binding machinery, laminating equipment, die-cutters.
- Operate finishing equipment to apply different finishing processes, for example, varnishing, folding, embossing and debossing, foil blocking, scoring, packing, gluing, match and attach, tab and slot, sorting, banding.
- Prepare printing for next stage, including packing and wrapping.
- Apply post-press equipment maintenance techniques including cleaning and servicing.
- Apply post-press quality assurance procedures such as checking for folding accuracy, stitch alignment, foil position.
- Apply safe systems of work to the finishing process in compliance with regulations, standards and guidelines, including the handling and disposal of chemicals.
- Apply environmental and sustainability procedures in compliance with regulations and standards for example, segregating resources for reuse, recycling and disposal.
- Apply health and safety and manual handling procedures in compliance with regulations and standards.
- Plan and prioritise work
- Record or enter information - paper based or electronic for example, work sheets, check lists, handover records, job sheets.
- Apply continuous improvement techniques. Devise suggestions for improvement.
- Follow equality, diversity and inclusion procedures.
- Communicate with others verbally including colleagues or stakeholders.
- Communicate in writing.
- Apply problem-solving techniques to common problems.
- Use information and digital technology. Comply with GDPR and cyber security regulations and policies.
- Identify, organise and use resources effectively to complete tasks, with consideration for cost, quality, safety, security and environmental impact.
- Apply team working principles.
Training schedule
Upon successful completion of the apprenticeship, the qualification obtained will be a Level 3 Print Technician Apprenticeship Standard.
The apprentice will be given sufficient time to undertake their "off-the-job" requirement of the apprenticeship during their working hours.
Throughout your time as an apprentice, you will be supported by both Forsyth and Steele Ltd and the BPIF. You will be assigned a training coordinator to ensure that you have the best training available. Training requirements will be discussed at the point of employment to suit your individual needs and business needs. Most training and studying will be a combination of site-based and remote delivery.
More training information
We are the largest supplier of apprenticeships to the printing industry. We support the UK’s most innovative, dynamic and creative companies who are setting the standard for what is possible in print production. We do so through deep knowledge, passion and collaboration.
Requirements
Essential qualifications
GCSE in:
- English (grade 4)
- Maths (grade 4)
Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.
Skills
- Communication skills
- Attention to detail
- Organisation skills
- Problem solving skills
- Number skills
- Logical
- Team working
- Initiative
About this employer
A family run business established for 40 years. We specialise in small and wide format digital print for a wide variety of clients including Education; Public Sector; Commercial businesses; Print Management and Design Agencies. We are a small, friendly team of dedicated individuals who work hard and take pride in our reputation.
After this apprenticeship
Full-time job available upon successful completion of the apprenticeship. We are a small team, and we actively encourage staff to learn more roles to enhance their skills and grow with the company.
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
BPIF TRAINING LIMITED
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000348338.
Apply now
Closes on Monday 1 December 2025
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