UK - On Thursday 16^th May, the future stars of the print and paper industries will be recognised at the 8^th annual PrintIT! Awards taking place at North Print & Pack 2013 in Harrogate.

The PrintIT! Awards ceremony, which will be attended by around 200 students, parents, teachers and award sponsors, will take place at 2pm in Hall C on the main show floor. The awards celebrate the best of Britain’s young talent, honouring the finalists and their teachers, and the winners will receive individual awards, as well as prizes for their schools.

PrintIT! is a nationwide education initiative that encourages students to consider careers in the paper and print industries. The initiative is designed for students studying GCSE and A-Level Graphic Products, Product Design and Media Studies, and can also be used for those working towards Diplomas in Creative & Media and Manufacturing & Product Design. It is structured around a design competition that sees students designing printed promotional materials for use promoting Fairtrade products in supermarkets.

Richard Moore, Print & Paper Industry Lead for Proskills comments: “The initiative is aimed at informing young people that there are vibrant and exciting careers in the print and paper industry, as well as changing any misconceptions they may have about print. The programme really comes to life when schools twin with a local printer, because students can see the theory they’ve learnt being put into practice. There can be nowhere better to show students what a wonderful industry this is than at an exhibition where they’ll be able to walk through a hall filled with the latest print technologies on display. And along with the awards ceremony, we’ll also be announcing the new PrintIT! Chairman, so it’s well worth joining us on the afternoon.”

Sales Manager for North Print & Pack 2013 Mary Buck comments: “Shows like North Print & Pack give the industry a forum to nurture relationships and network with the rest of the industry, and we’re thrilled that the print talent of the future will be part of that in 2013. The Applications Showcase will give them a great chance to see some of the latest ideas and opportunities in print, and they’ll also be able to learn even more about our industry in the Knowledge Centre.”

More information about the exhibition is available from the North Print & Pack 2013 website at www.printandpack.co.uk