Over the past couple of years it has become increasingly difficult to recruit skilled personnel due to shortage and a lack of training within the industry. Eclipse Colour decided that it would be better to train a new generation of operators themselves by utilising the wealth of skills they already have in the business plus more formal training under the apprenticeship scheme. This way the new generation can impart their up-to-date knowledge with all of their production colleagues, keeping the business fresh and forward thinking.

‘I’ve always believed in putting something back into an industry that I care about...’ stated Simon Moore (Eclipse Colour MD)... ‘We embarked on our apprenticeship recruitment program partly to create opportunities for younger people in a difficult employment situation – but also to train and produce the sort of skilled workforce that we need to keep moving forward’.

Eclipse Colour currently have 5 modern apprentices working and training in the following areas of the business; Pre-Press, Sheet-Fed, Web Printing and Print Finishing. Simon continues... ‘I see this as an ongoing responsibility to continue with our policy of creating sustainable skills throughout the business, especially when recent DWP figures show that over 1 million young people are not in employment, education or training* I think we should all be looking a bit closer at ourselves to see where responsible businesses can help.’

*Source: DWP April 2012