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PrintIT! Scotland
The Scottish Qualifications Authority, Graphic Enterprise Scotland & Sector Skills Council Proskills join forces to launch PrintIT! Scotland
The Scottish Government has welcomed a major industry-backed vocational initiative aimed at encouraging students to consider a future career in print while supporting teachers in their delivery of the Standard Grade Graphic Communication Course.
PrintIT! Scotland is a bold collaboration between the Scottish printing industry, represented by Graphic Enterprise Scotland, the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA), the Fairtrade Foundation and Proskills UK, the Sector Skills Council for the process & manufacturing sectors. The aim of PrintIT! Scotland is to give students studying for their Standard Grade Graphic Communication qualification the opportunity to learn more about Scotland’s vibrant printing industry and offer them an insight into the range of career opportunities that exists within one of the most advanced and high-tech industries.
The launch of PrintIT! Scotland, follows the award-winning success of PrintIT! in England, which was first introduced to English Schools in September 2005 and has recently registered its 100,000th student.
Says Neil MacGowan, head of corporate affairs at the Scottish Qualifications Authority, “The national launch of PrintIT! Scotland is anticipated by many to be one of the most significant initiatives of its type, bringing an opportunity for schools to work closely with local employers via a project-based programme mapped to the curriculum and supporting teachers of Standard Grade Graphic Communication. This unique initiative has all the hallmarks of a valuable and effective means of engaging with students and introducing them to the many career opportunities within the printing industry while working towards a nationally recognised qualification”
Through a specifically designed curriculum-mapped project, aligned to various ‘Illustration and Presentation’ modules within the Standard Grade Graphic Communication Course, PrintIT! challenges students to develop a print-based campaign for the Fairtrade Foundation. Competition entries will be judged by a panel of experts and prizes will be awarded to both the students and their schools for the best work submitted. Entries may also be used in the IP portfolio as part of their Standard Grade Graphic Communication course.
Says Paul Evans, project director of PrintIT! “It’s been a truly collaborative effort getting PrintIT! Scotland off the ground, and once again, I am indebted to all the sponsors who have continued to support PrintIT! I’m delighted that we are able to introduce this initiative into Scottish schools, and am confident we can replicate the success that PrintIT! has enjoyed so far in showing students what print can achieve in today’s world and how they can play a part in its future as potential industry leaders of tomorrow.”
Central to the initiative is the provision of free collaterals for teachers and schools. Two of Scotland’s most respected teachers and authors of Scottish Education’s leading graphic communication text books Peter Linton and Richard Smith from Kinross High School have compiled and curriculum-mapped easy-to-teach lesson plans and flexible schemes of work. Collaterals also include free teaching course books and student guides and online multimedia resource materials, all designed to meet criteria in the Illustration and Presentation elements of the Standard Graphic Communications course.
Schools will also be given access to the PrintIT! ‘Twinning programme’, which links schools with local print-related businesses that can further assist teachers in the delivery of the course and provide the students with real hands-on experience and mentoring.
The teachers and student books were printed by Montgomery Litho Group (MLG), in Glasgow, a member of Graphic Enterprise Scotland.
Bob Hodgson, director of Graphic Enterprise Scotland comments, “It’s really exciting to see industry pulling together for a common goal and will urge all our members to work with their local schools to add a vocational dimension to their course. The future of the Scottish printing industry depends on new blood to provide our future workforce, and this scheme not only helps students achieve their academic qualification, it may also open new doors in terms of a future career path.”
For further information about the programme, visit the PrintIT! Scotland