17-year-old Luke Salisbury started at the Kenilworth, Warwickshire-based company earlier this month. He is currently working within the firm’s customer services department and learning its processes, including its Tharstern MIS.

Emmerson Press business development director Nick Fincher said: “I started out when I was 16 and ended up becoming a graphic designer, then an account manager and then worked in business development before becoming a director.

“I wanted to give somebody else the opportunity to do things very differently to how it happened to me. For me it was a rocky road and I’d love to help somebody out and to make sure that their path is very different.”

Salisbury is doing the apprenticeship as part of an NVQ Level 2 in business administration in conjunction with Warwickshire College, which helped to secure his position at the company.

Fincher said: “I got in touch with the college after seeing it advertised on the national database.

“Luke will do the NVQ for 15 months and he’s really keen. He’s not just in it to earn a bit of money, when he came to the interview he wanted to know if there would be a full-time opportunity for him here at the end of the 15 months.”

He added: “If you want to go off and work for the big design agencies as an account manager further down the line, having that print knowledge behind you first is absolutely invaluable.”

The firm, which plans to take on more apprentices in the future, has also recently advertised for an apprentice print finisher.

Emmerson Press has 26 staff and a turnover of £4.5m. Its customers include businesses in the retail, jewellery and automotive industries. The company operates three Heidelberg litho presses including a Speedmaster XL 75 and an HP Indigo digital press as well as a wide range of finishing equipment.