Following a review of its Print Technician Apprenticeship Standard by the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE), the standard was found to be “sufficient” but the BPIF was asked to bring the format in line with IfATE’s new requirements.

A BPIF statement said: “IfATE have been very rigorous in their application of the new requirements and whilst some were expected (around equality, diversity and inclusion and sustainability), some around the more technical aspects of the standard were not. 

“Their requirements for generic statements in the grading descriptors has required us to increase the skill level requirement of the assessors put in place by the End Point Assessment organisation, whilst feedback from employers and training providers has led to us adding a merit to the achievement list for apprentices.”

A consortium chaired and vice-chaired by Ryedale Group’s James Buffoni and CDS operations director Ian Wilton respectively, has delivered an updated standard, which the BPIF is now seeking views on. 

The Print Technician Occupational Standard can be found here and the Print Technician End Point Assessment Plan can be found here.

The statement continued: “The Print Technician plays a key role in all your businesses, and this standard is designed to qualify learner apprentices to Level 3, making them invaluable. 

“Without this standard, there would be no Print Level 3 apprenticeships for the sector.

"The sector is proud of the high-quality training and development that it offers, underpinned by key apprenticeship standards, with this one being particularly important to the sector, so it’s important that we get it right.”

Comments must be submitted to ursula.daly@bpif.org.uk by 9 June 2023.