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Print, packaging and the graphics industry is the fourth largest industry in the UK with around 12,000 companies, a combined annual turnover of £15.1bn and employing 160,000 people.
To start out in print, GCSEs in core subjects such as Maths and English as well as more targeted areas such as art, design and IT will help.
But vocational qualifications are also available. S/NVQs cover a range of topics including carton manufacture, digital artwork for print, hand binding and the various aspects of machine printing.
There is also the City & Guilds Certificate in Printing and Graphic Communications (5261) levels 2 and 3; Edexcel (BTEC) Certificate in Graphics; National Certificate and Diploma in Art & Design (Graphic Design); and First Diploma in Printing and ABC Diploma in Digital Pre-Press Level 3.
The largest concentration of printers are in London and the south east, Glasgow,Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham and Bristol.
Working in the print industry is likely to result in gaining skills on industry-standard equipment that you can take from company to company as well as opportunities for further training to expand your skill set.
Once you have gained enough experience, career progression can be into supervisory roles or production control. Alternatively you may wish to specialise in areas such as finishing, job estimation or print buying.
There is a range of industry bodies offering help and advice, the most important being the British Printing Industries Federation (BPIF).
Further advice is available from Proskills UK, Get Into Print, and Institute of Paper, Printing and Publishing.