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Keywords
New technology, Training, Skills, Printing industry, Small- to medium-sized enterprises
Abstract
Investigates the implications of digital technology for the skill and training needs of small printing firms. The picture that emerges is one where the emphasis is on re-training due to technological change. The bulk of this training takes place in the workplace, with initial training typically being supplied by an equipment or software supplier as part of the initial purchase package. The skills gained by the key workers selected for initial training are then passed on informally to other staff in the firm. There is rarely a high level of commitment or a systematic approach to training that might be expected given the scale of the investment costs that many of these firms have incurred. Only a few proactively-managed small- to medium-sized enterprises are recognising the need to constantly update their workforce skills.
Introduction
The industry context
This paper is concerned with the implications of new technology for the skill and training needs of small printing firms. Whilst printing is a sector in which computer based technology has already made enormous impacts over the last 20 years, it can be argued that the greatest changes are still to come as far as the majority of firms are concerned. Moreover, with some 200,000 jobs, an annual turnover of 9 billion and exports of 2 billion (Robson Rhodes, 1996) the printing sector is one of the most important in the UK economy.
Although the details vary between different branches of the industry, most printing firms face highly competitive market conditions, which help to keep prices down and squeeze profit margins. Printing is also one of the more capital intensive sectors in which smallto medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) predominate, which is reflected in high average annual rates of investment per employee compared with other sectors (Smallbone et al., 1997). This underlines the importance of both initial investment appraisal and human resource strategies designed to maximise the return on investment.
As regards structure, the industry is polarised between a few large firms, serving national and international markets, and a large number of small and micro firms serving local and, in some cases, national markets. Indeed, there are nearly 15,000 small and micro firms employing...