45 www.printmonthly.co.uk May / June 2023 - Issue 342 As an industry, we can all do better here. If we can promote stronger diversity in our workplaces, you will reap the benefits longterm. It will foster a more inclusive and attractive work environment where staff feel valued and respected. It can boost your staff retention and productivity. It's important to bring different perspectives to the table and it will lead to more creative thinking. Be the change! that this is still currently the case, this figure is starting to shift and it was pleasant to see at the aforementioned next-generation event that there was a fair 50/50 split between males and females. It's also important we celebrate the female role models we do have in our industry. There are no barriers to entry any more thanks to the advancement in technology, therefore roles such as production are far less physically demanding than in the past. We need to be aware of the culture we are creating in our workplace. Creating an environment that everyone is comfortable with is key to building a more diverse workplace so your business can thrive. Promoting Mentorship Another panel I had the pleasure of being involved with was hosted by the ISA. The main topic was to uncover the issues around the current skills gap in printing and signage companies which led to the fact that many of the older generations were leaving the industry early. This was possibly down to the physical demands, particularly in the signage sector, and the lack of opportunity to diversify to other roles within these industries. Perhaps an avenue we could all explore further, rather than lose this valuable experience too soon, would be to utilise these staff members for mentorship and help us close these skills gaps we currently have in many of our workplaces. Pairing younger professionals with older professionals can be great for knowledge sharing, skill development, and also career guidance. There is definitely a hunger from young people to progress in their careers but what I did take away from the event was that quite simply, our industry as a whole is not employing enough young people INDUSTRY TIPS / THE ONLINE PRINT COACH ► In March, Sinclair McDermott took part in a Networking Masterclass, hosted by FESPA UK for the Next Generation of our industry ► Sinclair McDermott was part of an allmale panel run by Women in Signs and Graphics at SDUK
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