A PRINTER with a 126-year history is seeking an apprentice to help its traditional techniques continue to thrive in the 21st century.

Holywell Press in West Oxford is hunting for someone to take on a level three apprenticeship over the next three years.

In recent years the Government has been encouraging more young people to think about apprenticeships rather than automatically opting for university.

The printing trade has a long history of hiring apprentices, and Holywell Press print managing director Ben Burrows said it was important to keep that going.

He said: "There is a lack of training offered in the trade these days and if businesses are not prepared to bring new people in we will lose the traditional skills that we rely on.

"There are a lot of printing organisations that do not have the benefit of traditional skills that are passed down from generation to generation.

"It is important because it keeps standards high in the trade."

Mr Burrows said apprentices at Holywell Press learn skills such as composing and what sort of font should be used for certain products, allowing them to tailor the order to each customer's specification.

The apprentice hired by the company will be trained to use all three of its lithographic printers – which use a more traditional technique – but will also learn about other parts of the business including digital printing.

Holywell Press, which printed early advertising for Morris Motors and has been trading since 1890, has an employee – John Fallows –who has been at the company for 47 years since starting as an apprentice at 15.

Mr Burrows, who also began as an apprentice about 30 years ago, said: "The real delight of working here is when you see the job from start to finish.

"The staff get to build a relationship with a customer and understand their needs.

"Having that experience from start to finish is wonderful."

Mr Burrows' aunt Wendy is currently working on a history of the company, which the new apprentice would help take forward as it continues to innovate.

Mr Burrows said: "The business has a history of having apprentices and training people up and there are quite a number of people in the industry that have been trained here.

"We are quite proud of that."

More information can be found on the National Apprenticeship Service website by visiting findapprenticeship.service.gov.uk/apprenticeship/-33871