Whether you are a simple copy shop or the most sophisticated web printer in the world, all printing types have one thing in common – bindery or finishing. The finishing can be something as simple as putting sheets into a box, or as complex as a double perfect bound book with magnets used to hold the spines together (laugh if you want, but I actually quoted this at one point!).
Bindery is in a bit of a predicament though, as the world begins its gradual, yet eventual move from print-based media – bindery is becoming an afterthought.
Often, when I meet people new to the industry (and new to estimatation), they make the mistake of assuming that bindery departments or trade shops have the ability to work with whatever is given to them. Jobs are planned or estimated in a way that is most efficient for the plant, without much consideration for the bindery.
While sometimes this is the most cost effective way to do things, often it is not. Bindery has seen the least innovation of any section of print. The majority of the equipment has not seen a major change in decades, and handwork is still a staple for many complex projects. Having said that, this lack of innovation may actually be beneficial to the job market in Canada; the Bureau of Labour statistics projects the following through 2014:
5.6% growth in production jobs;
9.6% growth in supervisors and managers;
8.1% growth in job printers;
14.2% growth in bindery workers.
As you can see, print is the sector that will experience the most growth by a large margin over the next six years or so.
Because bindery is nearly forgotten, there are rarely a vast number of people applying for open positions. Not only are there few people applying, there are even fewer who have experience, especially to work on the more complex machinery.
This may eventually lead to a shortage of skilled workers in the field of bindery. If such a shortage occurs, trade binders will be inundated with orders due to shops being unable to finish products on their own premises. Skilled workers will command larger and larger salaries, and shops will be at wits end to keep workers who are headhunted by the top shops. In short, the bindery end of things will be a train wreck.
Okay, so after all the doom and gloom, let’s look at the positive side and evaluate what we can do to move forward. If the situation does become desperate, companies will be forced to hire workers and train them, bringing more people into our industry and reinvigorating the working pool. The attention may bring print into the spotlight again, and help us gain better training programs through the government and various other outlets of education.
We should begin the process now so that we are proactive. While the labour isn’t skilled, the machinery is. Now may be the best time to find a piece of bindery equipment on the cheap, and train some people in your plant on how to use it. While you may want to avoid training your workers on live jobs, training isn’t the worst thing to invest your money in, given the slow pace of the industry at the moment. For any enterprising bindery shops, or institutions of higher learning out there, starting a training program to supplement your income might not be the worst idea in the world. Simple workshops and various other short, low cost training programs might help those looking for work find something in our industry; this may also appeal to shops looking to train their own employees.
Regardless of the scenario we find ourselves in, the industry will adjust. But, it’s important to note what a vital part of our industry bindery is; not giving it the credit it deserves is a sure-fire way of compromising the strength of our industry as a whole.