Offering benefits attractive to all is the best way of recruiting women into print

摘要

Just over 20% of the print industry's 250,000 workers are women. The proportion is slightly lower in production jobs, but 20 years ago, there were virtually no women working as printers and few working as typesetters. In fact, aside from stereotypical administrative roles, women were limited to some areas of print finishing, sales and customer service. The battles fought out between Fleet Street and Wapping in the 1980s had a major impact by breaking this closed shop and making print more accessible to women. But, more importantiy, advances in technology, both in pre-press and on press, have dramatically changed the nature of work in print. Job tides have changed as typesetters, step and repeat operators, imposition and even platemakers have effectively been replaced by Mac or repro operators. In addition, the recent growth in digital printing means that even press minders are now being replaced by men and women with Mac and IT skills. This more high-tech environment has meant that even working on large-format litho presses is no longer 'heavy work'.