Four years of hard work has led to Jono Walker graduating his apprenticeship with Beacon Print Limited.

Jono Walker’s journey began after he applied for a reel hand tole at Beacon Print in 2017, and found he really enjoyed the role.

“I learnt more and more, and then they offered me an apprenticeship, a chance to step up,” he said.

He started his four-year Web Offset Printing Apprenticeship in 2020, after three years with Beacon Print, and completed it last year, now with a qualification of New Zealand Certificate in Print Reel-Fed Printing L4, V2, D48 C240 (240).

His father is also a printer, and a former employee of the Beacon.

“I wasn’t planning on being a printer as well, but I started working for him and my aunty as an afterschool job. I was only going to stay there about a year, but I found I enjoyed it – especially working on the Heidelberg platen. I ended up staying for about 10 years,” he said.

He said the routine, new challenges, improvements and mechanical skills were all perks of the experience.

“I enjoyed it, I have good colleagues to work with,” he said.

Combinations of hands-on problem solving, physical tasks, and more theory-based management and research segments meant there was plenty of variety throughout the course.

“I’m here anyway, and it was an opportunity to learn a lot more. Health and Safety is part of the apprenticeship, which you can use for any job you do,” he said.

Learning about Nano printers was a highlight for Mr Walker, and how the printing press could operate looking towards the future.

“It’s modern printing, and a new mindset of doing it,” he said.

“There was an insight to the business side of things, and businesses wanting to move into the future,” he said.

He was also able to travel to Auckland for a three-day workshop course at NZME.

“We did bookwork, class time and assessment, and we also got a tour of where they print the NZ Herald. We visited Ovato, which was a huge site with a range of different machinery, bindery and printing press,” he said.

Beacon Print supported Mr Walker throughout his course in a variety of ways.

The benefit of completing his apprenticeship on site meant he had a wide pool of expertise to draw from for assistance with his coursework.

“I would be able to talk to the expert in whatever section of the course I was working through and had to report back my progress every couple of weeks,” he said.

“I was using everyone around me, learning off people in that sort of way, and getting their comments for assignments,” he said.

He talked to Kaale Nu’u about roller settings and different web printing techniques, Nathan Smith about how to run the press, and Jake Neil taught him a variety of maintenance, and made sure Mr Walker finished his assessment on time.

“Most of my colleagues helped and supported me at different stages of my apprenticeship,” he said.

He said his wife, Jes, was his biggest supporter.

Mr Walker plans to spend the next while reveling in this achievement but is considering further study in the future.