Runner-up in this year’s SWUG apprentice competition (see page 17) newspaper press operator Sarah Weldon is a rare – if not unique – woman in a dirty job once considered a ‘men only’ domain.
In fact, Weldon – who works at Fairfax Media’s modern Border Mail Printing in Wodonga on the Victoria/NSW border – was one of three women on her college course ... until one was made redundant.
The 23-year-old is a born-and-bred local, and says she pretty much “fell into” newspaper printing without having friends or relatives already in the industry. “I didn’t know much about it or have any preconceptions,” she says. “I had started at BMP as a casual reel hand, was enjoying the work, and was offered an apprenticeship.”
She still finds working on the large printing press – a five-tower Goss Uniliner S installed in 2003 – interesting and says the people are great to work with: “The job is what I had hoped for and, because I am lucky enough to work with a group of enthusiastic people who are always willing to help you and teach you anything you want, I have been able to run the press myself which is a challenge I enjoy ... and I like the pressure.”
There are downsides, of course. Weldon mentions the long hours and shift work: “It can be quite straining on the body at times, as well as trying to keep appointments and fit in with loved ones’ lives.”
An outdoor girl whose interests include growing vegetables, keeping chickens and camping, she says she looks forward t building up to more managerial roles in future.
College colleague Michelle Robertson tells a similar story: She got into printing working on an inserting machine and then as a reel hand before being offered a printing apprenticeship, wants to advance in the job and dislikes shiftwork: “The best part for me is that different things are always happening – you’re not doing the exact same thing for eight hours straight. That might be putting on the plates, cleaning and running up different jobs ... there are constant challenges.”
German press maker manroland has also been busy encouraging girls to conquer the printing world. During a ‘girls’ day’ event at its base in Augsburg, 22 young women visited the company to find out about apprenticeship careers in printing.
manroland says 800,000 girls so far have discovered careers in which women are still under-represented, such as printer, industrial mechanic, or mechatronic engineer.
During the day, the girls aged between 14-16 visited workshops in the MAN vocational training centre, learning about the drawing school, machining, oxy-arc cutting, milling, and electrical training, and then touring manroland and MAN Diesel production facilities.
A senior manager at the training centre, Kaspar Fischer says MAN is increasingly seeking female junior staff. “Girls are often very talented technically, but criteria such as social behaviour and ambition are also of great importance to us.”
