You are in:
PM congratulates inspired students
Prime Minister, the Rt Hon Gordon Brown MP, sent his congratulations to all the winners of PrintIT! 2008/9 as they gathered with industry to celebrate the fourth PrintIT! competition. Gordon Brown also praised PrintIT! for its engagement of young people and industry.
He said: "It is vitally important that young people get high quality work-related learning to equip them with the skills they will need as they step out into the wider world. I have no doubt that the winners will go on to achieve great things."
The overall winning entry was selected by a panel of judges from the eight category winners, which were singled out from the 25,000 students who took part this year. Laura Whitehouse, a student from Beauchamp College in Leicestershire, was presented with the top prize of a portable MacBook Air laptop during the ceremony.
As part of the curriculum-based PrintIT! course, students were challenged to create a print-based campaign to promote Fairtrade products in cafes, with the aim of promoting the varied career paths available within the print industry. This year the competition was extended to include Year 9 students, aged 13 to 14, as well as Year 10 and 11 students, aged 14 to 16, studying for their GCSEs in product design and graphic products.
This year, commercial digital and litho print company MPG Impressions was awarded Best Industry Twinner, for the commitment and enthusiasm it demonstrated in helping the teacher deliver the PrintIT! course to the students in the classroom.
Chief executive of Proskills, and member of the final judging panel, Terry Watts, added: "It is inspirational to see so many key industry players come together to support a common cause and I would like to thank them for their continued commitment to PrintIT!."
