WILMINGTON, DE—Everybody who is anybody in the package printing and converting trade is talking about next generation staffing needs.

Questions abound: “Who are they?” “Where will they come from?” “How can they be found?” “What exactly will they do?” “When will they start?”

Sound familiar?

DuPont Cyrel is just one example of an FTA supplier member who is both asking and answering those questions. Its team in North America now includes five members under the age of 40.  The intentional investment is serving to solidify the path forward.

FTA, being naturally excited about the influx of young talent, as evidenced by its commitment to the Leaders Inspiring Flexo’s Tomorrow (LIFT) initiative, recently posed a question to three members of the Dupont Cyrel team, all of whom have presented at FORUM INFOFLEX and served as session chairs and event chairs in the past few years. They are:

• Allie Ayers, technical applications specialist (left)
• Brad Gasque, technical marketing leader (center)
• Scott Rickard, staff associate investigato (right)

The question and responses follow.

 “What is it like to work in an environment with young peers while becoming more involved in the industry as a whole and FTA?”

Ayers explained, “Coming into the flexo industry at the age of 24, was intimidating to say the least. I was surrounded by industry peers that have more than 30 years’ experience. However, thanks to DuPont’s strong connections with FTA, I was fortunate to have young mentors like Scott Rickard and Brad Gasque to guide me.”

“I remember being inspired by speakers, such as, Catherine Haynes, PJ Fronczkiewicz, and Kevin Bourquin, whose confidence and ability set a high standard for what I hoped to achieve,” she remembered.

“As my attendance at FTA conferences increased, Brad, Scott and a few other DuPont peers pushed me to become more involved. I was given the opportunity to speak at my first FTA Forum in 2020, right before COVID. I ended up speaking during the on-line session and from there things escalated. The more I became involved the more I was able to see the true benefits of the FTA network.”

Ayers stated, “Since then, I’ve had the privilege of speaking at several FORUMS and Technical Conferences, and it’s remarkable to reflect on how far I’ve come. What once felt unattainable is now a regular part of my professional journey. I’m grateful for the support of my peers and mentors, and I’m excited to see so many other young professionals stepping up and getting more involved in shaping the future of FTA and the industry as a whole.”

Gasque expressed similar thoughts. “Working with fellow young peers in this industry seems rare; however, I am seeing more and more young people at industry events and visits to customers. …It’s great working alongside other young people but we rely heavily on our experienced peers.”

“Age is not something that we even notice, since its more about our attitude and work ethic,” he observed. “Having similar attitudes about our jobs makes it easy to work with all our peers, no matter how young or non-young.”

Elaborating on the point, Gasque said, “For me, the push to get involved more with the industry came from professionals that stepped into mentor roles in my career–people like Rory Marsoun, Alex James, and Mark Samworth who took time to share their experiences and excitement for the industry. Alex was the first person to ask me to speak at an FTA event, which I felt way under qualified to do. But for some reason, he knew I had it in me and encouraged me throughout the process.”

“I have always looked up to the technical people that are heavily involved in FTA, whether it be speaking at events, writing articles or contributing to FQC projects,” Gasque proclaimed. “These people care about our industry and want to push it technically; however, they also want to help establish the future of the industry. I would bet that almost every person you see involved in trade organizations would love to help mentor the young people just coming into the industry.”

For his part, Rickard began, “I have spent most of my time in flexography in a lab environment where I have been fortunate enough to be surrounded by seasoned professionals who were very welcoming of newcomers like me. Both within my organization and throughout the industry I had many experiences where highly respected figures were eager to share their knowledge and advice. That early and continued support has proven invaluable to my own success within the industry.”

 He added, “Recently, it has been fun seeing new faces in the industry as well as recognizing people I started out with grow into bigger roles within their respective companies. Attending industry events like FTA’s FORUM INFOFLEX remind me how many of my peers I know from school or early on in my career are now key members of the flexo community. There are a lot of opportunities in this industry for younger talent and I am excited to see it grow.”