1 August 2016

Blissetts skills partner for the new Queen’s Bindery Apprentice

The pilot programme will be starting this autumn and will be a seven year programme. The new scheme has come about following meetings with The Royal Collection, Blissetts and Shepherds, Sangorski and Sutcliffe. All have concerns for the future of the trade.

Gary Blissett explained, "The Royal Collection has a massive collection of books that need looking after for many generations to come and we want to ensure the trade and the family business lasts long into the future, our industry has been in massive decline over the last 25 years. There are many binders that do certain kinds of work, but there are only three mainstream binders, including us, that offer the full range. We are seriously skilled and not many of us left"

The plan is to interview around 20 applicants (currently around a 100 applicants have been received), these will be "hands on" interviews and held at Saint Brides Foundation in Fleet Street. The two successful applicants will be based at the Royal Bindery in Windsor Castle, this was founded in 1770 by George 111, for the first two years. Then they will have time allocated to working and gaining experience from the two livery bookbinders - Blissetts and Shepherds.

The candidates will be expected to learn a wide range of bookbinding skills from fine leather edging and gold finishing, to case and box making restoration. Apprentices will be assessed against the City and Guilds programme, undertaking foundation levels one to three in the first two years and specialist levels over the rest of the Apprenticeship. Once two years have been successfully completed they will be indentured to their livery company and made a freeman after five years. Those showing excellence in their work will be encouraged to apply for Queen Elizabeth Trust Scholarship.

Funding is being backed, to the value of £500,000, by the charitable partners: Royal Collection Trust, City and Guilds of London Institute, The Stationer's Company, Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust, The Clothworker's Company, The Leathersellers' Company, Antiquarian Booksellers Association, and The Printing Charity.