Apprentice Bookbinder

Details

J S Wilson & Son Bookbinders began life in Trinity Street, Cambridge in 1830. It is one of the oldest trading bookbinders in the UK. Its bookbinders are professionally trained craftspeople priding themselves in their work at all times.

The Apprentice Bookbinder will be someone who:

• Can be thorough and pay attention to detail
• Can work with their hands
• Possesses observation and recording skills
• Has good concentration skills
• Is capable of working independently
• Demonstrates patience and the ability to stay calm in stressful situations
• Can carry out basic tasks on a computer
• Can work both independently and as part of a team

Day-to-day tasks will include:

• Using hand-operated machines to glue and stitch
• Cutting paper to size with hand and machine cutting tools
• Checking the quality of work and meeting production deadlines
• Using hand tools to make bindings for books, sew pages, and add decorations such as gold lettering, edging, or marble endpapers
• Using traditional materials to decorate and clean discoloured pages
• Producing specialised books like family histories or books for libraries and museums
• Repairing and restoring antique books and using leather and papers to match the original materials.

The working week is 36.5 hours over five days, and the apprenticeship lasts for three years.

If you are interested in this Apprenticeship, please send your details to Mr Brigham at [email protected].