The Next Generation of Printers --Waldman

There are no longer lifetime crafts like our forefathers may have counted on and no artificial way of perpetuating an outdated position. Yet there will be a future for print and it needs young, talented people.

So I would say, go ahead and become a press operator. Like so many other jobs in the graphic arts, it's challenging and rewarding. But be constantly aware of technology's impact. Read, learn and be ready to adapt and retrain so you are prepared when old job functions start to fall and new ones arise.