Industry celebrates 82 Rising Stars in London ceremony

The Printing Charity has hosted another successful Rising Stars event in London’s House of Lords, where the charity said they saw ‘the winner constellation shining brightly’.

The annual event and awards celebrate people aged 18 to 35 within the printing industry, as well as its associated industries such as signage, packaging, paper, and publishing. The initiative means that applicants can win up to £1,500 in funding to undertake training and development to further their skills and careers.

This was the first year in which the age range had been increased to 35, a decision which was made due to the increasing amount of people who require funding later in their careers or join print after being in other industries.

This year saw 82 individuals awarded, with 59% of them working within the core sectors of print, paper, and packaging. The Charity says it is investing over £111,000 in its winners who reflect the range and diversity of career paths available within the industry.

The awards translate to funding for 155 courses, covering training and development for areas within the industry such as vehicle wrapping, UX and UI design, textile printing, sustainability, digital engagement, accountancy, and AI.

During his speech to those attending, Neil Lovell, chief executive officer of the Printing Charity, thanked the charity’s many partners, trade associations, and the award judges. This year’s judges included the likes of Lucy Swanston, chair of the Strategic Mailing Partnership (SMP), Sarah Smith from Dynamic Print, who also printed and supplied this year’s sustainability sourced certificates, and previous award winner, Isabel Shanahan.

In his speech, Lovell also touched on how the room was filled with people who will continue to grow and shape the industry. Speaking to Print Monthly about why he felt this was important to touch on, Lovell said: “There’s this whole topic of how we make this industry attractive to young people, and it’s those people who want development and want to see the potential to grow within their jobs. So, it’s really important to highlight that it is very possible to develop and also that it is happening already.  

“For example, many applications we had this year were from people who wanted more than one piece of training and wanted to use the funding to apply for multiple areas to help support them.”

The Printing Charity has also highlighted that 43% of courses selected this year were for personal development, including project management, public speaking, leadership and management, and coaching to make genuine connections. There was also a 41% increase in winners working in technical roles, which the charity says highlights the winners’ commitment to professional development and the high-tech future of the industry.

Lovell adds: “The awards show the determination of people starting out in their careers to effectively equip themselves for a rapidly evolving future by concentrating on studying personal skills and capabilities to support their growth, regardless of where their career paths take them. With this in mind, it was right to extend the award age range to 35 – acknowledging that more than ever, careers are unlikely to be linear, and so providing support for people making a later career pivot to join the sector, and those determined to upskill to take advantage of new opportunities as they arise.”

A full list of winners can be found of The Printing Charity’s website. Winners include former editor of Print Monthly, Carys Evans from Karis Copp Media, as well as Jude Corless of Hybrid Services, Nathan Mclauchlan-Welsh from MTWO Search, Libby Clifford from Make it Happen Signage Consultancy, and Aaron Leishman, Cuong Dinh, and Millie Jackson from Bluetree Group, all of which demonstrate the diversity of winners and awards given.