The awards evening held at the Fuji Xerox Australia (FXA) building in Brisbane paid tribute to the efforts of 12 local graduates across printing, binding and pre-press.

Elliot took the top-prize, while his brother, Curtis Elliot from Geon, shared runner-up honours with Grantley Smith from McDonald Printing Group.

Terry Mays, FXA strategic account manager, was on the judging panel with LIA Queensland president Roger Rankine, treasurer Donna McGuire and G2 Solutions director Bernie Hockings.

Mays said the night enjoyed a “massive turnout” and that after careful consideration Elliot was awarded top honours due to his presentation, skill-set and passion.

“All the graduates were very impressive, so it was pretty difficult to decide upon a winner,” he said.

“We asked each of them about their future, and they all indicated that they wanted to stay within the trade. They were all enthusiastic about print, which is a great indication that what we are doing the right thing.”

Mays added that apprentices were an imperative part of the print trade and that as the numbers of learning facilities decreased the onus was on the printers to help in the development.

Comment below to have your say on this story.

If you have a news story or tip-off, get in touch at editorial@sprinter.com.au.  

Sign up to the Sprinter newsletter