LIA Victoria announces graduate winners at Holmesglen tour

2025 finalists - Jackson, Jack, Davouth, Sorkim and Marcel (Chris absent)

The winners of the 2025 LIA Victoria Graduate of the Year Award were announced at the association’s latest technical event, which saw more than 40 industry guests tour the print training facilities at Holmesglen Institute.

The 2025 finalists included Sorkim Eng and Davouth Lay from MCC Melbourne, Marcel Feillafe from Bambra Press, Jack Jankauskas from Newsprinters Wodonga, Chris Murphy from Amcor, and Jackson Young from Harden Packaging.

Winner Jackson Young with dad Harry Young, founder of Harden Packaging

The winner was flexo printing apprentice Jackson Young, who received a $3,000 grant from The Collie Print Trust to further his career development. He will also travel to Sydney, courtesy of Heidelberg Australia, to compete in the biennial LIA National Graduate of the Year Awards, which will be presented on 17 October.

LIA’s David Galbraith said Young regularly runs up to eight-colour rewind stock on a variety of substrates, and has been trained on Harden’s entire press fleet, a solventless laminator, slitter and micro-perforator, and has also held the position of operations manager, mounter, first aid officer and HACCP team leader.

“Jackson is a very future-focused finalist who is passionate about sustainability, intrigued by AI and its application in print manufacturing and improving machine performance, and outside of work is involved in volunteering and giving back to his community,” Galbraith said.

Darren Brookes, Heidelberg, winner Jackson Young, and LIA’s Robyn Frampton and Lindsay Banks

A special Distinction Award, with a $2,000 career development grant, was also made to Marcel Feillafe, a finishing graduate who recently moved from Ellikon Fine Printing to Bambra Press.

Feillafe was recognised not only for his demonstrated skills, but also for his passion for finishing – in particular, traditional bookbinding – and his desire to continue his learning.

“We say this every year, but it is an incredibly difficult task for our judging panel to determine the winners – not only because their roles, skills, and responsibilities are so different, but because each is exceptional in their own way. All six of these graduates are leaders in their field, and we have no doubt will be leaders of our industry in the future,” Lindsay Banks, who coordinates the Graduate Awards program for LIA Victoria, said.

Robyn Frampton, LIA Victoria president, said, “What always impresses me is not only what our finalists have already achieved in their careers, but how engaged and motivated they are to keep learning and developing their professional skills and careers.

“It has been a privilege to meet them all – we congratulate them most sincerely and will be watching their careers with great interest.

“We are grateful to the Collie Print Trust for their generous support of our Victorian awards, and to our longstanding partner Heidelberg Australia who will support the state winners from around Australia to attend the finals in Sydney, and to supplier association Visual Connections who provides a $10,000 career development grant for the national winner.”

Guests were also treated to a tour of the Holmesglen Institute. The tour included a presentation on current industry training courses and initiatives, Holmesglen’s future plans, a demonstration of print simulations and software, and a tour of the print facilities which feature a range of digital print, wide-format and finishing technologies.

“It was great to learn more about how training in our sector continues to evolve to meet industry needs, and we thank Holmesglen for hosting us,” Frampton said.

Here are some pictures from the event: