The 2025 ProPrint Awards will host the Lithographic Institute of Australia (LIA) Graduate of the Year Awards for the first time to promote the importance of apprentices and graduates in the printing and packaging industries.
LIA Federal President Mel Ireland said she was thrilled to be able to present the LIA Graduate of the Year Awards on Friday 17 October during the 2025 ProPrint Awards in Sydney.
“Empowering apprentices through recognition not only strengthens our industry, but also shapes its future by inspiring excellence and growth,” Ireland said.
“The LIA is truly grateful to the ProPrint team for giving us a platform this year at the ProPrint Awards to celebrate our LIA-Heidelberg Graduate of the Year – State Apprentice Winners and Announcing the Visual Connections – LIA National Graduate Scholarship Prize and LIA Future Leader Award, biennial awards.
“This is an event that brings together industry leaders, innovators and rising stars. It is the perfect platform to celebrate our apprentices and provide an opportunity to foster connections. Our deepest gratitude goes to our sponsors and event organiser for making such a celebration of talent possible,” Ireland said.
“There are few awards that I can say have stood the test of time,” said Heidelberg Australia and New Zealand managing director, Savas Mystakidis.
“The LIA Graduate of the Year Award however is an exception to this case, as it has helped provide a platform to support new talent entering our great industry. Heidelberg Australia can proudly say that we have supported this great initiative for 53 years and counting.
“It began in 1972 when it was known as the LIA Apprentice of the Year Award – sponsored by Seligson & Clare at the time, which makes it the longest running continuous award in our industry. Heidelberg is currently celebrating its 175-year anniversary in 2025 and our commitment to the industry and its future is our priority, which is the main reason we are delighted to support the LIA Graduates from year to year as they drive our industry forward and take it to the next level,” Mystakidis said.
Visual Connections executive general manager, Karren Challoner-Miles is also pleased to continue supporting the long-standing awards program.
“For more than 60 years the LIA has been recognising the achievements of the industry’s leading apprentices, and it is a pleasure for Visual Connections to continue our support for the Graduate of the Year Awards by sponsoring the $10,000 Visual Connections LIA National Graduate Scholarship Prize,” Challoner-Miles said.
“This prize provides the winner with the opportunity to further their learning and career development, and the ability to support one of the industry’s future leaders in this way aligns strongly with our commitment to supporting the next generation in the print and visual communications sector,” she said.
Apprentices recognised by the awards will be flown to Sydney on Thursday 16 October – the morning before the awards and stay at the Shangri La where the awards will be held on Friday 17 October – courtesy of sponsor Heidelberg.
During the Thursday, a judging panel interviews each apprentice and a cocktail party is held during the evening. On the Friday, the apprentices will visit the Printing Museum in Penrith and attend the ProPack Packaging Forum at Shangri-La Sydney, which is part of the Australia and New Zealand Printing and Packaging Week (ANZPPW2025), prior to the Awards in the evening.
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