Arden flies the flag for Rising Star Awards

Posted on: Sunday, January 31st, 2021

Arden Engraving is backing this year’s Rising Star Awards programme, which is now open for applications.

The Rising Star Awards, organised by The Printing Charity, offer grants of up to £1500 to fund training courses or equipment to help support the personal and workplace development of young people working in the UK printing, packaging, paper, publishing and graphic arts sectors.

We’re showing our support for the scheme, formerly known as the Print Futures Awards, after our Assistant Production Manager Jordan Saunders took part last year.

Awards alumni Jordan, aged 28, took part in an intensive masterclass in Adobe Illustrator, achieving the Adobe Certified Associate certification.

Jordan has been part of the Arden Engraving team for almost six years and his role encompasses sales administration, production management and customer service.

He says the skills he picked up as part of the course has helped him in his role.

He said: “Having a better understanding of all the functions and properties in Adobe Illustrator has certainly helped me understand how our clients construct their artwork and why this might not always be suited to our needs. Completing the course has improved my confidence in working with the customer to resolve issues, and ultimately allows me to deliver great customer service.” 

Jordan was also due to take part in the BPIF Management Training course, which was postponed due to Covid-19, but he’s hoping to still take part once restrictions are lifted.

The Printing Charity is now inviting applications for its 2021 cohort and Jordan says he would definitely encourage others to apply.

He added: “I can highly recommend the Rising Star Awards – it’s a great way for younger people to learn new skills and advance their careers.

“Many of the applicants are from the South East, so it’d be great to show that the North West has plenty of talent to offer in this industry. Opportunities like this don’t come round very often, so I’d encourage anyone to go for it – I’m glad I did.”

Sarah Poynter, Operations Manager at Arden Engraving, added: “It is promising to see young people, like Jordan, wanting to invest in themselves and develop both their practical and soft skills to help them further their careers.  The training has given Jordan a fantastic boost and I am excited to see the impact of his planned management training too.”

The Awards are open to people aged 18-30 and aim to champion the diverse range of roles the sector offers and showcase emerging talent. The deadline for applications is March 7, 2021. To find out more go to https://www.theprintingcharity.org.uk/rising-star-awards/