Print’s 2026 Rising Stars shine at the House of Lords

Print Solutions

The 2026’s Rising Star Awards winners gathered at the annual celebration at the House of Lords.

Printing Charity president emeritus and long standing Rising Star Award supporter Lord Black of Brentwood hosted the ceremony for 82 winners, who between them represent the range and diversity of career paths and roles available within the print sector. Some 59% are working in the charity’s core sectors: print, paper and packaging.

The Printing Charity is investing over £111,000 in the futures of this year’s winners. This translates to funding for 155 courses, covering training and development to build the Stars’ skills in areas ranging from vehicle wrapping, user experience and textile printing to sustainability, digital engagement, accountancy, and AI.

This year, 43% of courses selected were for personal development, including project management, public speaking, leadership and management, and coaching to make genuine connections, all helping build truly transferrable skills to support progression and success in any job role.

This year saw a 41% increase in winners working in technical roles, highlighting winners’ commitment to professional development that will help drive print’s high tech future forward.

‘One look at the content of the courses funded through this year’s Rising Star Awards emphasises the huge potential for people to build a successful career in any discipline within our sector. This is part of the sector’s superpower,’ said Printing Charity CEO Neil Lovell.

‘It also shows 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.’

Visit The Printing Charity website to learn more about this year’s winners.