Editorial Insight: Honoring Awesomeness

FINDING QUALIFIED HELP has become the top headache for employers across the country, a situation that can be doubly challenging for printing businesses. Part of the problem, as Shop Talk columnist Andy MacDougall explains in his August/September 2018 column on page 36 (revisiting a favorite theme), is that our industry has never had a decent system for developing the needed skills.

And it doesn’t help that print is not exactly a millennial magnet. “We have more open positions than we have in at least three or four years,” notes Brian Adam, president of Olympus Group. “There’s a lot of buzz about flexibility and how you create these really cool workplace cultures. Well, an ad firm can allow you to bring your pets to work and offer you a flexible schedule, but we need people to actually run our presses.”

Yet, by whatever path they take into the industry, young people do come, and some become superstars. They bring energy, ideas, and fresh perspectives untainted by the legacy of how things have always been done. Over time, they evolve into leaders – not just in their own organizations, but in their communities and the industry as a whole.

Celebrating the achievements of these exceptional individuals and encouraging their ongoing development is the goal of Screen Printing’s new Rising Stars Awards. Through an industry-wide nomination process, the inaugural Rising Stars Awards will honor six recipients whose accomplishments in specialty printing have already made a lasting impact.

The award is open to people under the age of 35 who are currently employed in specialty printing businesses. Those who work for industry suppliers and other organizations that support specialty printing are ineligible, though heartily encouraged to nominate candidates whom they believe are worthy of the distinction.

Third-party nominations can be made beginning August 27 at screenweb.com/RisingStars. The deadline is October 31, 2018. Winners will be selected by the Screen Printing editorial staff and featured in our December 2018/January 2019 issue as well as on screenweb.com.

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What types of individuals are we seeking? Nominees should demonstrate a track record of accomplishment, fresh thinking, and can-do attitudes that have resulted in tangible, lasting changes within their organizations. Special consideration will be given to young entrepreneurs, individuals who have taken on increasing responsibilities in their careers, and those who are active in their communities and/or industry-support groups.

Perhaps you were once a rising star in your company and you see those qualities in someone you’ve hired. Maybe you’re a supplier or consultant who has worked with someone who fits the bill. Or you may have the good fortune of calling someone who possesses these extraordinary traits your mentor. Help them get the recognition they’ve earned.

The online form will ask you to share specifics about what makes the person you’re nominating so awesome, so you’ll increase the odds of their success by gathering a bit of information. Reach out beforehand and let them know what you’re up to. After all, winning an industry recognition such as this is quite an honor, but it’s just as nice to know that someone important in your life holds you in such high regard.

Read more from the August/September 2018 issue.