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Named as one of the Printing Charity’s 2023 Rising Stars, we caught up with Matt Stevenson, Technical Manager at Amberley Labels, Coveris’ luxury labelling business, who used his £1,500 funding to attend three leadership skills trainings. Here’s how he got on. 
 
Tell us about yourself: 
I’m Matt Stevenson, and I’m a Technical Manager at Amberley Labels. 
 
What inspired you to apply for the Rising Star Award? 
Having seen my potential, I was promoted to Technical Manager in January 2023. To support me in my new role and to continue my own personal and professional development, I was encouraged to apply for the award. 
 
What trainings did you apply for, and what did you learn? 
In addition to learning new skills in different areas of the business, I chose trainings that would push me to look at new ways of thinking and develop my existing expertise. To do this, I attended the CMI Level 4 Certificate in Management and Leadership, Finance For Non-Finance Managers, and the IEMA Environmental Sustainability Skills for the Workforce Training courses. 
 
As I was quite new in my management role when I won the Rising Star Award, I found all three courses really beneficial. I’ve been able to use what I’ve learnt in my daily work and have worked with different members of the Amberley team since to carry on learning and make the most out of my new skills. 
 
What difference has the award made to your career? 
Winning the award has definitely boosted my confidence and has helped me settle into my management role even better. For example, I learnt how to do technical workings and calculations in more depth, which I’ve been able to use and also show what I’ve learnt to some of the wider team. 
 
What would you say to anyone else thinking about applying for a Rising Star Award?
The Rising Star Awards provide a fantastic opportunity to invest in yourself and build your skillset, so I’d definitely say to do it! In addition to this, the awards also allow you to speak with interesting and like-minded people and show you all of the different paths on offer in the industry. 
 
Is there anything you’d like to add? 
David Richards, Amberley’s Managing Director, is someone I’d like to personally thank for encouraging me to apply for the award. Having supported other members of the Amberley team to apply for the Rising Star Award in previous years, David knew the personal development and career opportunities the award brought with it. 
 
I’d also like to say a big thank you to the wider Amberley team for their support throughout this process and for helping me practice what I’ve learnt with them – they’re a great bunch!