The success of the inaugural Women in Print HP Indigo Scholarship has been demonstrated through the career progression 2025 scholarship recipient, Chisato Moriguchi, with the program translating specialist technical training into tangible opportunities within Australia’s print industry.
Launched as a pilot in 2025, the scholarship was developed by Women in Print Australia in partnership with HP and Currie Group to provide access to HP Indigo operator training and certification. Four inaugural recipients completed HP Indigo Digital Press Level 1 Operator Certification in October 2025 at the Currie Group’s state of the art training and demonstration facility in Hawthorn, VIC.
For Moriguchi, the opportunity has contributed directly to her progression from the Bindery into a full-time HP Indigo Digital Press operator role.
Before receiving the scholarship, Moriguchi had been undertaking training with existing Indigo operators when production workloads allowed, while continuing to work in her finishing role. According to her direct manager, Mathew Byrne, Digital Print Manager at Advance Press, she had already demonstrated a strong interest in developing her digital print production skills.
“The HP Indigo Level 1 certification provided Chisato with a solid technical foundation and increased her confidence when training on the press,” Byrne said.
After the certification, on her return to Perth, the company committed to providing Chisato with regular hands-on training. She was able to apply what she had learned and share useful tips and knowledge from the certification with more experienced operators.
“Following the retirement of one of our operators, she stepped into the role and is now a full-time HP Indigo operator. The scholarship played an important part in preparing her for this opportunity, giving her both the skills and confidence to succeed,” continued Byrne.
Women in Print Board Chair Stephanie Gaddin said Moriguchi’s progression demonstrated exactly what the scholarship pilot was designed to achieve.
“The objective was never simply to fund a training course. We wanted to make specialist technical training more accessible, in order to create a pathway that could translate into genuine skills, confidence and career progression,” Gaddin said.
“Chisato’s story shows what is possible when an individual’s ambition is matched with access to training and the support of an employer prepared to continue that development in the workplace. For Women in Print, this is an outstanding outcome from the first year of the program.”
Byrne added, “Overall, the Women in Print Scholarship has delivered a very positive outcome and helped accelerate Chisato’s career development within our business. We are grateful for the opportunity it provided.”
The 2025 pilot was made possible through collaboration between Women in Print Australia, HP and Currie Group.
“Building a strong future for print requires us to continue developing the technical capability of the people already working within our industry and to create clear opportunities for the next generation of operators. Seeing Chisato progress from certification into a full-time HP Indigo operator role is a powerful example of what targeted training, industry collaboration and workplace support can achieve. We are proud to have supported Women in Print Australia and HP in delivering the scholarship and to see the impact of the program extend well beyond the training itself,” said Paul Whitehead, General Manager Commercial / Sign & Display at Currie Group.
That investment in professional development continues throughout 2026, including the Women in Print Executive Leadership Program, with upcoming two-day programs in Perth on 17–18 September and Brisbane on 29–30 October. The program is designed to support women across the industry to strengthen their leadership capability with practical tools that can be applied immediately in the workplace.
Women in Print will also be exhibiting at Visual Impact Sydney in September, providing an opportunity for members of the industry to meet the team, learn more about the scholarship and leadership programs, and discuss the broader range of membership benefits and opportunities available through the growing association.
Visit the Women in Print Australia stand at Visual Impact Sydney, 2-4 September in The Dome, Stand H5 to meet the team and find out how to get involved, whether through professional development, membership, partnership or support.
About Women in Print Australia
Women in Print Australia is a national organisation dedicated to supporting, developing and celebrating women across the print, graphics communications and related industries. Through leadership development, mentoring, networking, education and community-building initiatives, Women in Print empowers women at every stage of their careers and works to strengthen the long-term sustainability and diversity of the industry.womeninprint.com.au
