For MCC Label (MCC), one of the world’s largest label manufacturers, people are the foundation of the business. Across its 11 sites in Australia and New Zealand, the company is cultivating a new generation of print professionals through a national training strategy that combines technical excellence with career development.
MCC is the only printing business in Australia certified as a Registered Training Organisation (RTO), a distinction that Daren Hudson, vice president Australia and New Zealand, says reflects the company’s long-term vision to “train our own, grow our own, and keep the craft alive.”
“Print is an industry that people tend to discover rather than seek out,” Hudson says. “That’s why we have to make it visible, attractive, and full of opportunity. I started as an apprentice myself 37 years ago. I know firsthand how powerful it is when a business gives people the chance to grow.”
Group training officer Chris Dean, who has spent more than 40 years in the trade, including 18 years with TAFE SA, says the decision to become an RTO was both strategic and pragmatic.
“Over time, public training providers have pulled away from print,” Dean explains. “Some states no longer offer key trade qualifications. Becoming an RTO meant future-proofing our ability to train apprentices and issue nationally recognised qualifications, to make sure the industry doesn’t lose that capability.”
Tailored training for a changing industry
MCC’s RTO currently has 18 apprentices in Australia and another 10 in New Zealand, working across flexographic, lithographic, digital and finishing disciplines. The company’s RTO framework allows it to customise training content to its technologies and processes rather than relying on generic curricula.
“We’ve mapped MCC’s technologies and workflows to the national training package,” Dean says. “That lets us contextualise learning materials so they’re specific to what we do – for example, the difference between a sheet-fed printer and a label converter. It’s real-world, applied training.”
Training takes place both on site and online. Each MCC site has a dedicated training room, enabling hybrid sessions via Microsoft Teams every four to six weeks. Apprentices work through structured theory modules, workplace tasks, and observation assessments, supported by on-site trainers.
Dean says MCC is also building a network of qualified trainers across its sites. “We’re upskilling experienced operators to become certified trainers under the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment. That means they can mentor apprentices and train existing staff as new technologies come online.”
Culture in action: a visit to Brisbane
At MCC’s Brisbane plant, the company’s strong training culture is immediately evident. Operating six days a week, the site supports a wide array of label solutions tailored to diverse market segments. During a recent visit, Print21 observed a first-year apprentice confidently operating a press alongside an experienced mentor—an authentic example of MCC’s “learning by doing” approach.
Walking the floor, the company’s training philosophy comes to life. The production area runs with precision and energy, showcasing a mix of technologies that enable everything from short-run digital jobs to high-end embellishments. In one area, finishing equipment applies foil, embossing, and tactile varnishes for premium labels, while nearby, colour samples are meticulously matched to calibrated proofs—part of MCC’s investment in advanced colour control and ink dosing systems that ensure consistency across every run.
What stands out most, though, is the atmosphere — collaborative, calm and quietly proud. Apprentices and experienced operators work side by side, troubleshooting and exchanging ideas. An apprentice pauses to explain his current learning module, while his mentor offers practical tips born of decades on press. It’s a snapshot of MCC’s culture in motion: skills being shared, confidence being built, and the future of print being printed in real time.
In another example of MCC’s global connectivity, a printer from MCC’s Napa Valley site in the United States was on a short-term secondment in Brisbane, learning local production methods and sharing insights from his own facility.
Hudson says these exchanges are integral to MCC’s global DNA. “We’ve got over 90 sites worldwide, and we’re always moving people between them — sometimes for training, sometimes for projects. This year alone, about 15 of our teammates have travelled between Australia, New Zealand, and overseas. It’s about giving people exposure to best practice wherever it exists.”
Promoting print as a career
Both Hudson and Dean acknowledge that one of the biggest challenges for the print and packaging sector is visibility among school leavers. “Most young people – and their parents – don’t know print is even an option,” Dean says. “They assume everything’s digital, but packaging proves otherwise. As long as people keep buying products, there will be a need for print.”
MCC is now engaging directly with schools, visiting career expos and hosting plant tours. “We’ve started partnering with schools that are open to vocational pathways, not just university streams,” Dean says. “Once students see the technology – the automation, colour management, digital presses – they’re fascinated.”
Hudson adds that the company’s RTO status gives confidence to educators and families alike. “When choosing between a company that offers formal training and one that doesn’t, it’s clear which provides a stronger foundation for someone starting their career.” he says.
Inside the business, MCC also runs programs to recognise young achievers. The annual youth award celebrates an outstanding early-career employee with a study tour across the MCC network. Rising talents like Demi Samaras, who joined as a pre-press apprentice and is now a customer service and quality manager at just 28, demonstrates the career paths possible within MCC.
“It’s not just about apprenticeships,” Hudson says. “It’s about culture. Anyone with ambition — whether they’re in dispatch, production or customer service — can move and grow within this business.”
Blending craft and technology
While MCC continues to invest in automation and digital printing, both leaders emphasise that traditional print skills remain essential. “The fundamentals of flexo and litho haven’t changed in 50 years,” Dean explains. “Automation makes setup faster, but the process and problem-solving mindset are the same. Apprentices still learn colour, registration, pressure, and the feel of the job – those skills transfer to any machine.”
Digital printing, Hudson says, adds another dimension. “It’s still printing, it’s just a new set of skills. Our digital printers often come from flexo or offset backgrounds because they understand colour and downstream finishing. That blend of craft and tech is where print is heading.”
Sustainability: from mindset to manufacturing
Sustainability is embedded in both MCC’s operations and its training. Every apprentice completes a core unit in environmentally sustainable work practices, where they analyse waste streams and design practical reduction projects.
“They might look at how many disposable gloves are used in a shift and propose a change that cuts consumption,” Dean says. “It’s about creating awareness and building problem-solving habits early.”
At a corporate level, MCC’s sustainability agenda is anchored by measurable commitments. The company has approved science-based targets to achieve net-zero value chain emissions by 2050, covering Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions.
Its partnership with ResourceCo plays a major role in waste reduction. MCC diverts all dry, non-recyclable waste from its Australian facilities to ResourceCo’s processing centres, where it is transformed into Process Engineered Fuel (PEF) to replace fossil fuels in heavy industry. This initiative avoids around two tonnes of CO2 emissions per tonne of waste diverted.
The program also provides a recycling solution for PET label liners, which previously had no viable recovery pathway. “This is a circular solution that simply didn’t exist for our customers before,” Hudson says. “We’ve found a way to remove PET liners from landfill and reduce our carbon footprint at the same time.”
Beyond waste management, MCC is collaborating with supply partners and brand owners to develop recyclable label materials compatible with PET bottle recycling streams – addressing historical challenges with adhesives, inks, and facestocks.
The company is also a signatory to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s New Plastics Economy Global Commitment, making it the only label company to have joined the initiative. Its Labeled With Care strategy integrates sustainability into every part of the value chain – from eco-conscious design and local material sourcing to renewable energy use and customer carbon-reduction partnerships.
A business built for the future
From the boardroom to the pressroom, MCC’s philosophy is clear: invest in people and technology, and the rest will follow.
“Our goal isn’t just to have apprentices,” Hudson says. “It’s to have a business where people at every level can see a pathway – whether that’s becoming a master printer, a trainer, or a manager.”
Dean agrees: “Some apprentices fall in love with the craft and want to stay on press; others want to move into leadership or design. Both are valuable. The point is to keep talent inside the industry.”
At the Brisbane site, that ethos was evident in the apprentice eager to show his work, the veteran printers mentoring him, and the visiting operator from Napa Valley sharing his insights. Together, they represent MCC’s culture of collaboration, curiosity, and continuity.
Hudson sums it up simply: “We’re all about promoting young people and building for the future. If we can give them the tools, the training, and the belief that print still matters – then we’ve done our job.”
This article was first published in the Labels21 supplement in the November-December 2025 edition of Print21, which is set to hit desks in the next few days.