The inception of the Young Professionals Network was in October 2017. Under the guidance of the Appita Association, the YPN Mission and Vision Statements were developed and compiled. Initially information was circulated to the Appita Membership base, for expressions of interest from the younger sector of the industry. Feedback received was overwhelmingly positive for this initiative to go ahead. The inaugural YPN forum was hosted by the 2017 Fibre Value Chain Conference in Melbourne, Victoria, held at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre, Melbourne. Young Professionals were given the opportunity to network with like-minded professionals from the industry and were privy to presentations from keynote speakers from across the globe, as well as participating in highly interactive workshops geared toward personal and career development. Testimonials from participants who attended the first YPN gathering, proved beyond doubt that this was going to be a successful and beneficial initiative for the industry’s future generation of young professionals.

Here are some comments from testimonials received from young professionals who attended the inaugural forum in 2017:

“YPN has already been a terrific resource for me especially in terms of making myself more valuable to my company. I look forward to the next YPN event.” (Ryan Worland, Analyst, VISY)

“I am looking forward to future YPN events as it has proven to be an effective way to foster partnership and communication between different institutes and organisations within the pulp and paper industry.”(Llyza Mendoza, Ph.D. Candidate, BioPRIA, Monash University)

“Creating a YPN (Young Professional Network) within the pulp and paper manufacturing industry was a great idea! Not only are ideas and understandings within the pulp and paper industry shared, but also an appreciation towards how the Appita is engaging the newer generations to see that pulp and paper industry as evolving and the only way we can survive is if we continue to come together and work with each other. I look forward to be a part of YPN for years to come!” (Sakila Tennakoon, Graduate Mechanical Engineer, Australian Paper)

“The YPN session was well received by those who attended and generated a lot of talk and optimism. I am very much looking forward to working with the Appita YPN in the future.” (Sahan Kumarasinghe, Asset Management Engineer, Australian Paper)