On 1 August 2023, the skilled occupation in the plastics industry got a new look: The process mechanic for plastics and rubber technology became the plastics and rubber technologist.
Since the previous training regulations date back to 2012, the topics of digitalisation and sustainability were given greater weight in the course of the reorganisation: Digitalisation is also changing processes in the plastics and rubber industry, and topics such as the recyclability of products or the use of renewable raw materials are playing an ever-increasing role. During the training, the future plastics specialists acquire a wide range of knowledge and skills: They plan and monitor the production of plastic and rubber products, set up production machines, prepare raw materials and control quality. They learn about the specific properties of the diverse polymer materials and the processing methods suitable for each.
In addition to a new name, learning content on sustainability, the circular economy and digitalisation is now more integrated into the training course. The proven structure of the seven disciplines remains, with a new focus on the aspects of resource conservation and digital know-how. Furthermore, the additional qualification “additive manufacturing processes” and “process integration” from the industrial metal professions will be added in the future.
This modernisation of the job profile also makes our skilled occupation in name what it has long been in the plastics industry: Diverse, digital and sustainable.
