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The shortage of skilled labour in the plastics processing industry is continuing. The industry is currently particularly concerned about the search for trainees. According to the German Plastics Processing Industry Association, the number of trainees has never been as low as in 2021.
The number of trainees in the three-year training programme for process mechanics for plastics and rubber technology has fallen to 4511 trainees. In the already difficult 2020 training year, which was particularly affected by the coronavirus pandemic, the number was a good 800 higher. This already marked a critically low level.
A The bright spots are the new trainees recruited last year for the industry profession. The situation here has stabilised with a slight increase of 5.4 percent compared to the previous year, with 1533 new recruitments.
In view of this development in skilled labour, Ralf Olsen, Managing Director of the pro-K Industrieverband Halbzeuge und Konsumprodukte aus Kunststoff e. V. and a member of the General Association of the Plastics Processing Industry responsible for education policy and vocational training, a Increasing danger for plastics processing in Germany. Without a sufficient number of skilled workers, it will be difficult to continue the success story of plastics processing in Germany.
Source: General Association of the Plastics Processing Industry
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