MKT: Why Young Talent Is Losing Interest in the Plastics Industry – And How That Could Change

Erfurt, February 28, 2024. In addition to the general shortage of skilled workers in industry, the plastics sector is also struggling with a predominantly negative image of the material in society. As a result, younger generations in particular approach this important industry with above-average hesitation and sometimes even rejection. This finding formed the starting point for the presentations and discussions of the day, which were opened by Wolfgang Tiefensee, Thuringia’s Minister for Economy, Science, and Digital Society, with his welcoming address.

The dialogue forum “Central German Plastics Day” was established 15 years ago as an initiative of PolymerMat e.V. (Thuringia), POLYKUM e.V. (Saxony-Anhalt), Kunststoff-Verbund Brandenburg Berlin e.V. (KuVBB), Kunststoff-Zentrum in Leipzig gGmbH (KUZ, Saxony), and Wirtschaftsförderung Land Brandenburg GmbH (WFBB, Plastics and Chemicals Cluster). The declared goal of this year’s event was to identify positive communication approaches that have so far been underutilized and that can make the exciting and environmentally forward-looking transformation of the industry more visible to the general public. As demonstrated by the lively discussion moderated by Reinhard Artus (POLYKUM), society often overlooks the fact that innovative plastics make modern medical treatments possible in the first place. (Imagine a hospital without plastics!) Plastic-based lightweight solutions in vehicle construction also help save millions of tons of CO2 worldwide every year. Likewise, many foods would simply not survive the journey from producer to consumer without modern plastic packaging, which would result in an environmental and nutritional policy disaster. Furthermore, innovations in the field of bio-based and biodegradable plastics are still far too little known to the public, as several speakers and participants noted.

“We must make it clear that environmental pollution is caused by people, not by materials,” emphasized Michael Weigelt in his opening presentation, calling for a “de-demonization” of plastic materials. If young people were exposed not only to the ubiquitous images of plastic waste in the oceans but also to the fact that “plastics are part of the solution in achieving climate protection goals,” the Managing Director of TecPart – Verband Technische Kunststoff-Produkte e.V. believes that more of them would become interested in the professions that make these special materials possible.

Labor market experts also presented modern approaches to recruiting skilled workers and showed how companies, job placement agencies, and government institutions can combine their efforts. Examples included inspiring apprentices, encouraging returnees to come back, and identifying specialists abroad. Mike Thieme from Kunststoff-Verbund Berlin-Brandenburg (KuVBB) presented the project “Synergetic Transfer Space Lusatia” as a successful practical example. Dr.-Ing. Thomas Wolff, Managing Director of Kunststoff-Zentrum in Leipzig gGmbH, demonstrated in his presentation how innovative applications in Artificial Intelligence (AI) can create new opportunities for the plastics industry in the competition for skilled workers.

The concluding dialogue provided additional thought-provoking ideas, which were explored further during the get-together following a guided tour of the UNESCO World Heritage site “Jewish Life in Erfurt.” Before the conference participants departed, the organizing partner associations announced that the next MKT will take place on June 16, 2025, in Halle (Saale) and will focus on the topic of bioplastics.