Chemical, rubber, plastics and building materials industries

The rubber and plastic industry includes the production of seals, electrical accessories, pipes and packaging. The chemical, shale oil and building materials industry is engaged in...

The chemical, rubber, plastic and building materials industries constitute a significant part of the Estonian manufacturing industry. The labour needs of this area of life are most affected by the ageing workforce, technological development and the movement of simpler production out of Estonia.

The number of jobs in the chemical, shale oil and building materials industries remains the same, but the ageing workforce makes companies most deprived of engineers. Technological development and automation in the rubber and plastics industries increases the number of jobs in product development and industrial engineers and industrial equipment and machinery mechanics and configurators, the number of positions in industrial equipment and machinery operators decreases.

The number of skilled workers is less trained than the companies have to offer them jobs. In the rubber and plastics industries, not enough industrial equipment and machinery mechanics and configurators are trained in vocational education. In particular, automatists and mechatrons are missing. In addition to graduates in the fields of automation, mechatronics and electrician in the chemical, shale oil and building materials industry, operators of chemical processes who have acquired vocational education are missing. Thus, companies outside Ida-Viru County are training the workforce themselves.

Information is based on OSKA's study of the workforce and skills of the chemical, rubber, plastics and building materials industries, which forecast employment in the field until 2021.