Sebastian Ring receives the Incentive Prize 2015 from the German Plastic Processing Industry Association
Düsseldorf/Wackersdorf, August 3, 2015. The GKV Incentive Prize which comes with EUR 5,000 prize money is presented every year to the plastics and rubber processing engineer apprentice who achieves the best result in the final examination. This year Sebastian Ring is one of the 12 German apprentices who scored top grades in the final examination. He achieved the third-highest score in Germany. The annual prize doesn’t just pay tribute to the young apprentices’ excellent performance, but also to the quality of training offered by companies and vocational schools.
The certificate and a year’s subscription to the plastics magazine “Kunststoffe”, plus a check for EUR 250.00, were handed over to Sebastian on July 29, 2015 at Gerresheimer Regensburg GmbH’s Technical Competence Center in Wackersdorf. Manfred Baumann (Global Executive Vice President Sales & Marketing, Administration & TCC, Management), Anja Neumeyer (Global Senior Director Human Resources & Legal, Gerresheimer Regensburg GmbH, Regensburg) and Alexander Lang (Director of the Hof State Vocational Collage in Rehau) also received certificates from Ralf Olsen (Managing Director of the pro-K Industrial Associa-tion for Semi-Finished and Consumer Plastic Products, responsible for vocational training and education policy at the GKV).
“This is the seventh time that we’ve received this award. Our apprentices’ top examination grades reflect the excellent training that they receive at Gerresheimer Regensburg GmbH, and their high level of motivation. It is a very special achievement to be one of the 12 best out of more than 2,500 process engineering apprentices,“ said Manfred Baumann, congratulating the prize-winning process engineer.
As an additional token of the company’s appreciation for this excellent achievement it is giving Sebastian Ring a special bonus of more than EUR 1,250.
Plastics processing is a sector of industry with a constant, above-average rate of growth. Occupations such as plastics and rubber processing engineer are secure and offer a wide range of career opportunities. A plastics and rubber processing engineer uses automated, computer-aided machines and equipment to manufacture a wide range of plastic products. During the training program the apprentices are taught basic metalworking skills and how to read and prepare technical drawings. They also learn everything there is to know about injection molding tools, materials, plastics chemistry and many other things.
Gerresheimer Medical Systems
Gerresheimer Medical Systems is a leading partner for primary packaging in glass and customer-specific injection-molded plastic components with over 2,900 employees, more than 100,000 m2 of production space and 50,000 m2 of clean rooms and controlled areas in seven countries. We manufacture asthma inhalers, insulin pens, syringes, vials and many other products for global players in the pharmaceutical and medical technology sectors.
Process engineer job profile
The apprenticeship program for plastics and rubber processing engineers generally takes three years to complete and has a dual structure involving both classroom-based and in-company vocational training. The program is divided into a general and a specialist part. The first part includes general content such as the structure and organization of the training company, the procurement, production, distribution and management of production materials and products, as well as information about health and safety at work. In the second half of the program the apprentices specialize in one of seven areas: molded parts, semi-finished products, multi-layer rubber parts, components, composite technology, plastic windows, compound and master batch production. After the apprenticeship program they have access to a range of advanced training options leading qualifications such as Industrial Plastics and Rubber Specialist or Plastics and Rubber Process Engineering Specialist and - if the person has a university entrance qualification - a degree in Plastics Engineering.
The plastics processing industry is a sector with a very promising future. Last year, more than 2400 young people chose to enroll for an apprenticeship as plastics and rubber processing engineer. Yet, as in previous years, not all the places in the apprenticeship programs were filled. Anyone who is interested in this kind of an apprenticeship can find further information about the occupation and the available apprenticeships online at www.gkv.de/ausbildung.
The GKV
The GKV is the umbrella organization for the German plastics processing industry and the organization responsible for the recognized training occupation of plastics and rubber processing engineer. As the umbrella organization it unites and represents the collective interests of its member organizations and functions as their public and political mouthpiece.
The plastics processing industry generates annual revenue of around 59 billion euros and has 311,000 employees in over 2,866 companies. It is one of the most important sectors of industry in Germany.
Most plastics processing companies are mid-sized, highly innovative and have diverse product portfolios. Plastics are processed into packaging, building materials, technical components, semi-finished products, consumer goods and many other things.
About Gerresheimer
Gerresheimer is a leading global partner to the pharma and healthcare industries. The company’s special glass and plastic products contribute to health and well-being. Gerresheimer is a global organization with 11,000 employees and manufacturing operations in the local markets, close to customers. It has over 40 production facilities in Europe, North and South America and Asia generating revenue in excess of EUR 1.3 billion. The comprehensive product portfolio includes pharmaceutical packaging products as well as convenient and safe drug delivery systems such as insulin pens, inhalers, pre-fillable syringes, vials, ampoules, bottles and containers for liquid and solid pharmaceuticals with closure and safety systems, plus cosmetic packaging products.
