Plastics and Rubber Industry

The OSKA plastics and rubber industry study seeks to answer the question of what the sector’s labour and skills needs will be up to 2033 and puts forward proposals on how to meet these needs.

In OSKA’s framework, the plastics and rubber industry is part of the broader chemical industry sector. In 2024, the plastics and rubber industry employed around 3,370 people. About 78% were skilled workers whose jobs require strong technical competences and in-depth knowledge of plastic materials. Approximately 15% were top specialists and managers, for whom higher education in production, materials science, or chemical engineering is a suitable prerequisite.

Given that 65% of production is exported mainly to Europe, high-quality knowledge and skills form the basis of the sector’s competitive advantage.

The shortage of workers with specific knowledge of plastic materials and their processing is the sector’s biggest challenge in the coming years.

Although materials science and technology are taught at all levels of higher education in Estonian universities, opportunities to study plastic technology as a specialised field are limited. The only specialised programme is TalTech’s English-language master’s programme in wood, plastic and textile technology, but only a small number of Estonian students choose the plastics specialisation. Graduates who are international students mostly do not enter the Estonian labour market.

According to OSKA, employers and universities need to jointly and more strategically promote the plastics technology specialisation. In addition, more opportunities are needed—both in formal education and through continuing education solutions and micro-credentials—to acquire knowledge in chemistry, materials and green technologies, circular economy principles, and the application of sustainable and safe design.

In the plastics and rubber industry, the shortage of workers with vocational education and broad technical skills—particularly in mechatronics, automation, and electronics—is intensifying. Therefore, intake to these technical fields in vocational education needs to be increased in order to alleviate labour shortages related to the setup and maintenance of production equipment and the operation of automation systems.

There is also a need to address the continuation of work-based learning for plastic processing machine setters at Hiiumaa Vocational School.