K 2025 will put one of its spotlights on young talents, including school pupils, students and young professionals, offering special offers and events under the title “Young Talents” for these future pillars of plastics industry.

K 2025 offers special programs for young talents. (Source: Messe Düsseldorf)

The Young Talents initiative is aimed at young people who are interested in training or studying in the field of plastics and rubber technology. The industry offers attractive future prospects – from circular economy and climate protection to high-tech solutions in medicine and mobility.

At K 2025 in Düsseldorf, from October 8 to 15 October, young people and students will receive information on training courses, study opportunities and career prospects.

Podcast on the plastics industry

A new offering has already been launched ahead of the trade fair – in podcast format.

In the podcast ‘A look behind the scenes – young talents in the plastics industry’, four trainees and students provide exciting insights into their everyday working lives. They talk about their experiences, challenges and opportunities and show how diverse and future-oriented the industry is.

The protagonists, Jacob, Jacqueline, Johanna and Mathias, are also the ones who will be conducting the Young Talents Tour at the trade fair.

Young Talents Tour

On October 12, the highlighted Young Talents Tour will take place. The four young professionals will guide visitors through various stations, and present their personal training and study paths. Stops on the tour include the GKV's Young Talents Lounge and the exhibition stands of the training companies, including Arburg, Erema, Covestro and SIMONA.

Participation in the tour is free of charge and no advance registration is required. The tours will be conducted in German and will start at the gkv stand.

Young Talents Lounge

At K 2025, the Gesamtverband Kunststoffverarbeitende Industrie (GKV) will be sponsoring the official special format ‘Young Talents Lounge’, the association is focusing specifically on the topic of promoting young talent.

Visitors can experience plastics processing interactively, for example with an obstacle course, VR applications or a mini injection molding machine. The association will also be presenting innovative courses of study and providing inspiration for promoting young talent.

A special event will be the gathering of the winners of the Günter Schwank Prize as part of the ‘Club of the Best’, of which the award honors the best graduates in plastics technology each year.

Young talent in mechanical engineering

Mechanical engineering also offers young talent a platform at the trade fair. In the VDMA pavilion, which is part of ‘The Power of Plastics!’ Forum, trainees, students and young professionals organize the daily ‘Young Talents Time’, from October 9 to 14 at 11 am each day. Here, ideas for the future of the plastics industry will be discussed.

In addition, the VDMA also specifically promotes young women in mechanical engineering with initiatives such as EnSHEneer.

Career Sunday

At Plastics Europe Germany, K Sunday (October 12) is all about young talent. In the official special show ‘Plastics Shape the Future’, Plastics Europe offers a varied program that addresses issues relating to training, recruiting and career opportunities.

This includes a panel on recruiting skilled workers, various expert talks on topics such as ‘Recruiting by Gaming’ and ‘Recruiting by Diversity’, a recruiting stand-up and interactive formats such as ‘HR Bullshit Bingo’. A Science & Poetry Slam rounds off the program.

Also on K Sunday, free admission will be offered to young people. School pupils, trainees and students can visit the trade fair free of charge on this day. Proof of eligibility in the form of a pupil or student ID card is required.