Part of The S&A Transform Group, a transformation consulting company, The S&A Academy leads the way in developing professionals in the polymer manufacturing industry as well as technology and business-related skills.
Q. How do your apprenticeships prepare individuals for careers in the broader polymer industry?
As part of the development of the new Polymer Processing Technician apprenticeship, apprentices gain a wider and deeper understanding of materials, processes, test methods and problem-solving - as well as some knowledge of the history of the polymer industry. This stretches beyond their current roles into the wider industry and will be an asset wherever they work in the future.
Our apprenticeships provide a platform for both new and existing employees to gain and improve their knowledge of the polymer industry both within and outside of their job roles.
Q. Do you have any partnerships with polymer industry associations or companies to provide real-world experience for your apprentices?
Collectively, our Polymer Processing team has over 70 years of experience in the polymer industry, working with companies of all sizes, covering all polymers and all processing techniques. Amongst many, our Polymer Processing team has established connections with the BPF, IOM3, Smithers Rapra and The Manchester Polymer Group. As part of any apprenticeship, there is a requirement to be employed, therefore all of our polymer processing technicians are employed within the polymer industry.
Q. How do you tailor your polymer processing apprenticeship programme to the needs of different companies within the plastics industry?
While the apprenticeship standard provides the framework for the syllabus, we recognise our cohorts of learners have a mixed background within the industry they work in. To ensure the programme is fit for purpose, all employers receive an on-site visit with our coaches to support them in designing training that fits around their business. Our coaches also provide all technical training onsite, removing the need for block release and ensuring that training is delivered on equipment relevant to each apprentice and not generalised.
Q. How do your programmes address current challenges and opportunities in the polymer industry?
We designed the programme to support the industry to upskill as well as recruit into their technical workforce due to the large numbers of experienced staff retiring from the industry. Knowledge transfer in those circumstances can be a massive challenge, but the opportunity to fill the expertise gap with new enthusiastic people or to develop those in operator roles to progress in their role is exactly what we have designed our curriculum around. Apprentices will not only focus on one particular skill set, instead, they will acquire a holistic skill set in all areas of the technical business by the end of the programme. Therefore, they can become much more integrated into the business and its needs going forwards.
Q. In your experience, how do polymer processing apprenticeships benefit companies in the science and technology industries?
Our core objective for all employers and apprentices is supporting the professional development journey to increase both retention as well as the opportunity of bringing a new audience into the polymer job market. Particularly for those organisations who do not have a formal training programme for their staff or would like to invest in training their staff in a more formal approach. We hope for our apprentices to become future leaders in the industry and by giving them a wider and deeper understanding of the related science and technologies, they will be quicker to identify and solve problems. They will also have a higher awareness of health and safety and environmental issues that will overall contribute to the company's performance in the long term.