A Day as a Boss: Attracting the next generation to the chemicals and plastics industry
For the past eleven years, young people in the Rhineland have been taking on leadership roles in the chemical industry for a day. The initiative not only offers school pupils exciting insights into day-to-day working life in the chemical and plastics sectors, but has also become an integral part of many companies’ talent development strategies.
What is the initiative about?
As part of “: My role is brilliant ”, school pupils aged 16 and over shadow a manager through their day-to-day work, from meetings and decision-making situations to hands-on operational tasks on site. Young people from all types of schools can apply by submitting a short introductory video. From the participants’ perspective, the campaign day offers an authentic insight into leadership responsibilities within the chemicals and plastics industry, as well as initial contacts for their future careers.
For the participating companies, the initiative is primarily a tool for sparking an early interest in the chemicals and plastics industry amongst young talent and securing them as skilled workers in the long term.
The initiative is organised by ChemCologne e.V., the industry network for the chemical industry in the Rhineland.
Organiser: ChemCologne
- Network for the chemical industry in the Rhineland
- Core area: Aachen, Bonn, Cologne, Düsseldorf
- Objectives: Location marketing, investor contacts, promoting young talent
- Supported by companies, the Rhineland Chemical Industry Employers’ Association, local authorities, Chambers of Commerce and Industry, and universities
From BASF to Wacker: Which companies in the chemical and plastics industries will be taking part in 2026?
In 2026, around 35 companies from the chemical and related industries will be taking part in the initiative. Alongside well-known names such as Bayer, Shell, Henkel and Wisag, educational institutions such as the Cologne University of Applied Sciences and the Rhein-Erft Academy will also be represented. Numerous K-exhibitors, including BASF, Braskem, Clariant, Lanxess, LyondellBasell, Orion Engineered Carbons, Röhm and Wacker Chemie, are also opening their executive suites to young talent this year. The roles on offer range from site and plant management, through research and logistics, to human resources.
Four examples from the current intake illustrate the breadth of roles and responsibilities in the chemicals and plastics industry:
- At Wacker Chemie in Cologne-Merkenich, a school pupil took on the role of , Plant Manager for Production Facilities, for a day in August – a role usually responsible for day-to-day plant operations, process safety and production efficiency.
- At Orion Engineered Carbons in Hürth-Kalscheuren, a schoolgirl took on the role of Vice President of Liquid Systems Innovation for a day at the start of August – gaining an insight into the innovation work surrounding carbon black for rubber and plastics.
- At Clariant in Hürth-Knapsack, a schoolgirl will take on the role of Vice President Liquid Systems Innovation at the start of October and gain an insight into sales.
- At LyondellBasell in Wesseling, a schoolgirl will take on the role of Site Manager at the end of October and will be involved in production and raw material supply at one of the major plastics and polymers manufacturers.
The “My Position is Great” initiative in figures
- 11th year (since 2015)
- 2026: around 35 participating companies
- Over 280 pupils to date
- Minimum age: 16
Review: What have young people learnt about the sector in recent years?
The action days from previous years demonstrate how closely the experiences tie in with current industry topics:
Polymer manufacturing and raw material production took centre stage when two A-level students shadowed the operations management team at LyondellBasell for an entire shift, including team meetings and plant processes.
Artificial intelligence in production was the topic when a schoolgirl took on the role of Chief AI Officer at Covestro for a day and gained insights into an AI pilot project aimed at optimising production and logistics. In the plastics industry, AI is regarded as a key lever for more efficiently managing plant utilisation, material usage and process quality in a data-intensive, highly complex production environment.
Additives and pigments for plastics applications were the focus for one schoolgirl, who led the Inorganic Pigments business unit at LANXESS in Krefeld-Uerdingen and learnt about various application examples at the technical centre.
Additive research for rubber applications shaped the day for a student who took on the role of head of research in the field of precipitated silicas at Evonik in Wesseling and was involved in ongoing projects as well as safety inspections at the technical centre.
The transformation of petrochemical feedstocks towards more sustainable processes took centre stage when a schoolgirl led an electrolysis project for the production of green hydrogen at the Shell Energy and Chemicals Park Rhineland. Green hydrogen is regarded as a key technology for the decarbonisation of energy-intensive basic material processes.
How do companies in the sector benefit from this initiative?
For the participating companies, the initiative creates an early, personal point of contact with potential skilled workers and and strengthens the employer brand in the region. At the same time, it offers companies the opportunity to present themselves as modern, forward-looking employers – for example, by providing insights into topics such as artificial intelligence or sustainable production processes, which are likely to be of particular interest to young people. Furthermore, companies can showcase what defines the chemicals and plastics industry: large-scale production facilities and extensive factory sites, complex technical processes, as well as future-oriented fields such as digitalisation, hydrogen technologies and material innovations. Through direct dialogue, companies also learn which expectations and values are important to young people when choosing a career, and can position themselves accordingly as employers. At the same time, the event can be used to provide specific information on apprenticeship pathways and degree programmes within the sector. Last but not least, the change of perspective – according to repeated feedback from participating executives from previous years – also provides fresh impetus for their own processes and sites.
Sources: Press release ‘Meine Position ist spitze’, ‘Meine Position ist spitze’ (News)
Julia Pott (K-Mag editorial team)
