For a Day at the Top: Attracting Young Talent to the Chemical and Plastics Industry

For eleven years, young people in the Rhineland region have been taking on leadership positions in the chemical industry for a day. The initiative offers students not only exciting insights into everyday work in the chemical and plastics industry but has also become a fixed part of many companies' talent strategies.

In 2026, around 35 companies from the chemical industry and related sectors are taking part in the initiative. Alongside well-known names such as Bayer, Shell, Henkel, and Wisag, educational institutions like TH Köln and the Rhein-Erft Akademie are also represented. Numerous K exhibitors are opening their executive suites to young talent this year as well, including BASF, Braskem, Clariant, Lanxess, LyondellBasell, Orion Engineered Carbons, Röhm, and Wacker Chemie. The positions taken on range from site and plant management to research, logistics, and human resources.

Four examples from this year's edition illustrate the range of positions and tasks in the chemical and plastics industry:

Past editions of the initiative show how closely these experiences connect to current industry topics:

Polymer production and raw material manufacturing took center stage when two high school graduates shadowed plant management at LyondellBasell for an entire shift, including team meetings and plant processes.

Artificial intelligence in production was the focus when a student took on the role of Chief AI Officer at Covestro for a day, gaining insights into an AI pilot project aimed at optimizing production and logistics. AI is considered a key lever in the plastics industry for making plant utilization, material use, and process quality more efficient in a data-intensive, highly complex production environment.

Additives and pigments for plastics applications were at the center of one student's day leading the Inorganic Pigments business unit at LANXESS in Krefeld-Uerdingen, where she explored various applications in the technical center.

Additive research for rubber applications shaped the day of a student who took on research leadership in the field of precipitated silica at Evonik in Wesseling, participating in ongoing projects and safety walkthroughs in the technical center.

The transformation of petrochemical raw material bases toward more sustainable processes was the focus when a student led an electrolysis project for green hydrogen production at the Shell Energy and Chemicals Park Rheinland. Green hydrogen is considered a key technology for decarbonizing energy-intensive basic chemical processes.

For participating companies, the initiative creates an early, personal point of contact with potential future employees and strengthens their employer brand in the region. At the same time, it gives companies the opportunity to present themselves as modern, forward-looking employers – for example, by offering insights into topics such as artificial intelligence or sustainable production methods, which are likely to be of particular interest to young people. Companies can also showcase what defines the chemical and plastics industry: large production facilities and expansive plant sites, complex technical processes, and future fields such as digitalization, hydrogen technologies, and material innovation. Through direct engagement, companies also learn what expectations and values matter to young people when choosing a career, allowing them to position themselves accordingly as employers. The day also provides an opportunity to inform participants about specific vocational training paths and degree programs in the industry. Finally, according to repeated feedback from participating executives in previous years, the change of perspective also provides fresh input for their own processes and sites.

Sources: press release Meine Position ist spitze (German), Meine Position ist spitze News (German)