CPIT moulds students in plastics

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Plastics student Craig Kirk examining key rings produced by an injection moulding machine at the centre.

Media Release – Tuesday 28 August 2007

CPIT moulds students in plastics

Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology (CPIT) is training students in the use of plastics and polymers technology at its new Plastics and Polymers Centre that opened this month at the Sullivan Avenue trades’ campus.

Despite the New Zealand plastics industry employing 8,000 people and generating around $2 billion annually, there has been no training facility for the delivery of trade qualifications in plastics technology or in plastics processing available in New Zealand, since the closure of the facility at Manukau Institute of Technology some years ago. With Plastics New Zealand (PNZ) predicting massive growth in the national plastics sector, and competition for workers from the Australia plastics industry, local businesses approached CPIT to develop training programmes to address current and predicted staff and skill shortages.

Steffan Jaques, Plastics Programme Leader at CPIT, says with local industry support CPIT was successful in applying for Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) funding through the Innovation and Development Fund (IDF).

“In liaison with local Plastic’s industry representatives and PNZ, CPIT put together an application to the TEC for a capability grant to setup a Plastics and Polymers Centre for the South Island”, says Steffan. “The successful application provided the $1.5 million including GST funding required to build the centre, which has been outfitted through a combination of equipment purchases and generous donations from local businesses.”

Steffan says in the Canterbury region the plastics industry makes a significant contribution to the high-tech sector, particularly Electronics, and facilitates development in high growth industries such as agriculture. Rising oil prices and exchange rates have made local production of niche plastic products more competitive as the cost of shipping and freight has gone up.

“New Zealand has a reputation for innovation and that includes plastics items designed in New Zealand, even though they are manufactured offshore,” says Steffan. “The design and tool-making process requires staff with high-level design and technical skills, and that’s what the Plastics and Polymers programme will provide for the sector.”

The CPIT Plastics Centre is offering training programme strands in Injection Moulding, Extrusion, Blow Moulding, Thermoforming, Blown Film Extrusion, Film Conversion, Extrusion Blow Moulding and Rotational Moulding and incorporates units towards the National Certificates in Plastics Processing Technology (Levels 1-4) or the National Certificates in Plastics Engineering and Technology (Plastics engineering) (Levels 1-4). The first programme has commenced and is being taught as a full-time 12-14 week block course.

In addition to training the sector workforce, the CPIT Plastics and Polymers centre will operate as a regional facility for local industry businesses such as Talbot Plastics, Elastomer Products, RX Plastics and Aperio Packaging to trial processes and develop prototypes and products. There may also be the possibility of the Centres’ facilities being used for commercial outsourcing for industry overflow.

ENDS

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