Protecting polymer skills through DE&I

Well, another Interplas has come and gone. Having been out of the industry for the 2021 edition, it was great to see the event return to form in such spectacular fashion post-COVID.

One of my personal highlights was chairing the session on diversity, equity and inclusion in the plastics industry. Let’s be clear, this session was designed to shed some light on an important topic – it was designed to help start to understand the make-up of the plastics workforce, as well as gathering knowledge about attitudes and perspectives in the industry. It was not virtue signalling, nor was it an attempt to disparage what is, I believe, a very well-intentioned community.

All of that said, it’s impossible to deny that the industry doesn’t boast an especially diverse profile. While some protected characteristics are increasing in representation in recent years, it’s clear that ours is not the most diverse sector – a fact that is reflected across many of the engineering specialisms.

One of the objectives of the session was to answer the question, why is diversity, equity and inclusion important? It may sound absurd, but I sense it may be tempting to view these initiatives as a part of the zeitgeist of the 2020s. They’re not. And I would argue a push for diversity is more important in process engineering that many other fields, given the well-documented skills shortage that threatens the future of the industry. Okay, machine operation is being simplified by OEMs, but that’s no match for an in-depth knowledge of the art of processing, forming, moulding or extrusion. The polymer industry is a real mix of talents – from design, materials choice, chemistry, engineering, machine maintenance and people-management, to name just a few. To meet the needs of such a diverse skillset, surely you need a diverse workforce – with the benefit of multiple perspectives and experiences.

Research shows that diverse organisations benefit from excellent problem-solving capabilities, as a result of a broad spectrum of life experiences and perspectives. Similarly, collaboration is shown to be more effective, for similar reasons. Where some show less experience, others can help fill the gap – and vice versa.

Equity and inclusion also help to boost staff retention. Equity differs from equality, in that the latter implies that all should be treated equally, whereas the former suggests that individual experiences and capabilities should be taken into account, and if necessary adjusted for, to ensure that all individuals are able to achieve similar outcomes. To me, that seems wise for any company – engineering or otherwise - that wants to retain staff. Who wants to stay in a business where the odds seem stacked against them?

Editorial advisory board member Richard Brown has penned a thought-provoking article on the subject of skills, training, recruitment and diversity further on in the October issue of British Plastics & Rubber. It’s important to note that one of the protected characteristics is age. With a considerable amount of skilled polymer professionals due to retire out of the industry over the next ten years, it’s never been more important to offer a workplace that appeals to young people and their values. That’s going to require little financial investment, but considerable investment in education. Prioritising DE&I doesn’t need to be costly, but the rewards could be massive for the longevity of the processing sector. I’ve teamed up with the BPF to present a webinar on the subject – it’s open to all, and you can register for free here: tinyurl.com/3zbafjxx.