Why Should You Choose the Career in Rubber Industry?

Are you avid, dedicated, and passionate about solving problems? A career in the rubber industry might be right for you. Every day, you can direct your efforts toward solving problems with innovative ideas, improving products to enhance lives, and streamlining processes for success. If you are someone who loves to learn, a career in the rubber industry will offer you a fulfilling path. With technology advancing rapidly all the time, ongoing training means you always have the opportunity to learn something new and become better than before.

If you want to pursue a career in the rubber industry, the next step is setting yourself up with the right career training. Then, you can find an industry position and start putting those skills to work. If you’re interested in pursuing a career in the rubber industry, you may be wondering where to start. Or, sometimes you have in mind why should you choose a career in the rubber industry. Let’s talk here:

Why is there a career in the Rubber Sector?

Rubber has been used across the world from time immemorial. From humble beginnings of use as an eraser (suggested by noted explorer Magellan), today rubber is used across various industries like auto, aviation, healthcare, etc which drive the economy. With origins in Brazil, today rubber in its natural and synthetic forms is used globally. The significance of rubber in our world and daily lives is unmeasurable. It offers many important and varied career opportunities – from chemists/scientists, equipment operators, and engineers to quality control, sales &marketing personnel and everything in between. You have the chance to be a part of something truly extraordinary. Imagine what’s possible!

According to the National Rubber Policy 2019 released by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, India is the sixth-largest natural rubber producer and second-largest consumer in the world. With the development of India’s economy, the consumption of rubber is gradually increasing day by day. According to market research firm ‘India Brand Equity Research Foundation’, automobile tyres consume around 50 percent of its total production and are followed by 15 percent tubes, 12 percent footwear, 7 percent latex, 6 percent belts, and pipes and 10 percent in other products/works.

Education and Training Requirements

The skilling landscape for the rubber sector has undergone significant changes.  Several factors have been attributed to this change; of course, the mainstay being the dynamic nature of the sector both in terms of the manufacturing process and technology. The rubber sector requires not only a pipeline of human resources skilled in equipment usage and various other basics but also the up-skilling of the personnel currently working in the sector. From extracting rubber to moulding it into synthetic rubber and making it useful, it has to go through different processes. From latex processing to rubber moulding, this requires special skills.

Rubber, Chemical and Petrochemical Sector Skill Council (RCPSDC) has been constituted under the aegis of National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), in collaboration with All India Rubber Industries Association (AIRIA) and Automotive Tyre Manufacturers Association (ATMA), to identify and fulfil skill development needs in the Rubber sector. It has developed numerous credible Qualification Packs for skill development in this segment. Apart from ITIs, Diploma holder, Science graduate, and postgraduate, many qualification packs are designed for secondary and senior secondary passed youth. RCPSDC also offers apprenticeship opportunities, where trainees get floor experience and learn the work culture of the industry.

Production workers in the rubber industry generally need a high school education, physical strength, and an aptitude for mechanical work. Most workers get their training on the job. A few colleges and universities offer special programs designed to prepare technicians and engineers for careers in the rubber industry. Some of these are cooperative programs that combine classroom instruction with on-the-job training.

Getting the Career Option  

There are many opportunities to move ahead for workers with skills and experience. Those who start as helpers in jobs that require few special skills can advance to jobs operating complex machinery and supervising other workers. Other workers in the industry include managers, sales representatives, clerical personnel, technicians, and maintenance workers. In addition, chemists, chemical engineers, and mechanical engineers play an important role in designing and supervising the processes used to make rubber and rubber products. Many workers follow a single work pattern throughout the day and are under pressure to keep up with production schedules.

With the increasing number of automobiles and the growing use of rubber in various industries, the rubber sector is becoming a lucrative career option for students. Our country is expected to be the leading automobile hub of the world in a decade or two, and hence the demand for skilled people will be high.

Job Opportunities and Income

There are many rubber-based industries in the Southern part and they are facing a huge shortage of skilled people. For the skilled person, there are lots of opportunities in rubber industries, tyre industry, latex processing units, tyre re-treading industry, rubber moulding units, auto accessories companies, and some toy companies, where they can get a job. Apart from this, skilled candidates can also start their micro-enterprises with the help of banks.

However, the income depends on the academic degree, training, and skills of the candidate. Usually, trained people get a monthly income of 15-20 thousand rupees in the initial phase. Gradually this income increases with the experience and goes up to five lakh rupees annually.