With special offers for school pupils, students and young professionals, K 2025 in Düsseldorf is putting the spotlight on the next generation of skilled workers. Under the title ‘Young Talents’, numerous formats will be presented that offer guidance in choosing a career and provide insights into the diverse career paths in the plastics industry.
Guidance and exchange for young talent
The Young Talents initiative is aimed at young people who are interested in training or studying in the field of plastics and rubber technology. The industry offers attractive future prospects – from circular economy and climate protection to high-tech solutions in medicine and mobility. At K in Düsseldorf, from 8 to 15 October 2025, young people and students will receive information on training courses, study opportunities and career prospects.
Podcast on the plastics industry
A new offering has already been launched ahead of the trade fair: in the podcast ‘A look behind the scenes – young talents in the plastics industry’, four trainees and students provide exciting insights into their everyday working lives. They talk about their experiences, challenges and opportunities and show how diverse and future-oriented the industry is.
The protagonists, Jacob, Jacqueline, Johanna and Mathias, are also the ones who will be conducting the Young Talents Tour at the trade fair.
Young Talents Tour
A highlight of the trade fair is the Young Talents Tour, during which the four young professionals will guide visitors through various stations on Sunday, 12 October, and present their personal training and study paths. Stops on the tour include the GKV’s Young Talents Lounge and the exhibition stands of the training companies themselves: Arburg, Erema, Covestro and SIMONA. Participation in the tour is free of charge and no advance registration is required. The tours will be conducted in German and will start at the gkv (Hall 8a Stand F11-01).
Young Talents Lounge
At K 2025, the Gesamtverband Kunststoffverarbeitende Industrie (GKV) is sending a clear signal about training, study and career prospects in plastics processing. As the responsible sponsor of the official special format ‘Young Talents Lounge’, the association is focusing specifically on the topic of promoting young talent. Visitors can experience plastics processing interactively, for example with an obstacle course, VR applications or a mini injection molding machine. The association will also be presenting innovative courses of study and providing inspiration for promoting young talent. A special event will be the gathering of the winners of the Günter Schwank Prize as part of the ‘Club of the Best’. The award honors the best graduates in plastics technology each year.
Young talent in mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering also offers young talent a platform at the trade fair: in the VDMA pavilion, which is part of ‘The Power of Plastics!’ Forum, trainees, students and young professionals organize the daily ‘Young Talents Time’ (9 to 14 October, at 11 a.m. each day). Here, ideas for the future of the plastics industry are discussed. In addition, the VDMA also specifically promotes young women in mechanical engineering with initiatives such as EnSHEneer.
Career Sunday
At Plastics Europe Germany, K Sunday is all about young talent. In the official special show ‘Plastics Shape the Future’, Plastics Europe offers a varied program that addresses issues relating to training, recruiting and career opportunities. This includes a panel on recruiting skilled workers, various expert talks on topics such as ‘Recruiting by Gaming’ and ‘Recruiting by Diversity’, a recruiting stand-up and interactive formats such as ‘HR Bullshit Bingo’. A Science & Poetry Slam rounds off the program.
Free admission for young people on 12 October
K Sunday is all about young people, which is why school pupils, trainees and students can visit the trade fair free of charge on this day. Proof of eligibility in the form of a pupil or student ID card is required at the Information on tickets | K 2025.
K 2025 will be open daily from 10:00 am to 6:30 pm from Wednesday, 8 October to Wednesday, 15 October 2025.
K was first organised by Messe Düsseldorf in 1952 and takes place every three years. The last K in 2022 attracted 3,020 exhibitors from 59 countries to over 177,000 sqm of net exhibition space and 177,486 trade visitors, 71% of whom came from abroad. Around 3,200 exhibitors from 66 nations will be taking part in K 2025.
