Career path: from certificate holder to work leader and site supervisor

The certificates you obtain in plastics, epoxy and asbestos are rarely the end goal in themselves. For most people, they are an addition to a trades background that opens up more specialized tasks — and for some, they become the springboard to greater responsibility on site.

§The certificates build on a professional background

The courses typically target people who already have a craft background — such as blacksmith, structural engineer, carpenter, plumber or other construction and installation trade — and who need to be able to solve a specific type of task legally. The certificate does not make you a demolition worker or welder from scratch; it gives you the right and routine to perform a specific, regulated task responsibly on top of what you already can.

§What certificates open up in terms of tasks

• 01Plastic welding competence opens up work with tank and pipe systems in chemical industry supply and drainage
• 02Epoxy/isocyanate training opens up floor coatings, adhesives, sealants and PUR foam tasks that others are not legally allowed to perform
• 03Asbestos training — and for the company the authorization — opens up remediation and demolition tasks in older buildings
• 04The combination of multiple certificates makes you versatile and can make you the one who is booked for the tasks others turn down

§The way towards crew chief and foreman

With experience and multiple certificates the path can go towards roles such as foreman or work leader where you not only execute the work yourself but have responsibility for the entire team's safety: that protective equipment is used correctly that shielding and ventilation are set up correctly and — with asbestos work — that notifications to authorities and the company's quality management system are followed. It requires that you not only can perform the task yourself but can also see when others are about to do something wrong.

§Demand driven by existing building stock.

Much of the demand for asbestos remediation and chemical-technical work is linked to the fact that much of the existing building stock was built while asbestos and reactive chemical products were used without the restrictions that apply today. As long as those buildings need to be renovated, demolished or maintained, there will be a need for people who can legally and safely handle the materials — this makes the specialization sustainable over time, not just a temporary niche.

§What employers emphasize

• 01The certificates being valid and refreshed according to the rules, not just taken once long ago
• 02Experience with planning the task, not just carrying it out.
• 03The ability to speak up and stop work when something is irresponsible
• 04Interest in taking more responsibility – for example by knowing the company's quality management system from the inside

“The certificate gives you the right to the task. What you do with the routine afterward determines whether you end up as an operator or as the one responsible for the team.”