Chemical and related process operatives

Average National Salaries (2020)

What does this career do?

Job holders in this unit group operate plant and machinery in the processing of chemical and related materials by chemical, heat or other treatment, manufacture synthetic materials and bleach, dye or otherwise treat textiles, and treat hides, skins and pelts for making into fur, leather and skin products.

Typical tasks

• loads prescribed quantities of ingredients into plant equipment, starts operational cycle, monitors instruments and gauges indicating conditions affecting the operation of the plant and adjusts controls as necessary
• prepares dye, bleaching, water repellent, fixing salt and other chemical solutions to finish and treat textiles
• regulates input of polymer into melting unit, extrudes polymer, gathers extruded filaments and feeds strands through rolling, cutting and treatment units to produce synthetic fibre
• operates kilns, furnaces and ovens to produce charcoal, coke and other carbon products
• operates machines to coat film and tape with sensitising material and otherwise impregnate materials by immersion, split and mould mica and produce asbestos pipes and sheets
• cuts and trims skins, hides and pelts, removes wool, hair, flesh and other waste material, and washes, limes, tans, dyes and otherwise treats hides for making into leather, skin and fur products
• withdraws samples for quality control testing, removes and regulates discharge of batch material upon completion of processing.

Current entry requirements

There are no formal academic entry requirements, although some employers require entrants to possess GCSEs/S grades. Training is typically received on-the-job, supplemented by specialised training courses. NVQs/SVQs in Process Operations are available at Levels 1, 2 and 3.

Percentage in work

• Employed

• Unemployed

Due to insufficient sample sizes, some data was excised.

Predicted employment status in 2022

• Full-time

• Part-time

• Self Employed

Predicted employment levels in the East Midlands

Career related courses available at West Notts

• Chemistry A Level - Level 3

About the statistics

Data is powered by LMI for All and is sourced from labour market statistics from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the Institute for Employment Research, the Department for Works and Pensions, and the UK Commission for Employment and Skills.