About First Polymer Training Skillnet
The polymer technology industry is the backbone of Irish manufacturing, with world-class processors, suppliers and service providers employing nearly 7,000 people across 230 businesses and generating €1.62 billion in exports each year.
Polymer Technology Ireland Strategy 2020
First Polymer Training (FPT) Skillnet was established in 1999 to ensure this vital sector had the skills and expertise needed to thrive. At the time, a gap had emerged in specialist injection moulding training following the closure of Plastics Training and Consultancy. Recognising the risk this posed to competitiveness, Ibec’s Polymer Technology Ireland stepped forward and successfully applied for Skillnet Ireland funding to create a network dedicated to the polymer industry. FPT Skillnet was one of the very first Skillnet networks in the country and more than two decades later, it remains one of only three of those early pioneers still in operation.
From the outset, FPT Skillnet was designed as an industry led initiative: a collaboration between business and Skillnet Ireland to deliver technical training shaped by the sector’s real world needs. Based in Athlone, long regarded as the heart of polymer education in Ireland, the network quickly grew into a national centre of excellence. Today, our state of the art training facility features the latest processing equipment and technologies, enabling us to offer a comprehensive range of programmes including injection moulding, extrusion, thermoforming, blow moulding, robotics, automation, sustainability, and more.
Over the years, FPT Skillnet has expanded its offering to include over 20 QQI accredited programmes from Level 5 right through to Level 10, as well as part-time degrees in partnership with the Technological University of the Shannon (TUS) and Atlantic Technological University (ATU). Training is delivered in Athlone, online, or directly within companies and always tailored to the specific needs of industry.
Guided by Ibec and a voluntary Steering Group of key industry leaders, FPT Skillnet continues to stay true to its mission which is to provide world-class, practical training that supports the growth, innovation, and competitiveness of Ireland’s polymer industry.
Opening Hours
Our office is open from 9:15am to 5:00pm Monday - Friday.