What our Trainees have to say about our training courses

‘All the courses in First polymer have been excellent.  Everyone is really helpful and I know my colleagues feel the same way – we’ve no hesitation in recommending your courses’.
‘I enjoyed the informal approach and the small group.  The practical demonstrations of extrusion, injection moulding and thermoforming were really helpful, as well as the visit to the lab in AIT’. (Plastics Materials & Processing for Medical Devices, October 2017)

This Mould Design course was a revelation, I have been using every opportunity to use the information I gained since I got back to my company. Such an interesting subject! (Mould Design course October 2017)

‘I have been involved with First Polymer Training Skillnet since the start and it has been one of the most fulfilling and rewarding ventures I have been involved with.  It supported the Polymer Industry at all levels and particularly at providing essential training and education at a time when the industry really needed it and still needs it.  FPT is very responsive to the training needs of the industry and very supportive to ensure delivery to the standard required.  In particular, FPT has been innovative in the methods of delivery in an ever-changing environment while still managing to deliver affordable and accessible courses.’ (Pat Whyte – CEO Irish Micro Mouldings)

” I had big hopes for this course, I had so many questions, this course has answered all my questions and exceeded my hopes. It is unbelievable how much I feel this will improve my skills. FPT really is a great training facility and the course and the trainer Steve was brilliant.”  (Injection Moulding Module 2 Trainee)

‘First Polymer Training Skillnet is a critical pillar of our sector – providing relevant, practical training in the areas of expertise in which we need to focus. Their helpful, can-do attitude is a fantastic support for us and our staff. The training they provide is always well organised, superbly delivered and in line with requirements’. Andrea Cawley, Automatic Plastics

I needed to get started with Siemens and this course was perfect for it.  This is a great course. It came just at the right time for me; I am finishing up working with my present company and  I feel the course has prepared me perfectly for a new position. It is great to have completed this course. I can’t praise Des Foley the trainer enough; he really tried to make sure we got the most from this course. ( Siemens PLCs September 2017)

The course is well laid out and very relevant to current moulding practices. Seems to pretty much cover every aspect of the moulding process as well as good shop practices. (Injection Moulding Module 2, September 2017 )

I enjoyed the training course overall. Peter is also a fountain of information and I found his use of real-world applications insightful. ( Mould Design Course October 2017)

I have been working in the plastics industry for a number of years now and I decided it would be a good idea to do the Level 6 Cert in Polymer Technology, for both the knowledge I would gain and in this industry it is always important to have further education on your CV for prospective employers. I found the course itself very interesting, especially the plastics material selection lectures. It is no doubt challenging when working full time, but it is structured very much with the student’s work and social life in mind and the benefits certainly outweigh the challenges. After I completed the course I was working as a process technician in a large contract moulding company. It was a very high paced work environment that required you to use all of your knowledge and skills. It was in this job that I couldn’t believe how much of what I had learned actually came into play in the real world. From using what I had learned on the CIM and Automation section of the course to set up 3 axis robots and plumb up an end of arm tooling, to the knowledge I gained in polymers themselves. In a contract moulding shop, you use hundreds of different types of materials and it is here where you see how important it is to know the characteristics of each material, what temperature it should run at and issues you may encounter while processing it. I have used the knowledge I have gained every day of my working life and I would strongly recommend anyone working in the plastics industry to do this course. ( Student L6 Cert in Polymer. August 2017).

I attended a specialist tailored course designed by Steve in conjunction with our company to address some in-house issues. The course was for  2 days and it dealt with a number of very specific issues. I think most who took the course would have found it very challenging however the backup material is a useful reference also. I think a maximum group of 3 people – ideally 2 people for the practical side should be considered for this course. Steve was on top form by the way and it was good to have him back again. (John McLoughlin, Process Engineer / Supervisor, Litec Moulding Ltd, 2017).

I attended a Statistical Process Control (SPC) Course at First Polymer, I found the benefit of this course for me was not only the explanation of what a control chart was and how best to identify appropriate use, implementation and control measures but also what it was not and common mistakes that could be made in its usage. The examples and discussion on how delegates could best use SPC in their working environments, the measurements that should be monitored to keep a process in control and effective methodologies for testing from the trainers experience added greatly to the scope for practical implementation within the workplace. I would be happy to recommend this course to anyone. (SPC, May 2017).

I must say I was very impressed with course last week and the content of it was very good. It relates to a lot of what we do here and it gives me the science behind what I had been trying to do before. I would definitely recommend the course to other people, I think the course should take the five days as there is a lot to cover but other than that it was brilliant.(Injection Moulding Module 4 February 2017)

” I had big hopes for this course, I had so many questions, this course has answered all my questions and exceeded my hopes. It is unbelievable how much I feel this will improve my skills. FPT really is a great training facility and the course and Steve were brilliant.”  (IM2 Oct 2016)

With the training, I received from First Polymer I got to choose a new career path in the Medical Device industry. The advice and support I received from them was incredible. Overall it was a great experience for me and I am delighted to be associated with First Polymer who are the leading professionals in the training industry’ ( July 2016).

” I can truly say that I can credit FPT with all my success over the last few years. Excellent courses to suit my needs. Thanks again guys” Philip Cribbin – Process technician at Boston Scientific. ( August 2016)

Having been out of the mainstream workplace for a number of years it is always fairly daunting going back. First Polymer Training, however, we’re just the boost I needed. Not only were their courses so informative, relevant and professional in their delivery but the staff involved were so supportive and encouraging in every aspect. So much so that just six weeks after completing the Lean Six Sigma Green Belt course I am now in a full-time position as a Quality Engineer. I can’t thank them enough for all their help.  (2016)

I signed up for some polymer courses in 2014 after seeing an advertisement in a local paper. I was a self-employed builder with 25 years experience with little income during the recession years. Going back to school was really difficult at the start because I had never sat any state exams beyond Group Certificate. My original application was received with encouragement from First Polymer Training Skillnet. Support was always to hand from First Polymer  Training and IT Sligo to guide me through the process and get to grips with online learning. The teaching was done with enthusiasm and at a pace, I was able for. I passed the Level 6 Certificate in Polymer Technology in 2015 and passed the Level 7 Certificate in Polymer Processing in the summer of 2016. I start my degree in September 2016 and never thought that I would get this far. I have a lot more local job opportunities now than 2 years ago.

“An Excellent course, very worthwhile for anyone working in the plastics industry. Delivered by a tutor with outstanding knowledge of polymers and with the industrial experience to match it”. – Plastics Material Selection 

“I did Injection Moulding Modules  1,2,3 courses with Stephen O’Leary (First Polymer Training). The tutor was a brilliant instructor.”

A Big thanks to Catherine and Steve for the opportunity to attend Injection Moulding Module 1 and Module 2. The course was very well designed and Steve delivers the programme at a high standard.Also, after completing the modules Catherine and Steve were able to recommend me, which helped me to get a job in a few months’ time in the Polymer Industry.I would highly recommend the First Polymer Training to anyone willing to progress in the Polymer Field.  (August 2016) – Jobseeker

“I really enjoyed the course Stephen really made us feel welcome and everything and everything was there whenever we needed it, so thanks very much for everything, hopefully, it won’t be too long before I see you again for the module 3 course”.IM2

“The course was very well presented with lots of time for Q&A sessions and debate “(SMED)

“Well-structured and presented, very good mixture of practical and theory” (Design of Experiments)

“Very practical examples provided, easy to understand and implement” ( Product and Process Validation)

“Very good course, quite a lot of material covered” (Maintenance Electrical)

Very informative and well planned (Maintenance Electrical)

I would like to say a huge thank you to the First Polymer Training Team for their support, assistance, and guidance while I attended my Injection Moulding and Manufacturing for Jobseekers course. The training provided me with a great opportunity to obtain a full-time position in employment of which I will always be grateful. I would encourage other candidates to attend and participate in their future courses. Thanks again.(2015 Jobseeker)

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the First Polymer team for all the help and support, both financially and academically, over the past couple of years as this played a vital part of my securing permanent employment in the injection moulding industry (July 2015)