ALPLA, an Austrian packaging and recycling company, is constructing a Learning & Development Hub in Iowa City to strengthen the training of skilled workers in the US.

The company has committed approximately €15m ($16m) to this initiative, which is expected to be operational by mid-2025.

The new facility will encompass workshops, offices, and training rooms, all designed to support a comprehensive apprenticeship programme.

This programme, a first for ALPLA in the US, is modelled after the successful dual system of practical and theoretical training that the company has already implemented in countries such as China, Mexico, India, Poland, and South Africa.

ALPLA regional managing director North America Tasos Pourloukakis said: "Highly trained and motivated specialists are key to our success. With this all-in-one concept, we are creating attractive apprenticeships for young people from the region and training facilities for our existing staff.”

In mid-2024, the first cohort of 12 mechatronics apprentices began their three-year training in Iowa. This will be followed by a plastics technology apprenticeship programme set to start in 2026.

ALPLA has partnered with Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids and the Industry Consortium for Advanced Technical Training to deliver these educational initiatives.

ALPLA's apprenticeship model, already established in its home market and Germany, is now being introduced to the US market.

Earlier this month, the company opened a state-of-the-art recycling plant on a 90,000m² site in Ballito, South Africa, with an investment of €60m.

ALPLA's recycling division will produce up to 35,000 tonnes of recycled polyethylene terephthalate annually at the site from 2025.

This material will then be transformed into safe, cost-effective, and sustainable plastic packaging at ALPLA’s Lanseria production plant, which opened in 2022.