Rubber Production Machine Operators

ANZSCO ID 711516

Overview

Snapshot

Employed
1,500
Future Growth
N/A
Weekly Earnings
N/A
Full-Time Share
93%
Female Share
3%
Average age
39

Summary

Rubber Production Machine Operators operate machines to manufacture rubber products, such as tyres.

Specialisations: Rubber Belt Splicer, Rubber Compounder, Rubber Extrusion Machine Operator, Rubber Knitting and Reinforcing Machine Operator, Rubber Moulding Machine Operator, Rubber Roller Grinder Operator, Tyre Builder, Tyre Retreader.

Formal qualifications are not essential to work as a Rubber Production Machine Operator. Although some workers have a certificate II or III in polymer processing.

Tasks

  • Operates controls to regulate temperature, pressure, speed and flow of operation.

  • Measures and loads materials, items and ingredients for mixing into machines and feeding mechanisms.

  • Monitors operation, regulates material supply and adds chemicals and colorants to mixture.

  • Lays casings, beads, ply and rubber sheets on moulds.

  • Operates rollers to remove air.

  • Operates vulcaniser presses and controls curing.

  • Examines output for defects and conformity to specifications.

  • Performs minor repairs and maintains production records.


Outlook

Employment Outlook

JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. Employment projections data are only produced for occupations at the broad four digit Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) level. While data are not available for this occupation, projections data are available for the parent occupation, Plastics and Rubber Production Machine Operators, under the outlook section.


Earnings and hours

Working arrangements

  • Around 93% of people employed as Rubber Production Machine Operators work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 27 percentage points above the all jobs average (66%).

    Full-time workers work an average of 48 hours per week in their main job. This is 4 hours more than the all jobs average (44 hours per week).

    Sources:Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average.


Industries

Main industries

1
Manufacturing
35.1%
2
Mining
24.1%
3
Other Services
10.5%
4
Wholesale Trade
8.9%
5
Other industries
9.0%

Regions

Employment across Australia

NSW

26.0% All occupations: 31.6%

VIC

19.5% All occupations: 25.6%

QLD

20.3% All occupations: 20.0%

SA

5.3% All occupations: 7.0%

WA

26.8% All occupations: 10.8%

TAS

1.5% All occupations: 2.0%

NT

0.8% All occupations: 1.0%

ACT

0.0% All occupations: 1.9%

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State Rubber Production Machine Operators All Jobs Average
NSW 26.0 31.6
VIC 19.5 25.6
QLD 20.3 20.0
SA 5.3 7.0
WA 26.8 10.8
TAS 1.5 2.0
NT 0.8 1.0
ACT 0.0 1.9



Worker profile

Age and gender

Age In Years
39
All Jobs Average is 40
Female Share
3%
All Jobs Average is 48%
  • The median age of Rubber Production Machine Operators is 39 years. This is similar to the all jobs average of 40 years.

    A large share of workers are aged 25 to 34 years.

    Females make up 3% of the workforce. This is 45 percentage points below the all jobs average of 48%.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.

Age Profile (% Share)

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Bracket Rubber Production Machine Operators All Jobs Average
15-19 1.3 5.0
20-24 7.4 9.3
25-34 28.6 22.9
35-44 25.5 22.0
45-54 20.9 21.6
55-59 7.6 9.0
60-64 6.8 6.0
65 and Over 2.0 4.2
Median Age 39 40

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.


Employment Pathways

Education, training and experience

Formal qualifications are not essential to work as a Rubber Production Machine Operator. Although some workers have a certificate II or III in polymer processing.

Visit

  • My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
  • AAPathways website to explore Plastics, Rubber & Cablemaking VET training pathways.

Highest Level of Education (% Share)

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Type of Qualification Rubber Production Machine Operators All Jobs Average
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 0.2 10.1
Bachelor degree 2.2 21.8
Advanced Diploma/Diploma 4.8 11.6
Certificate III/IV 35.8 21.1
Year 12 20.5 18.1
Year 11 8.6 4.8
Year 10 and below 27.9 12.5

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.


Skills and Knowledge

Employers look for Plastics and Rubber Production Machine Operators who are hardworking, can work well with others and are reliable.

Skills

Skills can be improved through training or experience.

  • 50%

    Operation monitoring

    Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

  • 46%

    Operation and control

    Controlling equipment or systems.

  • 39%

    Monitoring

    Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.

  • 37%

    Active listening

    Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

  • 37%

    Time management

    Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.

  • 36%

    Critical thinking

    Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

  • 34%

    Judgment and decision making

    Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.

  • 34%

    Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • 34%

    Reading comprehension

    Reading work related information.

  • 30%

    Coordination with others

    Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.

  • 30%

    Quality control analysis

    Doing tests and checking products, services, or processes to make sure they are working properly.

  • 29%

    Complex problem solving

    Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

  • 29%

    Social perceptiveness

    Understanding why people react the way they do.

  • 27%

    Troubleshooting

    Figuring out why a machine or system went wrong and working out what to do about it.

  • 27%

    Active learning

    Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.

  • 27%

    Instructing

    Teaching people how to do something.

  • 25%

    Management of personnel resources

    Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.

  • 25%

    Serving others

    Looking for ways to help people.

  • 25%

    Writing

    Writing things for co-workers or customers.

  • 23%

    Learning strategies

    Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.


Knowledge

These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.

  • 61%

    Production and processing

    Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.

  • 51%

    Public safety and security

    Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.

  • 47%

    Administration and management

    Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.

  • 44%

    Education and training

    Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

  • 39%

    Mathematics

    Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.

  • 37%

    Customer and personal service

    Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.

  • 35%

    English language

    English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

  • 33%

    Mechanical

    Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

  • 30%

    Computers and electronics

    Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

  • 29%

    Chemistry

    Chemical composition, structure, and properties. How chemicals are made, used, mixed, and can change.

  • 26%

    Engineering and technology

    Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.

  • 26%

    Physics

    The physical laws of matter, motion and energy, and how they interact through space and time.

  • 25%

    Building and construction

    Materials, and methods used to construct or repair houses, buildings, or other structures like highways and roads.

  • 21%

    Psychology

    Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.

  • 16%

    Personnel and human resources

    Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.

  • 15%

    Telecommunications

    Transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

  • 12%

    Technical design

    Design techniques, tools, and principles used to make detailed technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

  • 12%

    Clerical

    Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.

  • 11%

    Sales and marketing

    Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

  • 8%

    Transportation

    Moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road.


Abilities

Workers use these physical and mental abilities..

  • 52%

    Multilimb coordination

    Use your arms and/or legs at the same time while sitting, standing, or lying down.

  • 52%

    Control precision

    Quickly change the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.

  • 52%

    Extent flexibility

    Bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.

  • 52%

    Reaction time

    Quickly move your hand, finger, or foot when a sound, light, picture or something else appears.

  • 52%

    Auditory attention

    Pay attention to a certain sound when there are other distracting sounds.

  • 50%

    Manual dexterity

    Quickly move your hand to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.

  • 48%

    Static strength

    Lift, push, pull, or carry things.

  • 48%

    Trunk strength

    Use your abdominal and lower back muscles a number of times without 'giving out' or fatiguing.

  • 48%

    Selective attention

    Pay attention to something without being distracted.

  • 46%

    Arm-hand steadiness

    Keep your hand or arm steady.

  • 45%

    Rate control

    Change when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.

  • 45%

    Finger dexterity

    Put together small parts with your fingers.

  • 43%

    Near vision

    See details that are up-close (within a few feet).

  • 43%

    Oral comprehension

    Listen to and understand what people say.

  • 41%

    Oral expression

    Communicate by speaking.

  • 39%

    Deductive reasoning

    Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.

  • 39%

    Problem spotting

    Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.

  • 38%

    Inductive reasoning

    Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.

  • 36%

    Speech recognition

    Identify and understand the speech of another person.

  • 34%

    Speech clarity

    Speak clearly so others can understand you.


Activities

These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.

  • 93%

    Handling and moving objects

    Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, moving and manipulating objects.

  • 86%

    Controlling equipment or machines

    Operating machines or processes either directly or using controls (not including computers or vehicles).

  • 75%

    Doing physically active work

    Use your arms, legs and whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling objects.

  • 74%

    Looking for changes over time

    Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.

  • 65%

    Monitoring people, processes and things

    Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.

  • 62%

    Checking for errors or defects

    Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials for errors, problems or defects.

  • 62%

    Communicating within a team

    Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 57%

    Collecting and organising information

    Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.

  • 55%

    Keeping your knowledge up-to-date

    Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.

  • 52%

    Researching and investigating

    Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

  • 50%

    Training and teaching others

    Understanding the needs of others, developing training programs, and teaching or instructing.

  • 46%

    Assessing and evaluating things

    Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.

  • 45%

    Checking compliance with standards

    Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.

  • 43%

    Making decisions and solving problems

    Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.

  • 42%

    Guiding and directing staff

    Guiding and directing staff, including setting and monitoring performance standards.

  • 42%

    Giving expert advice

    Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups.

  • 35%

    Leading and encouraging a team

    Encouraging and building trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.

  • 32%

    Working with computers

    Using computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.

  • 27%

    Estimating amounts, costs and resources

    Working out sizes, distances, amounts, time, costs, resources, or materials needed for a task.

  • 21%

    Driving vehicles or equipment

    Running, manoeuvring, navigating, or driving things like forklifts, vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.


Interests and demands

Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.

Interests

Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.

  • 100%

    Practical

    Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

  • 62%

    Administrative

    Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.

  • 43%

    Analytical

    Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.

  • 24%

    Enterprising

    Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.

  • 19%

    Creative

    Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.

  • 14%

    Helping

    Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.


Values

Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
  • 67%

    Support

    Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.

  • 57%

    Relationships

    Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.

  • 48%

    Independence

    Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.

  • 45%

    Working conditions

    Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.

  • 33%

    Achievement

    Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

  • 33%

    Recognition

    Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.


Demands

The physical and social demands that workers face most often are shown below:
  • 99%

    Loud or uncomfortable sounds

    Be exposed to noises and sounds that are distracting or uncomfortable.

  • 99%

    Spend time standing

    Spend time standing at work.

  • 98%

    Using your hands to handle, control, or feel

    Spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls.

  • 97%

    Making repetitive motions

    Spend time making repetitive motions.

  • 97%

    Wear common protective or safety equipment

    Wear equipment like safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets.

  • 95%

    Time pressure

    Work to strict deadlines.

  • 95%

    Minor burns, cuts, bites, or stings

    Be exposed to minor burns, cuts, bites, or stings.

  • 93%

    Pace of work set by equipment

    Pace of work depends on the speed of equipment or machinery.

  • 91%

    Bending or twisting your body

    Spend time bending or twisting your body.

  • 91%

    Being exact or accurate

    Be very exact or highly accurate.

  • 89%

    Walking and running

    Spend time walking and running.

  • 88%

    Exposure to contaminants

    Be exposed to pollutants, gases, dust or odours.

  • 88%

    Dangerous equipment

    Work near dangerous equipment like saws, machinery with open moving parts, or moving traffic.

  • 87%

    Repeating same tasks

    Repeat the same tasks or activities (e.g., key entry) over and over, without stopping.

  • 86%

    Frequent decision making

    Frequently make decisions that impact other people.

  • 83%

    Indoors, heat controlled

    Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.

  • 76%

    Bright or inadequate lighting

    Work in extremely bright or dark lighting conditions.

  • 75%

    Dangerous conditions

    Work near dangers like high voltage electricity, flammable material, explosives or chemicals.

  • 73%

    Contact with people

    Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.

  • 72%

    Impact of decisions

    Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.

Occupational Information Network
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 51-9197.00 - Tire Builders.


Links and downloads

Back to top