The number of vocational students entering laboratory technology has fallen by 50% in ten years. At the same time, the demand for well-trained professionals is growing, and the field is undergoing radical changes due to automation and AI. An analyst increasingly resembles a process operator, but in-depth chemical and medical knowledge remains essential.
How do we ensure a better alignment between education and practice? And what role do companies, schools, and students play in this? In the magazine AnalyseVisie, Onno de Vreede, the HCA coordinator of ChemistryNL, explains how he connects education and the professional field and works on solutions. For example, he supports initiatives that positively promote chemistry programs to young people, consults with businesses and educational institutions to ensure that programs are optimally aligned with practical applications, and contributes to more research opportunities in vocational education.
