Sector builds very first training centre for pharmaceuticals and biotech in Flanders with ViTalent

Specialised training to get started and stay in the pharmaceutical and biotech sector? From the beginning of 2022, students, job seekers and employees from the sector can contact ViTalent at the Science Park in Niel. This very first training centre for the life sciences is a first for Flanders. It sets out to be a […]
EU Biotech School & Health Hub: a flagship project for the international development of Belgian biotech and biopharma

Train more talent, support more start-ups and scale-ups, so that biotechnology and biopharmaceuticals, such a key sector for the economy, prosperity, and employment in Wallonia, develop internationally and are ready for the next generation of therapies and production processes. This is the ambitious goal of the EU Biotech School & Health Hub, a state-of-the-art training […]
WeteWaWerkt: new series of videos places young STEM talent in the spotlight

WeteWaWerkt: in this series of videos from Technopolis and the ‘Vlaamse Ondernemers’ (Flemish entrepreneurs) of which essenscia is part, eight young business employees from various sectors demonstrate what their jobs entail and explain which routes they took to end up working in a STEM profession. The aim is to inspire third grade secondary school pupils, […]
Educational first: chemical and pharmaceutical sector puts employees part-time in front of the classroom

Dual teaching is an innovative educational concept in which employees from chemical and pharmaceutical companies can teach temporarily and part-time in a secondary school. This brings practice closer to STEM education and at the same time tackles the shortage of specialist teachers. The pilot project was established in collaboration with the Flemish ministers of Education […]
Janssen and TotalEnergies commit to ToekomstATELIERdelAvenir (TADA)

The ToekomstATELIERdelAvenir in Brussels, or TADA, is an initiative to guide socially vulnerable young people towards a promising future. Every year at TADA, hundreds of teenagers from deprived neighbourhoods are taught on Saturdays by enthusiastic professionals who give an insight into their daily practice. Johnson & Johnson Benelux, the parent company of Janssen Pharmaceutica, and TotalEnergies are also involved. […]
Online game Circonopoly challenges young people to think about plastics in a circular economy

The circular economy is a hot-topic right now but what is it all about? And how can young people focus on this area? PlastIQ, the training organisation for the plastics sector, POM West-Flanders and COBOT, the training centre for the textiles sector, decided to develop the educational game Circonopoly which can be used by students […]
That’s amazing! (Da’s geniaal!) Businesses launch STEM challenges for youngsters

The ‘D’as Geniaal’ initiative challenges young people from the age of 10 to work through STEM tasks. Well-known TikTokkers and YouTubers demonstrate interesting trials, together with young STEM heroes from relevant companies, including BASF, Deceuninck, ExxonMobil, Johnson & Johnson and Total. Their goal? To generate enthusiasm among young people for science, technical sectors and technology […]
FormuleDuaal: new website pools everything about dual learning in the sector in one place

Learning in the classroom and on the work floor. That is the essence of dual learning. The chemicals, plastics and life sciences sectors have been pioneers in this type of practical education for the future for many years. All the information about the various learning methods and numerous options for dual learning in the sector […]
New SIRA course speeds up process operator training of young job-seekers

The demand for well-trained staff remains high in the chemical sector. In order to help in this area, the Antwerp non-profit organisation SIRA has organised extra training opportunities for less well qualified young job-seekers. With the new, compact training course, they can acquire all the knowledge and skills they need to work as process operators […]
STEMfluencers and entrepreneurs from the chemicals and life sciences industry inspire young people to take up STEM courses and professions

essenscia and Vlajo (Flemish Young Entrepreneurs) have joined forces as part of STEMfluencers, a new project to attract more boys and girls to a fantastic future in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics). From academic year 2021-2022, young people from the sector provide guest lessons in the first level of secondary school in order to […]