Almost 7 tons of state money for FoodLab Limburg

FoodLab Limburg receives a subsidy from the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science. The financial contribution of nearly seven tons will be used to bring learning and working in practice in the food and hospitality sector closer together. There is a great demand for sufficient and well-trained personnel in the hospitality and leisure sector in Limburg. The training courses cannot meet this demand now. With innovation in education, Arcus and Gilde Opleidingen can offer more vocational training, which will benefit both students and companies.

Learning in practice

Some 60 Limburg companies from the hospitality industry are working together with education under the name FoodLab Limburg to make the sector future-proof. The leisure industry is developing rapidly and changing consumer needs and tightness in the labor market require an innovative approach. FoodLab Limburg aims to have students from food and hospitality courses do part of their training at Limburg's hospitality and leisure companies. Students are supervised on the work floor by teachers and masters from the companies.

Up-to-date education

Minister Van Engelshoven of Education, Culture and Science (OCW) is pleased with the cooperation: "To better prepare students for their future, it is necessary that courses are up-to-date. It is therefore great to see that MBO schools and companies are investing together to improve the connection between the two even further."

Bringing learning to the student

Depending on the course and learning route, a student works 2 to 4 days a week in the company to gain practical knowledge. The remaining days are spent on technical and theoretical support. Gilde Opleidingen and Arcus College make teachers available at various locations in the province for technical and theoretical support. The aim is to have 8 learning communities, spread throughout the province, where students can follow their training. The companies in the learning communities have a lot of contact with each other, which facilitates the exchange of knowledge and students. Through this way of learning, in which practice and theory are integrated, students are well prepared for their profession. After all, they learn directly in the professional environment. This is how we bring learning to the student!

For a future-proof food and leisure sector

In May of last year, entrepreneurs invested over € 900,000 in FoodLab Limburg in the form of facilities and staff time to provide new forms of education. Education and the Province of Limburg jointly invested the same amount to enable more inspiring, practice-oriented and personalized education. For the public-private partnership (PPS) in vocational education, the Regional Investment Fund mbo has now made almost 7 tons of subsidy available.
Deputy member Eric Geurts (Tourism) is pleased with the contribution: "Thanks to this contribution we are taking another step towards a future-proof food and leisure sector!"