HELIS (HEalth and LIfe Sciences) Academy

News

July 16, 2018

The cross-border project HELIS Academy is launched to optimize the Life Sciences & Health (LSH) cluster in the Netherlands and Flanders.

(This project is financed by the European Fund for Regional Development. This project is co-financed by the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy and the Province of South Holland).
Increasing the industry readiness level

The main purpose of the project is to bridge the gap between the skills and knowledge of graduate students and the required competences in life sciences jobs. The project focusses on the development and alignment of teaching programs to increase the industry readiness level of the profiles required. This project is financed by the European fund for Regional Development and co-financed by the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy.
 

Programs for a better labor market entrance

In the HELIS Academy, partners from academia and industry will work closely together to assess the teaching and training needs of health and life sciences companies in the region. Following the assessment, the project will provide six tailor-made programs to help postgraduates enter the labor market with the required knowledge and competences in specific LSH domains. Following the completion of the three-year project, it is expected that each year 160 students will be able to participate in teaching programs from the HELIS Academy.

The HELIS programs will cover the following topics:

  • Data Analysis & Stewardship
  • Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) - first course scheduled in November 2018
  • Business Development
  • Product & Process Design
  • Technology & Life Sciences
  • Evidence Based Testing
     

Orientation with screening instruments

Students are often unaware of the diverse possibilities for jobs in the life sciences. Therefore there is a need for new screening instruments that will enable students to map their own competencies and see which ones they need for a particular job. Furthermore these tools will enable companies to optimize their screening policy for the skills of their current staff.
 

A sustainable HELIS Academy

By bringing together cluster organizations, knowledge & research institutions, industry and government, the HELIS Academy will be able to provide a solution for the current skill gap that students face when transitioning to the labor market. This will be done by creating an efficient and sustainable training program.

The Top Sector LSH is part of the driving force of the HELIS Academy.