In September a juice factory will open in Ede, run by students of VMBO, MBO and HBO. It will be a work/learn initiative, but the factory will be run as a regular company.

The work and learn method of the factory could be the answer for the shortage of educated employees in the food sector which will appear in 5 to 10 years. Initiator Henk Maas, of education bureau EMC “Leren in Bedrijf”: “ It is a reaction to the fact that every year about 65.000 students drop out of a MBO education, because the education often does not fit the needs of the students. The education is often to theoretically.”

At the moment the factory is empty, however a group of students is already busy with construction drawings and the production line. In September the first juice will be produced here. ROC A12, the government and companies as Friesland Foods, Campina and Heinz supported the project financially. At the learn factory about 100 students will get practical experience. They will be intensively guided by work masters. About 30 students will have a technical background, the others work at administration, marketing, logistics and sales.

About 30 MBO students have set up a marketing plan together with the marketing director of Friesland Foods. The receipt of the juice will be developed in the laboratory of Campina.