Job opportunities
The chemical industry
The chemical industry is Wallonia's biggest industrial sector with an annual turnover of 11.4 billion euros, representing 25% of total turnover for manufacturing in Wallonia as a whole. The chemical sector is the most significant sector in terms of exports, which are worth 6.1 billion euros, research and development expenditure amounting to 1.4 billion euros. The chemical industry is also the third largest employer in the Walloon region, employing approximately 25,700 people in 2013, or 20% of industrial employment in Wallonia. Many companies in the sector are on a human scale, with 87% of businesses employing fewer than 100 people. This represents around 30% of total employment in the sector.
A variety of career paths are possible: Research and Development (research fellow, laboratory technician, clinical testing manager, biotechnology researcher), production (production manager, formulator), analysis (quality control, environmental advisor, prevention advisor, quality management advisor), marketing (purchasing manager, product-marketing manager, medical sales representative, patents manager, communication manager).
The public sector
A large number of public sector workplaces count chemists among their staff. These include ISSEP (Scientific institute of public services), AFSCA (Federal agency for food chain security), CERVA (Centre for Veterinary and Agrochemical Studies and Research), ISP (Scientific Institute for Public Health), CEBEDEAU (Belgian Centre for the Study and Documentation of Water) and other entities linked to water quality monitoring, the Malvoz Institute and some scientific departments of the European Union.
Teaching
Teaching at the senior secondary and further (non-university) education levels.
Further information:
For careers in chemistry: www.metierschimie.be
The ULiège Chemistry Department: www.chimiefs.ulg.ac.be
The Chemistry portal in Belgium: www.essenscia.be