Natural scientists sought after on the labor market
We need to hire more natural scientists! That was the message from the employers who came to the faculty's labor market day in Aula Magna on February 8.
More than 40 employers participated in this year's labor market day for biologists, geoscientists and chemists. They filled the gallery in the Aula Magna with screens and computers to inform about their activities, but above all they were there to talk to our students.
How many students showed up is hard to say, but the 400 lunch sandwiches ran out in the first hour between twelve and one. Then it was actually so crowded that it was difficult to get through the gallery. But right up until four o'clock, when the exhibitors packed up, there were plenty of visitors. Some of the faculty's study counselors were also present throughout the day. At Campus Albano, the corresponding event for physicists and mathematicians was arranged and it was also very well attended.
That natural scientists are in demand on the labor market was clear during the day. All the employers who participated emphasized that they need to hire more natural scientists. Many of them can also offer summer jobs, internships and degree work. According to the union Naturvetarna, the unemployment figures for natural scientists are lower than in many years.
To find out more, we interviewed some of those who are happy to hire biologists.
Anna Oljons, HR consultant at the Environmental Administration in the City of Stockholm
The Environmental Administration is the authority responsible for the environment in the city of Stockholm, both outdoors and indoors. It is a large area of responsibility, to say the least, you work with everything from traffic noise and biological diversity to water issues, chemicals, air quality and hygiene.
The environmental administration in the city of Stockholm is the largest in the country with 260 employees. Almost all are academics and the majority are natural scientists. Supervision and monitoring are the environmental administration's main tasks, but the business is growing and new tasks are being added.
Anna gives some examples of current issues. Sorting and collecting food waste is not in itself completely new, but on January 1 this year it became mandatory in Stockholm. Energy and climate work is becoming increasingly important and focuses on green cars, more efficient energy use and reduced emissions of greenhouse gases. Other topical areas are noise and air quality in preschools and schools as well as everyday chemicals and microplastics. Much of the work on these issues involves information and advice, on websites and as targeted campaigns.
As the main task is supervision and monitoring, environmental and health protection inspectors make up a large part of the employees. But many other natural scientists are also needed, including biologists and ecologists, says Anna.
Why should you work at the Environmental Administration in the City of Stockholm? Anna emphasizes that it provides a concrete opportunity to influence the city and its environment, interesting work tasks among colleagues with broad expert knowledge and wide flexibility frameworks. In addition, she finds it exciting to work in a politically controlled organization.
Annica Widén Gewers, HR manager for the Swedish operations in the pharmaceutical company Octapharma
Octapharma is a Swedish family company with approximately 11,000 employees worldwide. In Stockholm, a thousand of them work in the production operations located in Hornsberg on Kungsholmen and in the logistics center in Arlandastad.
The company manufactures around twenty medicines, all of which are produced from human blood plasma. The drugs are used in emergency and intensive care as well as for the treatment of hemophilia and diseases of the immune system.
Currently, the business is expanding strongly. Annica says that 130 new positions are expected this year alone. In addition, around a hundred new employees are needed to replace those who move on to other jobs. Summer workers are also interesting.
The quality unit has over 200 employees and that is where the natural scientists are needed. For many of the jobs, a bachelor's degree is enough, but for other jobs a master's degree in microbiology or other "white biology" is needed.
Why should you work at Octapharma? To help save lives, of course, says Annica. But also for the advantages that exist with a company that is both international and familiar, that is, so to speak, both large and small. They also offer good opportunities for skills development and a range of different benefits.
Helena, forensics officer at the Police
Working at the Police - could it be something for a biologist? Absolutely, says Helena, who herself has a PhD in microbiology and now works at the National Forensic Center (NFC). NFC is a department within the Police and carries out forensic investigations in criminal investigations. This may, for example, involve analyzing fingerprints, shoe prints, drugs, blood or DNA.
NFC has a total of around 600 employees and is located in many places in the country. In Stockholm, NFC is located in the Police House on Kungsholmen and about 60 people work there. The business is growing all the time and there are many positions coming out this year!
When asked which people they want to hire, Helena answers "good people", i.e. responsible and detail-oriented people, preferably with a science degree. Of course, it is good to have knowledge of biology, chemistry and IT, but the main training to work at NFC still takes place internally. Before hiring, a security check and tests are carried out. It is also necessary to be able to speak and write Swedish fluently. From new employment, it takes 1–2 years before you are fully trained.
Why should you work at NFC? Helena believes it is a way to make a difference and contribute to the work of successful crime fighting. It is a safe government service, there is (unfortunately) never an end of jobs and it is a good working environment with great opportunities for further development. And it's a little cool, Helena thinks.
Martin Isaeus, CEO of the consulting company AquaBiota
Martin founded the consulting company AquaBiota in 2006, two years after he completed his doctorate in plant ecology with a focus on marine biology. The company has grown steadily and now has just over 20 employees, most of whom have master's or doctoral degrees in the field of marine biology.
AquaBiota offers a range of different services, both pure research assignments and more applied projects. As the company name suggests, it focuses entirely on limnic and marine environments. Environmental impact assessments are an important part of the business, both smaller assignments for, for example, piers and marinas and large projects for hydropower and offshore wind power. A total of 18 projects linked to the expansion of wind power are currently underway.
Other examples of services are inventory of species (field studies or analysis of e-DNA), natural value inventory and modeling and mapping of the natural environment. The list of recurring clients is long and includes companies, municipalities and county boards, universities and authorities.
This year we need 15-20 new employees, says Martin, that will almost double the staff. Ideally, you want marine biologists, preferably researchers or specialists, but a master's degree can also be sufficient. Martin emphasizes that a mixed group with different skills is needed. It is good to be able to work with GIS, as well as to be able to write well.
Already today, AquaBiota has assignments outside the country's borders, but the opportunities for international projects have increased greatly since September last year, when AquaBiota became part of NIRAS, a very large environmental consulting company with operations all over the world.
Last updated: March 24, 2023
Source: Margareta Ohné