Students have become central to a small company’s operations
At QNTM Labs, student assistants have evolved from handling limited support tasks to becoming an integral part of the laboratory’s core operations. For the company, the experience demonstrates how students, including international talent, can contribute directly to day-to-day operations, expertise, and business development.
QNTM Labs is a contract laboratory offering a wide range of laboratory analyses. Although the company is relatively small, with around 25 full-time employees, student assistants have been an integral part of the organisation for several years.
Today, QNTM Labs employs nine students in part-time roles. While student assistants were initially assigned more limited support tasks, they have gradually become a central part of the laboratory’s day-to-day operations.
”We quickly realised that students are capable of taking on far more responsibility than is traditionally associated with a student job.
Greater responsibility and more complex tasks
The development happened gradually. “We quickly realised that students are capable of taking on far more responsibility than is traditionally associated with a student job,” says Nina Eggers, Laboratory Technician at QNTM Labs.
As a result, the company began entrusting them with more complex assignments.
Today, student assistants carry out basic sample analyses, prepare samples for further testing and contribute directly to streamlining the laboratory’s overall workflows.
This allows full-time employees to work more efficiently and complete testing and reporting more quickly.
Key takeaways for other companies and organisations
- Key takeaways for other companies and organisations
- Students can take on more responsibility than expected when given clear tasks, trust and opportunities to develop.
- Even smaller companies can build strong talent environments by integrating students into core functions and day-to-day operations.
- International students can bring new perspectives and strengthen both the professional environment, workplace culture and organisational development..
Nina Eggers
Laboratory Technician, QNTM Labs
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Close to both operations and customers
Student assistants also play a role in customer communication. They are often responsible for contacting customers when issues arise during sample reception and for ensuring that data is continuously checked as samples move through the laboratory’s systems.
This requires both technical knowledge and strong communication skills, and QNTM Labs has found that its student assistants consistently deliver on both.
Significant value for smaller companies
The experience has been so positive that QNTM Labs intends to maintain a high proportion of students within the organisation, including international students.
“We see great potential in bringing new perspectives into the laboratory and further strengthening the professional environment,” says Nina.
For QNTM Labs, students are no longer a support function. They have become a key resource that contributes directly to the company’s development and capacity.
The company’s experience demonstrates how smaller organisations can gain significant value by giving students responsibility, development opportunities and a clearly defined role. When students are integrated into core operations, they can contribute far more than additional day-to-day support. They can strengthen capacity, enhance the professional environment and provide access to future talent while they are still pursuing their studies.
Interested in working with international students?
International students can bring new perspectives, language skills, and cultural understanding to businesses and organisations, even while they are still studying. A student job gives you the opportunity to get to know each other in practice and can be the first step towards a longer-term collaboration.
About QNTM Labs
QNTM Labs is a contract laboratory offering a wide range of laboratory analyses.