Education · 1 of 4

The path

Short, cheap and local. This is a two-year degree, or sometimes no degree at all.

1. 1

   High school

   Grades 11 and 12

   Chemistry and math, plus any class that makes you write things down carefully. Neatness is a job skill here.

2. 2

   Two-year degree or certificate

   1 to 2 years

   An associate of applied science in chemical technology, laboratory technology or process technology at a community college.

3. 3

   Internship or co-op

   One term inside a real lab. It is how most graduates get their first job, and it pays.

4. 4

   First job

   Year 1

   Sample preparation, running instruments, logging results, cleaning glassware. Everybody starts there.

5. 5

   Senior or lead technician

   Year 4 onward

   Method validation, training new technicians, maintaining the instruments and owning a piece of the lab.