The foundation of national success is competence and the broadening of competence capital. Also, this is an important competitive asset for the chemical industry. Focused actions in the companies and determined co-operation of all stakeholders in the national education system have been key factors for success.
Anticipating training and competence needs is a necessary measure. It allows the making of right decisions regarding the quality and volume of training. Companies, too, need anticipatory information to execute personnel planning and development.

In developing the know-how within the chemical industry, training offered by the society and the training organized by companies for their own personnel play the key roles. The interaction with education decision-makers as well as local cooperation between educational institutes and companies are modern ways of ensuring that the training offerings are in line with company needs.

Skills, competencies and attitudes start to form at an early age. The chemical industry offers support for teachers working in comprehensive and upper secondary schools, with the aim of developing both the subject matter and the methods of class-room science teaching.

In the past few years the role of on-the-job training linked to vocational education has grown. The aim here is to optimize the way training corresponds to the needs of the everyday working life. Vocational qualifications available for adults have found a foothold in companies and are used both in personnel development and in recruiting training. Nowadays also polytechnics and universities highlight the need of connections to the corporate world.