Offering students unique experience in Africa

Dümmen Orange and Lentiz Education Group offer Westland MBO students unique experience in Africa.

De Lier/Naaldwijk (the Netherlands), 26 April 2017 – Dümmen Orange is offering three Business & Management students from Lentiz Education Group MBO (Senior Secondary Vocational Education) Westland a unique internship opportunity in Ethiopia and Kenya. Dümmen Orange has branches all over the world and is offering the three students a chance to find out more about its production sites in the two African countries. Bram van de Bos and Luuk Vijverberg will be working in Ethiopia for nine weeks, while Inge de Vreeze will gain her experience in Kenya. Both Dümmen Orange sites produce cuttings material for worldwide export to its international customers. 

This is the first time that Dümmen Orange has offered students at the Lentiz Education Group MBO Westland internships abroad. According to Marco van der Sar, Marketing and Corporate Communication Manager at Dümmen Orange, this chimes perfectly with the organisation’s policy. “We are committed to encouraging students to choose a career in ornamental horticulture and giving them the opportunity to find out what this diverse sector has to offer. In addition, I am positively surprised by the talent I have got to know and how it can support us as a company.” The students are looking forward to their work experience. “I am really excited to be going,” Inge de Vreeze says. “It’s a fantastic opportunity that I just couldn’t let pass me by. I hope to work for an international organisation one day so this kind of experience will be really useful.”Annemieke Kruyt, Internship Account Manager at MBO Westland, is delighted to be working with Dümmen Orange. “We are very grateful that Dümmen Orange is investing in our students and giving them the opportunity to gain this valuable international experience. A placement abroad is becoming increasingly common for MBO students and this fits in well with the increasing demand for internationally oriented employees. It also makes their education more interesting,” says Kruyt. The three students will be leaving for Africa for nine weeks at the beginning of May. During their time there they will be given a special school assignment to complete and will be working in a range of departments. The students will return from their foreign stay in July and will round off their internship with a presentation. 

Company and organisational background

Lentiz Education Group MBO Westland

MBO Westland is an innovative, internationally oriented educational institution offering almost 20 courses at various levels in horticulture, food, technology, commerce and logistics, administration, healthcare and education. From 2017 onwards, Lentiz Education Group MBO Westland will be part of the World Horti Center, an international centre for education, research and business in the horticultural sector. 

Dümmen Orange 

Dümmen Orange is a leading company in the breeding and development of cut flowers, bulbs, succulents, pot plants, bedding plants and perennials. Its annual turnover is approximately EUR 240 million. The company employs more than 7,000 people worldwide. In addition to a large marketing and sales network, Dümmen Orange has a strong network of production sites. The key to Dümmen Orange’s success is a broad and deep product range, supported by a global supply chain. The company embraces its social responsibilities and invests in the health, safety and personal development of its staff.