The health sector remains the largest sector of operation for laboratory technicians. They work mainly as medical laboratory technicians in hospitals and private medical research laboratories. In other sectors like agriculture, biochemistry, and food processing, laboratory technicians play roles in running laboratories in which research work is done. Fields of biotechnology and bioremediation also use the services of laboratory technicians. In the mining sector, state of the art laboratories are operated where metals that are mined from the earth are analysed to test their quality. In the pharmaceutical and manufacturing industry, laboratory technicians are also employed to run labs where the efficacies of drugs are tested before they are released onto the market. Sandwich courses are degree programmes offered by universities that include a sandwich placement or industrial placement - a set period of time working in a related industry or studying abroad.