News item | 13-04-2023 | 5:06 PM
Reservists must become an even more integral part of the armed forces. While units currently mainly consist of professional soldiers, reservists are increasingly becoming part of it. This is what State Secretary Christophe van der Maat writes to the House of Representatives today.
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Van der Maat wants to make it more attractive to become a reservist. The Defense organization is still struggling with a large personnel shortage. “Solutions must be found for the shortage of personnel. This is due to the deteriorating security situation and the intended growth of Defense in the near future,” said the State Secretary. In addition, the Ministry of Defense must work more closely with society in order to increase its resilience.
Reservists are military personnel with a temporary or on-call contract. They can be called up individually or via their employer. In this way they contribute to a scalable armed force. Partly thanks to reservists, Defense can have the right capabilities at the right time. With a few exceptions, they are now mainly used for individual tasks and projects. That must therefore change in the future by making them part of a fixed unit. For example, there will be special functions for reservists.
Defense wants to intensify cooperation with civilian employers for this purpose. This creates a network for the exchange of personnel. The aim is that by 2024 at least 150 employers and sector organizations will be affiliated. In the long term, about a third of the armed forces should consist of reservists and/or people who work part-time.
Customization and training
The position of the reservist also receives attention. There is more focus on customization, both in terms of deployment and in terms of appointment and contract forms. Reservists are also given an advantage if they apply for a permanent position at the Ministry of Defence. The aim is also to make the legal position of reservists equivalent to that of professional soldiers.
Of course, good education and training should not be missing. The Ministry of Defense will monitor even more that reservists actually receive these. They are also more closely monitored to ensure that they meet the requirements. Partly for this reason, there will be a wider range of training courses, also in which reservists train other reservists. This should contribute to making being a reservist more interesting.
VDL Group
Earlier this week, the Ministry of Defense signed a covenant with VDL Groep for further cooperation. The industrial company already employs reservists, but there are opportunities for more. A goal of the collaboration is to attract young people who are looking for a combination of 2 different working environments, where they can also mean something to society.
President-director Willem van der Leegte of VDL Groep: “We see it as our social responsibility to raise awareness of the possibility of becoming a reservist. In addition, we believe that this collaboration also fits in with the motivation of our employees: personal development and sense of purpose, contributing to peace and security and the resilience of our society.”