There are still too few students opting for a technology/ICT education. NHL Stenden is therefore looking abroad for new recruits.
“The number of students has stabilized in recent years. But the decline is coming,” says Jooske Haije, director of the technology and innovation academy at NHL Stenden.
According to her, there are fewer students anyway because fewer children have been born in recent decades. In addition, the demand for well-trained personnel in the technology/ICT sector has increased in recent years.
“The sector is chomping at the bit with unfilled vacancies and it will remain that way. It is not without reason that we have been calling for a long time: come and work in technology! There have even been special campaigns aimed at girls.”
English-language ICT stream larger than Dutch
NHL Stenden is now looking for a solution in foreign students, among others. For example, the ICT course in Emmen has had an English-language variant for a few years now, which is now larger than the Dutch-language version.
“We started with 30 students and this year the intake is 60 to 70. It is very nice to see that foreign students are coming to the Netherlands. We will certainly look at options to provide other courses in English or German.”
Recruitment goes against the minister’s call
Remarkably, Minister Dijkgraaf of Education called on universities and colleges at the end of last year to stop recruiting foreign students for the time being. This is due to the workload of teachers and housing problems.
According to him, the sustainability and affordability of the higher education system may also come under pressure from international student traffic. With his call he responded to a wish of the House of Representatives.
Haije: “That may be the case, but we benefit from an international influx. This is very desirable in technology and ICT, to compensate for the decline in the number of Dutch students and to maintain the total number.”
Haije does not know whether the foreign students will also stay in the Netherlands, and whether Dutch companies will benefit from them. “That remains to be seen.”
Businesses
The northern university of applied sciences is also looking for new recruits in more ways than one. Potential students are also walking around companies.
“People who are already working can also continue to learn. The problem is that companies cannot always do without them. We are looking at how we can further train these staff members in a way that suits ‘their’ company. We do this with a large number of companies in the Northern Netherlands, with which we set up learning networks. We received a substantial subsidy for it before the summer.”
Weekend of Science
NHL Stenden currently has four thousand students in the ICT/technology field. About five hundred of them are in Emmen. This location participated in the Science Weekend on Saturday, to give young people an insight into what is being done here in the field of applied sciences. Children could make things with 3D pens and do experiments in the laboratory.
“It is of course very nice if children become enthusiastic about this,” says Haije. “That does not have a direct effect on us, but you should see it as planting a seed. The goal is for children to become interested in science and technology and to think: hey, is that something for me? Such a weekend is a great way to put us in the spotlight, just like the First Lego League and the Education Fair in Zwolle, also this weekend.”
Weekend of Science
During the Science Weekend, more than three hundred companies, museums, universities and colleges open their doors for a glimpse into the world of science and technology. This year’s theme is ‘How does it work?’
The Science Weekend takes place annually in the first weekend of October. The program can be found at www.weekendvandekennis.nl