Monitor 'Talent in Focus' 2019/20

Labor potential of Noord-Nederland

Today 'Talent in Focus' was published, a monitor of energy-oriented students and thus the specifically trained labor potential in Noord-Nederland. The overview has been compiled by NOM and New Energy Coalition and is an inventory of the 'energy students' who have been designated as such at Vocational education, higher professional education and university education in Noord-Nederland. Of the nearly 125.000 students surveyed in the 2019/20 academic year, approximately 10.000 were classified as energy students. This means that 1 in 12 graduating students enters the job market with energy knowledge. Over 7.000 of these are in vocational education level and 2.700 in higher education level. The monitor will provide a useful annual picture of the available potential for the energy-related job market, thus supporting the business climate for energy businesses in the region.

No talent, no transition

The energy transition is in full swing in Noord-Nederland. The traditional natural gas sector, based on the Groningen field, is being phased out, while at the same time, enormous investment plans are underway in areas such as hydrogen. Besides investments in technology, the energy transition also requires investing in sufficient and appropriately trained people. Numerous reports from international think tanks indicate that green recovery will generate significant job growth. For example, Algemeen Dagblad publiced this week that the hydrogen economy on its own will create between 23.000 and 41.000 jobs in the Netherlands.

The right match in labor potential is an important factor for business activity in the region. That is why NOM and New Energy Coalition compiled the Monitor Talent in Focus together.

Without the rightly trained people who (will) work in the new energy sectors, the energy transition will be hampered. "This doesn't just concern people with technical knowledge and skills, but also students and professionals such as lawyers, economists, communicators, urban planners, and so on. Virtually every aspect of daily life touches our energy system, and vice versa. And for that, we need the rightly trained people," says Hielke Hekman, Human Capital Program Manager at New Energy Coalition.

In recent years, knowledge institutions like Hanze University of Applied Sciences, the University of Groningen, and northern regional training colleges (ROCs) have been working hard on educational and research programmes focused on the energy transition. "And this is now reflected in a growing group of 'energy-interested' students and graduates: nearly 17.500 in the North! This demonstrates the growing awareness and interest in the energy transition, and it gives rise to high hopes for available people with relevant qualifications. Whether the right match will emerge in the future labor market is the question, and the Monitor we've developed will help with that, especially once we have annually updated figures."

With this Monitor in hand, it's helpful to examine the current needs for training and new labor, and it also provides insight into the talent already available in the region. "This is important for the regional labor market; we can better analyse where potential mismatches arise," says Soraya Aimée Ludema, Project Manager Foreign Direct Investment at NOM. "But this information also boosts the business climate for (international) companies in the energy transition. We can now demonstrate even more effectively what the region has to offer in terms of talent."

Date

The monitor uses data from the vocational colleges affiliated with Energy College (7 ROCs in Groningen, Friesland, and Drenthe), Hanze University of Applied Sciences Groningen, and the University of Groningen. Other educational institutions in the (Noord-)Nederland may join in the future. The monitor is updated and published annually. The "Talent in Focus" Monitor is available on the websites of the NOM and New Energy Coalition.

The energy students and graduates will meet their potential future employers on April 22 at the online career event Meet Your Future in Energy, which takes place twice a year (currently online). Around 2 companies will be presenting this year, and hundreds of students and professionals will attend the event.