Minister of Education defends recruiting international engineering students

Last spring, microchip manufacturer ASML threatened to leave the Netherlands if the new government imposed restrictions on the number of international and highly skilled migrants – an idea the parties PVV and NSC, both in the new cabinet, are keen on. ASML feared it would soon struggle to hire enough staff.

In response, the previous government quickly decided to unlock 450 million euros, with an additional 80 million euros per year from 2031, to encourage more students to pursue engineering as a career option. The plan was nicknamed ‘Beethoven’.

38,000 additional engineers
Coalition party NSC remains sceptical about the influx of international students and highly skilled migrants to the Netherlands, so it asked written questions about Beethoven. The microchip sector is expected to need around 38,000 additional engineers, especially in the Eindhoven region. This need extends across all educational levels. One of Beethoven's plans is to ensure that technically-trained international graduates stay in the Netherlands for work. Efforts will also be intensified to promote engineering among women.

NSC wants to know how exactly the millions of euros earmarked by the government will result in more engineers. The new Minister of Education, Eppo Bruins, himself an NSC member, doesn't have a concrete answer yet but suggests that companies and educational institutions could “develop programmes to connect international students to jobs in the microchip sector”. They could also channel the money into refining hiring practices to counteract "gender bias."

Healthcare and education
NSC observes that students are needed in other areas too, such as nursing and teacher training programmes. If more students choose engineering, isn't there a risk that healthcare and education will suffer?

Bruins admits that the potential success of engineering could be at the expense of healthcare and education. That's why certain regions are working on “expanding the talent pool”, the minister says. He underscores the importance of upskilling and reskilling workers as well as “specifically attracting international talent".

Competition
Other countries also face a shortage of engineers, the minister explains. One solution deployed by these countries is encouraging engineering students who have studied abroad to return to their home countries. While he doesn’t say it outright, it’s clear that the Netherlands is not the only country competing for these professionals.