How can the ambitions of Caribbean students & young professionals in the Netherlands connect better to the employment market on the island? How can employers profit from the students who went to the Netherlands but haven’t returned? These questions have been circulating for a long time. Because of this, the WeConnect foundation is organizing a free meeting on February 4th at PBLQ in the Hague with the aim to connect supply and demand. During the meeting “Connecting back home”, employers will present themselves with vacancies and internships.
WeConnect, a non-profit organization, wants to offer a platform to network, exchange information and to get inspired. “There are so many talented students who would like to step up in the local employment market. But unfortunately, they don’t have sufficient insight into the possibilities on Aruba, Curaçao or one of the other islands.” says Tanja Fraai, the business leader at WeConnect. The organization organizes a number of activities for Caribbean students in the Netherlands, with an educational point of view.
Various branches
Employers (Governmental and business) are excited to present themselves at this meeting. Employers will be present live or through a recruitment video. Travel organization TUI, partner of the first hour of initiatives to recruit the young Antillians, will even raffle a free ticket amongst the present students during the meeting. Besides the tourist and aviation sector, the following sectors will be represented: Advocacy, financial services, education, health care, public administration services, engineering and the water and energy sectors. Also, the plenipotentiary ministers of three countries will be present.
Talent development
The Ministry of Interior and Kingdom Relations and the Ministry of Education, Culture, and Science support the meeting. The Ministry of Interior and Kingdom Relations gives an explanation on its Talent Development Program in Bonaire: a program for young professionals where the further development of skills and network are the main topic. Education Executive Agency of the Ministry of Education, Culture, and Science will also be present to inform (ex)students about the opportunity of the payment of their student loans when returning to the Caribbean.
Report Presentation
The report ‘We are deeply rooted’ will be presented, a research from an advice bureau and teacher of PBLQ where about 400 Caribbean students in the Netherlands and 70 Employers were being questioned. The research gives recommendations on how to bring supply and demand closer to each other.
