As of June 13, 2024, the Convenant Stageplaatsen Wind Nederland (Wind Netherlands Internship Covenant) will go into effect. A historic moment. Through this joint initiative of the secondary vocational education institutions and the wind energy sector, the participating companies guarantee to provide enough internships for secondary vocational students and to bear the long-term investments required for this.
By taking on this responsibility, the signatories endorse their goal to structurally contribute to reducing the shortage of relevant trained professionals in the wind energy sector. The signing of the covenant will take place on 13 June, during WindDay, the annual NedZero event for companies in the wind sector. The agreement was officially received by Adnan Tekin, chairman of the MBO Council and Focco Vijselaar, general director of VNO-NCW.
“Staff shortages are a challenge. The wind sector, together with secondary education, is taking responsibility by guaranteeing apprenticeships. That is a milestone that should be celebrated.”
Increasing demand for technicians
The Dutch wind energy sector is growing rapidly. And that growth is going to accelerate in the coming years to a predicted 70 GW of installed capacity in 2050. In line with this, the need for relevantly trained technicians is increasing every year. To provide solutions to this, the wind sector has been taking action for some time. For example, continuous efforts are being made to develop education and training facilities in cooperation with the government.
Business and secondary education join forces
By signing this agreement, the business community and vocational education institutions are going one step further. By signing, companies active in the wind industry in the Netherlands are complying with the agreement to bear all long-term investments necessary to offer internships to technical MBO talent.
The companies will also guarantee internships and make continued efforts to collaborate with vocational training courses. The Dutch wind sector has good experiences with involving MBO technology students at an early stage in practical education and challenging them to get the best out of themselves.
Enduring relevance
With guaranteed internships, students can gain practical experience in a dynamic industry under the guidance of experienced professionals, while the necessary investments are borne by the industry. Investing directly in the future generation of MBO technicians helps the wind industry reduce workforce shortages in the energy transition and ensures that technicians can continue to develop in a rapidly changing energy landscape.
Want to know more about the Wind Netherlands Internship Covenant? Contact Joost Pellis, joost.pellis@nedzero.nl
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