Brainport educational institutions will train hundreds more technicians every year from 2025 onwards

The microchip sector is growing fast. About 38,000 extra technical jobs are expected until 2030 alone, of which about 26,000 in the Brainport region. To meet this demand, the national government is making a one-off sum totalling €450 million available until 2030 and €80 million per year structurally from 2031 onwards. Of the total amount until 2030, 275 million has been reserved for the Brainport region. With this € 275 million, a total of 5,000 extra students can be trained and 19,000 people retrained in Brainport in five years' time. These investments are badly needed to enable developments in the microchip industry. A sector of great importance to the Dutch and European economy. 

Joining forces for training at all levels 
‘We are happy with the news that we can start so soon,’ says Paul van Nunen of economic development company Brainport Development. ‘In Brainport, we are faced with the enormous task of training extra technical people at all levels, as well as retraining and further education. That is why Summa, Ter AA, Fontys and TU/e are joining forces. They will start training 5,000 extra students.’ 

Brainport Academy for retraining and upskilling 
The joint educational institutions, Brainport Development and the labour market regions are also working on setting up the Brainport Academy. A new concept in which educational institutions in a public-private partnership train new target groups through shorter routes for jobs in the microchip industry. ‘With the labour market regions Helmond-De Peel and Southeast Brabant, we see opportunities to retrain target groups that are currently not yet employed,’ van Nunen said. ‘Such as, for example, the partners of international knowledge workers and status holders. We have agreed with the ministries to further develop this new approach together in the coming months.’ 

Cooperation with neighbouring regions and provinces 
Given the size of the number of extra people needed for the microchip industry, Summa, Ter Aa and Fontys are entering into cooperation with educational institutions Brabant-wide and in neighbouring regions and provinces. ‘This is really a national task,’ explains van Nunen. ‘We will therefore work closely with all educational institutions around us. Initial contacts have already been made with colleges and mbo schools in Brabant, Limburg and the Arnhem-Nijmegen region. In addition, TU/e has made agreements with the other universities in Beethoven (RUG, TUD and UT) on joint recruitment of international students.’ 

Comments board chairmen educational institutions 

‘This is a very important step for us and for the Brainport region, but also for the strategic autonomy of the Netherlands and of Europe. For some years now, we have been making the noise that a jump in scale in terms of education is badly needed here in the region because of the huge growing demand for technical talent. It is particularly good news that The Hague is now allocating funds for this, so that we can start making an even greater contribution to the availability of highly educated top talent for the semicon sector.’

Robert-Jan Smits, Chairman of the TU/e Executive Board 

‘Very nice that this important step is being taken. This is a great opportunity to really make a difference together with our partners in the Brainport region and beyond. It will allow us to train thousands of students and workers at all levels for the jobs of the future in the semicon sector.’ 

Joep Houterman, Chairman of the Fontys Board of Governors 

‘We are delighted that the cabinet, has assessed our plans positively. Together with our MBO, HBO and WO partners in the region, we as Summa are also already out of the starting blocks. We have already launched the first joint recruitment campaigns for more intake in engineering from the VO and are scaling that up with our colleagues in MBO and HBO and WO in the region in the coming period. In coordination with local partners and the Eindhoven municipality, we have identified the first highly motivated target groups for lifelong development. Follow-up steps include matching them with concrete needs in the business community with a subsequent training path.’

Annemarie Moons, voorzitter College van Bestuur Summa College 

 ‘Ter AA is very happy that this investment will enable us to train more talent in Helmond and De Peel. This labour market region has many SMEs that are suppliers to the big semicon companies. It is therefore of great importance that we train more talent for the important jobs in the Brainport.’ 

Ingeborg Janssen Reinen, Chairman of the Ter AA Executive Board

Want to know more?

Then read all the pieces on the National Reinforcement Plan Microchip Talent here.