‘Working with different professionals quenches my creative thirst’
On Tuesday, Feb. 11, the entrance to student housing complex Markt058 in Leeuwarden is well filled before the official opening by Alderman Friso Douwstra. He keeps his talk short. After all, the predominantly young audience has come for the dozens of SME companies and workshops.
Antonio from Greece has our attention. He came to the Netherlands with his wife who is studying at the University of Groningen† Antonio is an engineer and is looking for a job. With his smooth chat and appearance, he quickly received an invitation to come and work in the sales department of YP Your Partner. That's not quite what he's looking for. ,,I like so many things, actually I would prefer to talk to a company about what we can do for each other. That's why I want to get to know you better.’’ He finds the cooperation between our high-tech companies interesting. This is new to him. ,,I would like to program and preferably at a company with positive impact in society. I also think it is important to work with professionals from different backgrounds. That quenches my creative thirst.’’
Feel at home
Antonio is the textbook example of ‘the partner’ who comes along with an expat, looking for a job and really not sure where to start. Make it in the North offers a solution. Since last year it has been helping internationally oriented talent in the Northern Netherlands to find jobs, opportunities and information. In this way, the platform ensures that foreign talent also feels at home in our region. ’’Exactly our motivation,’’ says program manager Joost Krebbekx of Innovatiecluster Drachten. With special programs for student alumni and other technical talents, the high-tech companies show that the offer in the north is at least as interesting as in other regions. ’’Our companies operate worldwide, they employ 45 nationalities and they are also leaders in their fields.’’ Fortunately, according to Krebbekx, the focus is not only on companies in Eindhoven and Delft. ,,Our companies may not be as well known, but working there is at least as interesting and challenging.'' Partly because of the cooperation of the R&D departments and the mutual exchange of knowledge. ''Students who have experienced this once want nothing more than to stay.''
Washing and drying
Foot by foot, visitors walk past the booths. Some attend workshops in the rooms where residents of the building take the elevator to their apartments. Two smiling ladies linger by the wall of large washers and dryers, hidden behind some booths. Finally, they dare to grab their clean laundry over to a dryer. No one is paying attention to them. The companies attract attention. Besides NHL/Stenden students, a striking number of RUG students have found their way to Leeuwarden. The working language is predominantly English, because the audience comes from all over the world. From Germany and Belgium, from India to Italy and from Brazil to Spain.
Technical card
Maria from Barcelona asks for sales and marketing positions, but also appears to be interested in high-tech. she knows ASTRON. , ’Amazing what they do there. I have attended several lectures at DOT in Groningen on astronomical research. The coupling of science and technology really appeals to me.’’ Maria studies linguistics and would prefer to work in a hospital or other company where research is important. ’'That way I can also learn a lot while working.'' Mitchell from Drachten knows our business cluster from close by. I find your network interesting. For my PhD at Variass worked and saw the possibilities of cooperation within the Innovation Cluster. That offers all kinds of opportunities for me.’’ He graduated in Supply Chain Management and is looking for a job. ’’The Northern Netherlands is not seen as the place to be for a technical job. This is changing and because of Innovatiecluster Drachten, the north is increasingly on the technical map.''
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