‘Investing in talent now, more than ever’
In the coming years, a great deal of talent will be needed to fill the vacancies in the semiconductor sector in Brainport. It therefore makes sense that part of the Beethoven funds has been earmarked specifically for retaining, recruiting and training talent. In a series of six stories, we take a closer look at this challenge. In episode 1, we hear the story of Auke van der Wijst.
Auke van der Wijst has been the programme manager for Beethoven Talent at Brainport Development since July 2025. Under her enthusiastic leadership, the first steps are being taken.
‘By the year 2032, we will need around 26,000 people in the semiconductor sector.’ Auke opens the story with this stark observation. ‘We will have to train a large proportion of them ourselves in our region. Schools, further training, reskilling. We will have to work creatively and, above all, in a demand-driven way. What is needed and how do we ensure that the training provision matches the (future) demand from businesses in our region?’
Ambitious objectives
The objectives are therefore ambitious, but she does not allow herself much time to dwell on them. She wants to strike whilst the iron is hot, and given the economic situation, that is certainly the case now. Auke: ‘We are in a temporary economic dip, and that means we must focus on training and upskilling right now. I realise that this can sometimes be a difficult proposition. Some suppliers are struggling at the moment. They’re focused on survival rather than training for the future. Yet the counter-cyclical approach – training when there’s less work – is the best solution. Certainly in our region, we’re dealing with economic fluctuations. The forecasts are good. Let’s make sure we’re ready for a new period of growth.’
A clear picture of the possibilities
Auke worked in IT consultancy for ten years before joining Brainport Development. There, she was involved in (programme) management. In her role, she gained a clear understanding of the challenges faced by sectors characterised by a tight labour market and a market that is growing steadily. The vacancy, created following the allocation of Beethoven funds for the Talent component, was tailor-made for her. ‘I live in Eindhoven and I was looking for a role in which I could make a contribution to society. What’s more, this region is, of course, a breeding ground for truly wonderful things. There are fantastic companies and an interesting infrastructure, with Brainport Development acting as a great connecting element. I also find it a special challenge to work here, together with the education sector, the business community and the government, to find ways to train talent in the region and prepare them for a great job in what makes this region so great: the semiconductor sector.’
A great deal of enthusiasm
The aim is to turn all these theoretical plans into concrete steps over the coming years, in collaboration with the education sector and the business community. ‘There is a lot to be done, but I also see a great deal of enthusiasm among the educational institutions involved to get started. Think of training more talent, training people switching from other sectors, developing new study programmes, increasing flexibility and modularisation, improving progression between courses and schools, and setting up a Brainport Academy. And that is just a selection of all the plans that will be further developed in the coming period.’
A major challenge for the education sector
The implementation phase is therefore about to begin. It is striking that the challenge facing the education sector appears to be enormous. ‘Certainly,’ says Auke, ‘but don’t underestimate the important role of the business community either. We are urging the sector very strongly to look at talent and retaining people for the sector in a different way. How, for example, do we ensure that employees of small businesses currently facing difficulties are still retained for the region? But also: what talents, what skills are you looking for, and how is that demand evolving? How do they ensure that attractive, meaningful workplaces are created for all those talents? That they settle in well and feel happy in the region? It is, of course, also important that matters such as housing are properly arranged. That is another, important part of the Beethoven Deal. So you can see that everything is interconnected and that it is very important to view the region’s development as a whole, and that investment is needed across multiple areas.’
Tangible successes
However early it may be, there are already a few tangible successes to mention. ‘That’s right,’ says Auke. ‘The Semicon Summer School, organised by TU/e, where around eighty students from all over the world were immersed in the sector, has been a great success. And the vocational education orientation programme, which helps students make a more informed choice of a vocational course, is already yielding good results. We’re on the right track, but there are still plenty of opportunities.’
National Plan to Strengthen Microchip Talent
The National Plan to Strengthen Microchip Talent is part of Project Beethoven. To maintain and strengthen the semiconductor sector in the Netherlands, 38,000 people will be needed over the coming years, of whom around 26,000 will be required in the Brainport region by 2032.
The development plan outlines the approach to meet this need. It focuses on all levels of education (vocational, higher vocational and university) and the retraining and upskilling of people through Lifelong Learning. To support this approach, the government is encouraging collaboration between various regions in the Netherlands, such as Twente, Groningen, Delft and Brainport Eindhoven.
In the Brainport region, Fontys, SUMMA, Ter AA, TU/e and Brainport Development are working together with employers to address these challenges.