'Join our community in the quest for talents'
Yvonne van Hest, BIC Programme Manager

Top technology region Brainport in the Southeast Netherlands is the ideal place for study, work, career building, self-development and a pleasant home. Brainport International Community (BIC) works to promote this worldwide and ensures new arrivals feel at home quickly and will want to stay. Attracting and keeping international talent is very important to Brainport, since the region needs 1,100 knowledge workers per year to meet (future) shortages of highly skilled technical workers.

What is BIC’s main mission?

BIC Programme Manager Yvonne van Hest: “In Brainport, governments, companies and knowledge institutions work together to strengthen the region and the BIC programme is part of that. Brainport is already the second biggest pillar of the Dutch economy. In order to stay that way, the region not only needs government and corporate investments in R&D, but also an extra 1,100 knowledge workers a year with Bachelor, Master or higher degrees. The Brainport International Community programme actively aims to attract and keep international knowledge workers and students. The Southeast Netherlands offer everything that’s needed to get people with a technological background off to a flying start. The region boasts prominent high-tech multinationals such as ASML, Océ and FEI, as well as educational institutions like the Eindhoven University of Technology and Maastricht University. The region is green, offers a high quality of life and is located conveniently in terms of infrastructure. We use the Internet, worldwide career events and collaborations with overseas universities to make international knowledge workers and students aware of these advantages.”

What does BIC do for knowledge workers once they have opted for Brainport?

“You don’t just choose to study or work in another country, you make a choice for your future. BIC ensures that international students, knowledge workers and their partners and families have a pleasant ‘landing' and a pleasant stay in the region. This means more than just pointing the way to the right authorities and departments, or organising meeting events for members of the international community. We also focus strongly on career opportunities, because our goal is to keep talent interested in Brainport for the long run. It’s about attracting them and keeping them interested, so that organisations in the region can really count on their knowledge and skill.”

How does BIC further build on the idea of an international community?

“BIC actively uses social media such as Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook to further expand and promote the international community within Brainport. These online activities also help give knowledge workers abroad a clear picture of the international community in this region and really put it on the map as such. To expand the community even more and to facilitate meet-ups, BIC organises events throughout the year. There was the Brainport International Barbecue for example, which was attended by over 500 guests and boasted Eindhoven Mayor Rob van Gijzel as a keynote speaker. In December last year we had the Magic Mingle in Maastricht, where Mayor Onno Hoes was our special speaker. We have also been organising the Brainport International Weekend in November for a couple of years now, as well as many other events.”

How does BIC support the business community in the Southeast Netherlands?

“BIC assists corporate organisations and companies in the Southeast Netherlands in recruiting international knowledge workers. We do this through the website www.brainporttalentregion.com, by creating networking contacts and by participating in career events all over the world. We attend career fairs in cities such as Boston, Barcelona and Singapore to talk about living and working in Brainport. If people are interested, they can leave their CV with us right there and then. Through our HR portal, we are able to forward these directly to our partners – the organisations that are in great need of these talents.
We also initiate and maintain networks with overseas universities, research institutes and alumni associations. We have an intensive collaboration with the University of Barcelona, for example. And of course we also work on providing a pleasant ‘landing’ and a pleasant stay in the region.
Our website, www.brainportinternationalcommunity.com, is aimed at serving the whole International Community, meaning international students and knowledge workers, companies that are working (or will be working) with international staff, companies that provide international services, educational institutions and governments. On the website they will find everything about international labour in the region. The site is also a great source for background information:  we publish reports of labour market research and answers to frequently asked questions.”

How does BIC work together with its partners?

“Brainport International Community is a dynamic programme. BIC is available to all organisations dealing with international labour and higher education. There is intensive contact between the parties involved to decide on the best strategy for attracting and keeping students and knowledge workers and to best serve companies. Additionally, we get together twice a year to discuss predetermined topics and we also have an active steering committee. Together we take a close look at opportunities and problems. For example, a scholarship made available by a company and a university working together can be a key incentive for a student to choose to study in Brainport and to stay there too. Again: it’s about attracting them and keeping them. This interaction between the different parties involved is essential and forms the very spirit of Brainport.”