Growth opportunities make the Southeast Netherlands attractive for international knowledge workers

Monday, 14 November 2011

International knowledge workers in the Southeast Netherlands are mostly motivated by growth opportunities. This is the result of research done by a graduate of Tilburg University among representative group of international knowledge workers in the region. For all forms of mobility (coming to, staying in and leaving the Southeast Netherlands) professional and personal growth opportunities are the main drivers.  Yvonne van Hest, manager of the programme Brainport International Community, has given instruction for this research. She reacts positively to these results: “Opportunities for growth in the Southeast of the Netherlands are countless. This is shown for example by the Brainport 2020 programme that develops the Southeast Netherlands into one of the top three technology regions in Europe. Talent and knowledge are one of the crucial inputs to achieve this goal.”
 

Other important migration motives for international knowledge workers in the Southeast Netherlands are the contractual motivations, as salary and the duration of the contract. Cultural motivations also play a role in migration. In their decision to come to and stay in the Southeast Netherlands, women find the closeness of other cultures important, and men the fact that people in the Netherlands speak fluent English.
 

The research was done among 187 international knowledge workers employed at three companies, one university and one recruitment agency. The research shows that the international knowledge workers differ significantly from regional knowledge workers on age, type of contract and the number of children. The average international knowledge worker in the Southeast Netherlands is young (on average 33 years old) and often has a temporary contract.

Download the abstract here