A golden future for craftsmen and engineers in Holland

The number of Dutch youngsters choosing vocational engineering and technology courses at secondary school has dropped by 30 percent over seven years. Many skilled workers will be retiring over the coming years. This could lead to major problems in the labour market.

The Netherlands is set to have a shortfall of about 60,000 technically skilled young workers by 2014. Employers and technical secondary schools are joining forces to turn things around.

Unknown is unloved
“Student and parents should be encouraged to choose technology courses. That’s not happening enough at the moment and unknown is unloved,” says Ton de Groot, chairman of an umbrella group for vocational secondary schools and director of a secondary school specialising in technology. He thinks young people can easily be persuaded to choose engineering and technology.

“If they’re acquainted with the subject, they think it’s great – exciting and challenging. I think the Dutch don’t acknowledge technical skills enough. They’re not given much attention at primary schools. We have the pre-secondary school placement tests (Citotoets) which scores for all sorts of cognitive disciplines, but not for any vocational or technical skills. That’s why children with higher placement-test scores tend to go for a general secondary education rather than a vocational one.”

Working with your hands

The discussion in the Netherlands about skills-oriented education versus academic, cognitive schooling reflects similar discussions elsewhere.

Academic and motorcycle mechanic, Matthew Crawford, tackled the issue in his bestselling essay, The case for working with your hands (2010; published in the US as Shop class as soulcraft). Crawford argues that solving problems in carpentry or mechanics is as intellectually complicated as solving mathematical problems. Society's appreciation of brainwork over making and doing, Crawford argues, is imbalanced. Much the same argument was brought forward in 1974 by Robert Pirsig in Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance.

The link between educating children and hands-on work is explored in depth by US woodworking teacher Doug Stowe in his blog, Wisdom of the Hands. One of his tenets is that "creativity is accomplished through the engagement of the left and right hemispheres of the human brain". Current education is increasingly focusing on the left, language-oriented, half of the brain, while ignoring the right-hemisphere-based, creative problem solving skills, Stowe says.

(rk)

The take-up for technical secondary education in the major cities has declined so much that whole departments at vocational schools have been forced to close. That has led to a shortage of skilled personnel especially in the metal, mechanical and electrical engineering sectors.

“At present, there are only 20 electrical engineering apprentices in the whole of the Rotterdam area. That seems to me to be incredibly few for such a major port city,” says Mr De Groot.

Nonsense studies
If young people aren’t choosing to study engineering and technology subjects, what courses are they going for? And are these market orientated? Critics say a stop should be put to ‘fun studies’. “We’ve got to get rid of nonsense studies such as ‘leisure management’ courses which only lead to unemployment,” says the populist right-leaning daily, De Telegraaf.

That touches a sore spot with Ger Pepels, the director of the Academy for Leisure
at the NHTV college of higher-education in Breda.

“This subject area is extremely relevant and there’s a huge amount of interest in the leisure management course – just as there is for culture, sport and event management. The criticism is nothing new, but the chances in the labour market are still excellent.”

“It’s an advanced economic course and most people find a job reasonably quickly. It’s debatable how many of them find a position in their area of expertise immediately. Many of our economics graduates end up in all kinds of fields. Fewer than half get jobs in leisure management right away but, despite this, many remain interested and are willing to make a detour to end up with a job in that field.”

Challenge
The fact remains that the technical sector is heading for problems. The FME-CWM umbrella organisation for the technological industry says the dearth of skilled personnel can be seen at all levels. FME-CWM spokesperson Willy Berentsen wants the problem tackled at its roots:

“The secondary school vocational courses (VMBO) are where we have to look for our craftsmen and women and middle-scale engineers. That’s what we’re looking at just now. If that base isn’t functioning properly, then the flow through to higher education won’t be all right.”

Just like Mr De Groot, Mr Berentsen points out that the technical sector offers real challenges and also solutions to social problems.

“Environmental issues, healthcare, mobility, security: each one is an area where technology can offer solutions. You’ll be doing socially relevant and individually satisfying work. The image of engineering and technology has to be improved and that begins with education in primary and secondary schools.”

Golden future
Ton de Groot agrees that education is the key. That’s why he tours primary schools, giving technology classes to 10 to 12-year-olds. He doubts whether their parents are aware that engineering and technology is a really good choice.

“There are lots of jobs. Even in these times of economic recession, there are companies desperate for good staff. If you’re good with your hands and you’ve got the technology skills, you’ve got a golden future.”

(mw/rk)

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