Apeldoorn Area Growth Market for the Higher Educated: Wittenborg Supplies

Research has shown that more variation in the offer of higher education is needed. After the failure of Hogeschool Kenloo in Apeldoorn – the plug was pulled in autumn 2009 – business sends out a strong signal that more higher education is still needed in the region. VNO-NCW Stedendriehoek, Kamer van Koophandel Oost-Nederland, and MKB Stedendriehoek ordered an investigation of the need for higher education. The international-oriented Wittenborg University, as a growing business school which has settled in Apeldoorn last summer, does not only contribute to a growth in the supply of higher education in Apeldoorn: Wittenborg also improves the general quality level of higher education (business administration, marketing, hospitality, etc.) and delivers experts in business.

Business notes that the current supply of people with a bachelor’s degree is too meager. Half of the companies find it difficult to fill vacancies on a university level, especially when it concerns jobs relating to some particular fields of expertise, namely economics and business administration (see graph – source: report Newcom Research & Consultancy). Besides this, companies expect to have a growing need of higher educated staff in the future. Because of the aging of the population this need will increase even faster: people who retire need to be replaced. In turn, according to employers, the fight for talented personnel is visible in the figures already. Ever since moving to Apeldoorn, Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences has been helping to realize a good connection between education and the labor market in the Apeldoorn region. This contributes to minimizing the problem of the growing share retired people form in the general population.

The research has been done amongst companies located in the Apeldoorn area, with more than 10 active employees. The response encompasses 173 companies which comment on more than 25,000 staff members of whom 26% has a bachelor’s degree (6,252 staff members in total). The companies indicate that they expect to need more higher educated staff due to an increasing amount of jobs available. For the whole Apeldoorn area, this means an increase of about 5,800 higher educated people by 2015 since 2010. This is a lot. Naturally, besides quantity, the level of expertise of these people is very important. Graduates from Wittenborg Business School are known for their high level of knowledge and expertise in their field of business. The bachelor programmes of Wittenborg are known to be “heavy”.

The necessity of highly educated personnel for accomplishing company goals is more important for Apeldoorn businesses than it is for other municipalities within the region, research shows. Also, a lot of young people move away from the city to study elsewhere, since there has been a lack of supply of the amount of programmes in the region. In cooperation with the CvJO (Centre for Young Entrepreneurship), which opened her doors last month, Wittenborg will ensure that the new bachelor programme in Entrepreneurship (Entrepreneurial Business Administration) contributes to a business climate which retaining talent in and around Apeldoorn.

The CvJO aims to facilitate an affordable working environment for young entrepreneurs together with an office where students and interns can work on projects set out by the industry. Wittenborg Entrepreneurship students will get involved with the CvJO. Entrepreneurship in Apeldoorn will be retained, attracted, and stimulated. Obviously, these entrepreneurs will need qualified personnel. In establishing this connection Wittenborg University will play a crucial role. With as many as 6 graduation dates a year, supplying is very flexible: the flow of graduates to business will take place on a continuous basis, throughout the whole year.