“Arbeidsmarktkrapte technici”

Summary

There is an increasingly tight labour market for technically trained personnel. Much of this is largely structural due to an aging workforce and digitalization of the economy, and partly temporary due to the recovering economy and the major societal challenges the government aspires to tackle the coming years. In addition to the tight labour market for technicians with tertiary level education, more recently the labour market for vocationally trained technicians has tightened, partly because the inflow into education and outflow  in terms of graduation there have fallen in recent years. In addition to increasing the attractiveness of education programs in technology and trades, more attention should be given to increasing the attractiveness of technical trades as professions, by looking into employment terms and working conditions, also and especially for women. A more structural solution lies in greater investment in labour-saving process innovation.

Authors: Arjan Heyma (SEO), Justus van Kesteren (SEO), Iris Klinker (SEO), Jessie Bakens (ROA), Ruud Gerards (ROA) en Evie Graus (ROA)

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