Nova College will be the first in the Netherlands to scale up its technical vocational (MBO) programmes into a fully developed curriculum focused on new green energy sources. This involves broadening and deepening existing technical courses at its Beverwijk campus in the IJmond region.
Specialisation profiles and elective modules covering energy generation (hydrogen, solar, and wind), energy carriers (including hydrogen), and storage will be introduced.
For this project, titled RIF Sustainable Energies IJmond, Nova College will receive nearly EUR 1.1 million from the Regional Investment Fund for vocational education (MBO) 2024–2027, granted by the Ministry of Education. The ministry announced the funding at the end of May.
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Energy transition makes personnel shortage more urgent
Programme manager Edward Straus explains the importance of the initiative: ‘There is a chronic shortage of qualified technical professionals throughout the Netherlands — particularly in the IJmond region, one of the most industrialised areas of the country. The region’s energy transition only makes this shortage more urgent. Not only are there too few technicians, but especially too few skilled mechanics and engineers with expertise in sustainable energy. Hydrogen is the key element in this. The ageing population is also leading to a growing shortage of technical teachers. Without enough trained specialists in this field, the region’s energy transition is at risk.’
Nova College is delivering the RIF Sustainable Energies IJmond project in partnership with: Techport (a regional collaboration), the MyTec Companies Foundation, several individual businesses, Inholland University of Applied Sciences, and various secondary schools in the region — in particular, Technisch College Velsen and Dali College.
Picture by Nova College.
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