'It's great that there are now also vocational students here'

Some 2500 business students from Fontys and Summa attended the annual Career Event on Wednesday. They met regional companies and organizations eager for new talent. For the first time, vocational students also participated. And it was a success. "Why only now?"

It's pleasantly busy at the Indoor Sports Centre in Eindhoven. More than two hundred organizations are presenting themselves among the stands, ranging from healthcare to technology and from logistics to retail and government. They're luring students with goodie bags, candy, and gadgets. One of them is Bechtle, an international IT services provider with seven hundred employees in the Netherlands alone. "We don't have any IT students here, but we're also looking for talented business and commercial talent," says Andras Sinkiewitz of the company. "An affinity for IT is important, but every student uses a smartphone and laptop, so that's a good thing."

He's happy to be meeting vocational students today. "They're often a bit younger than the university of applied sciences students and sometimes a bit shy, but we're breaking the ice. We really need everyone." Recruiter Lisa van de Laar of the Municipality of Eindhoven agrees. Along with interns Celia and Britney, she tells the students about working for the municipality. "Who better to convince students to choose us than the students themselves?" Lisa laughs. The approach is working: the stand is packed. "We have plenty of opportunities for both vocational and university students," says Lisa. "We always have five or six students interning in our HR department alone."

Adam hasn't been to the municipality's stand yet. The student account manager at Summa hopes to find a graduation internship today. “There are many organizations here, so there is a lot to discover,” he says. “It’s nice that there are some big names here too. I’m curious, so I’m going to take a quick look around.” Nina, a final-year Marketing & Communication student at Summa, is also looking around. “I’ve already arranged my graduation internship, but I don’t know what I want to do afterwards yet. I find social media interesting. There are companies active in that today, so I’m definitely going to take a look. But maybe I’ll continue my studies at a university of applied sciences first.”

She can learn more about this at the joint stand of Fontys and Summa. " Why continue studying? " is written in large letters on the banner. Sabine Snippen from Fontys: “Perhaps you want to specialize, try something new, or enjoy student life for a little while longer. An Associate degree is a great option then. It is a two-year, practice-oriented program that is at a level between MBO-4 and HBO. Of course, you can also choose a four-year HBO program.” Summa and Fontys are investigating whether students can receive exemptions if they progress within the same field. “Together, we are making the transition as smooth as possible.”