From South Africa to the Netherlands: Engineer Your Dutch Life
Hilversum – NETHERLANDS, July 2024: The Netherlands is facing a shortage of skilled professionals, which offers significant opportunities for South African engineers as more Dutch employers look to recruit skilled South Africans to meet their demands.
Navigating the complexities of immigration laws and foreign job markets can be daunting. To simplify the process for South African professionals seeking to relocate to the Netherlands, Ir Olav's Globetrotters – an international recruitment company specialising in connecting professional talent from South Africa with Dutch companies – will be attending the Electra Mining Africa event. At this prestigious trade show, the largest of its kind in Southern Africa with over five decades of experience, the team from Ir Olav's Globetrotters will provide valuable insights, guidance, and resources to help South African engineers and technical professionals understand the opportunities available in the Netherlands and how to successfully navigate the relocation process. The event will take place at the Expo Centre in Nasrec, Johannesburg, from 2 to 6 September 2024.
Ir Olav's Globetrotters team, which has more than 30 years of combined experience in international recruiting, has facilitated the relocation of more than 400 highly skilled individuals from South Africa. In a focused talk held on 3 September at 13:00 in Hall 9, Ir Olav's Globetrotters’ international recruiter, Anene Britz, will unpack the opportunities the Netherlands has to offer South Africans. The talk will cover the basic requirements for the Dutch skilled migrant visa, provide an overview of the labour market for engineers in the Netherlands, and offer useful tips on how to gain employment.
The company has assisted scores of South Africans to relocate and find employment and has a host of useful tools available, including an e-book titled "Wanna Go Dutch?". The digital guide offers advice on topics such as the paperwork you'll need to gather, choosing a new home for your family, travelling with your pets, mock budgets, and settling into your new life in the Netherlands.
Ir Olav's Globetrotters managing partners Sonja Poortman and Diane van Galen Last explain that the Netherlands faces an increasing shortage of workers, not just engineers and technicians. In the first quarter of 2024, there were 110 vacancies for every 100 unemployed individuals. This was the tenth consecutive quarter with more jobs than workers, forcing companies to look abroad for their staffing solutions.
With extensive career opportunities and an excellent work-life balance, the Netherlands offers an attractive alternative to many South African professionals. The number of Highly Skilled Migrants who immigrated to the Netherlands from South Africa more than doubled year-on-year, from 900 in 2021 to 1860 in 2022, according to the Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS). "This trend is likely to continue as Dutch employers seek to grow their skilled labour force through the recruitment of skilled South Africans," adds Poortman.
Van Galen Last also notes: "We see a strong synergy between Dutch companies and South African engineers. Our role is to facilitate this connection and ensure a smooth transition for professionals moving to the Netherlands."
