On 4 December, The Metropolitan region Rotterdam The Hague (MRDH) announched that the 23 municipalities invest in educational programmes of two regional campuses: The Digital Operations Center in Delft and the IT & Security Campus in The Hague. Aiming to enhance vibrant campuses where companies and educational institutions work closely together strengthen the regional economic climate. Good digital resources for learning and development can help students and the existing workforce to choose a course in engineering or IT. This way talent will be retained for the region.
In the metropolitan region, many companies are active in the field of high-tech and IT. These companies have a need for (future) talents with knowledge, competences and expertise in line with new technologies and activities. ROC Mondriaan, The Hague University of Applied Sciences, TU Delft, the municipality of Delft and various tech companies have taken the initiative to start a Digital Operations Center in Delft. The IT & Security Campus in The Hague will be expanded with a Digital Competence & Education Center. Partners involved in this initiative are The Hague University of Applied Sciences, ROC Mondriaan and a number of companies in the IT sector.
Digital Competence & Education Center The Hague
The IT & Security Campus in The Hague will be expanded with a Digital Competence & Education Centre. Besides cyber security (CSA), new digital educational programmes will be developed on blockchain and artificial intelligence. These digital lessons will be available for HBO, MBO students and people interested in re-schooling. In addition, the Education Center will actively link IT talent to companies. This creates a situation where students receive training that is better aligned with the market. And at the same time a wider group of people can follow training. The Digital Competence & Education Center will start early 2020. The municipality of The Hague and the MRDH together allocate € 400,000,- for the IT & Security Campus.
Digital Operations Center Delft
In the Digital Operations Center in Delft, knowledge institutions and manufacturing companies (including Festo and Siemens) are developing a programme focused on all aspects of business operations in the digital factory (data, products and logistics). Key is the training of 'future technician' for the High Tech and IT sectors. The activities will be located at the new Betafactory 2.0 from the beginning of 2020. The municipality of Delft and the MRDH together invest € 300,150 in the Digital Operations Center.
Human Capital Agreement
Cyber security, IT and digitalisation are among the spearheads of the Human Capital Agreement South Holland (HCA). An agreement in which 66 parties including the MRDH, together with the province of South Holland and the Economic Board South Holland, strengthen the regional labor market. The Human Capital Agreement represents a new trend in the labor market: creating a learning culture for both employers and employees. The regional campuses in Delft and The Hague are in line with this.
Ferrie Förster, project manager Human Capital South Holland. “With the HCA, we want to make the available educational programmes more flexible for students and existing workforce. The two projects that now receive support from the MRDH are perfectly in line with this ambition.”
More info (in Dutch)