Talent for SMEs

SMEs in South Holland are digitising and facing a shortage of IT talent. This poses a risk not only to the companies themselves, but also to the regional economy. That is why a coalition of WE-IT, Security Delta (HSD), Dutch Innovation Factory and IT Campus Rotterdam, has joined forces under the name 'IT Verband Zuid-Holland' (ITVZH). An ambitious multi-year programme has been set up with a clear goal: to reduce the IT talent shortage. The programme is co-financed by the National Growth Fund. More info>

Initiatieven

The programme includes a series of initiatives based on identified labour market bottlenecks. Such as strengthening education and training programmes, intensifying research and development projects and stimulating cooperation between SMEs and educators. The focus on IT talent is on a broad target group: from school pupils and students to lateral entrants and current IT professionals. This lays a foundation for a future in which South Holland businesses can count on a solid flow of IT-skilled personnel.

HSD is among others developing the following new initiatieves for this purpose:

1) Instrumented competency framework for SMEs

We develop and pilot tools to 1) translate business objectives into competence needs; 2) map existing competences among SMEs; 3) target existing courses. This also helps in activating SMEs to work on their cyber resilience. Here, we look at how the 'cybersecurity task' can be invested. If this can be done within the organisation, we discuss which steps to take. If expertise needs to be sought outside the organisation, we look at the possibility of setting up a Shared Service Centre, which is a collaboration via the 'Digiwerkplaatsen' or learning from experts. The account managers of ITVZH and its partners visit SMEs to help them.

2) Cybersecurity introductory courses

Especially for SMEs and secondary school students, HSD is developing 2 introductory courses on cybersecurity together with our partners. The aim of the course for secondary education is to enthuse students about cybersecurity and IT, so that they can make a more conscious choice for an education and a career in IT. With the course for SMEs, we want to provide companies with tools for operationalising cybersecurity by explaining IT security and information security in an understandable way, so that they can further develop themselves in this area.