Recently, the SP asked seven concrete questions to discover what the council is currently doing. Are internships and jobs sufficiently promoted? Do they work together with educational institutes such as Maastricht University and Zuyd University of Applied Sciences? And why are there no initiatives such as open days and shadowing opportunities? The party also wanted to know how many internship and traineeship placements there are and how attractive they are in terms of salary and growth opportunities.
Passive
In short, is there any policy on this, the party asked the mayor and councillors. Barely, was the honest answer (in writing) from PVDA councillor Manon Fokke. She did express her willingness, but also immediately tempered expectations: the municipality faces stiff competition from other sections of the job market, nor is it a foregone conclusion that everyone will want to work for the government. Nonetheless, it is true that collaboration with educational institutes is limited and often at “an individual level”. And moreover, it often concerns the higher vocational college rather than the university. There are also no open days or specific websites for job vacancies.
Salaries
That will all change, said Fokke. A detailed policy plan is expected by the middle of 2025. In the meantime, there is some good news: internships and traineeships are currently the most important route to working for the municipality for students and graduates. And it has also been made more attractive so far this year thanks to €600 of internship pay for 36 hours a week. Trainees receive a gross salary of €3250. It also turns out that many interns and trainees progress to permanent positions. Fokke didn’t specify which students or positions this applies to, so UM’s share is still unclear.