Expat partners are an untapped source of highly-skilled labour: survey

A survey of people who moved to the Netherlands to be with their partners who either lived or were posted here shows seven in 10 gave up their career or business to relocate. ‘Even though the official work in all the tech companies is done in English, the culture within the organisation compels you to learn Dutch or else you will not be interviewed,’ one Indian national said. Learn Dutch ‘Update your LinkedIn, take Dutch lessons, do a course in your specific field in the Netherlands, be open to other fields as well,’ said one. I succeeded in doing that.’ ‘The survey shows that everyone involved in the chain, from the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency to local authorities and employers, should be upfront about the advantages new arrivals will get from knowing at least a bit of the local language,’ said ICAP’s Deborah Valentine. ‘Companies bringing in workers from abroad should also better manage the expectations of partners about finding work, particularly now coronavirus is starting to have an impact on employment levels.’ The survey was commissioned by IN Amsterdam, the city council’s service centre for international workers.