Maastricht starts new ICT training for unemployed people over 50

On Monday, Hogeschool E3 and the UWV in Maastricht started an ICT training program that is specifically aimed at getting people over 50 to work in the sector. The organizations hope to contribute to solving the shortage of computer scientists in Limburg.

On Monday, the first jobseekers over 50 started their computer science lessons at the Hogeschool E3 in Maastricht. The training lasts between 9 and 15 months and the period depends on the prior education and experience of the participants. The job seekers can follow the training part-time and the study has a theoretical part and a practical part.

Until the thesis phase, there are no costs associated with the study, which has been made possible through the collaboration with the UWV. The over-50s can work at companies with the development of the final thesis, whereby the organization determines the subject. At the end, the over-50s obtain a HBO bachelor’s degree in ICT, with which the participants increase their chances on the labor market.

In Limburg, there is said to be a shortage of highly trained ICT specialists. There are more than three hundred vacancies for it. At the same time, half of the job seekers are over 50.