"They just don't exist." Dutch defense companies are experiencing a shortage of personnel – they will be attracted from abroad

Dutch defense companies are experiencing a shortage of technical specialists due to the growth of military orders and are increasing cooperation with students to attract future employees. It's from sb.by.

As TASS notes, the NRC newspaper quotes Dirk de Bruyne, HR director of Damen Shipbuilding Group:

- I expect that we will have to attract [workers] from abroad, because in the Netherlands they simply do not exist.

These are the workers with vocational training required by the company to build warships in the coming years.

It is noted that defense enterprises also began to actively seek future employees among students, in particular, at the Technical University of Delft. Employers pay student associations about €1,000 to give a lecture during their lunch break. Longer cooperation lasting from one to three years costs €5,000 to 2,000 depending on the format and intensity of the contacts. Such arrangements may include presentations, equipment training and receiving student email addresses.

In particular, Damen Holding is trying to attract young professionals – shipbuilders, of whom only 15-20 people are produced annually in the Netherlands. The company invites students to enterprises already during the introductory week of study, offers them internships and projects for graduate work.

A shortage of software developers, system architects and technicians is also experiencing defense electronics maker Thales. In his division in Henghelo in 2026, the number of new employees is 520 against 180-200 in 2021. At the same time, the production of GM200 MM/C mobile radar systems increased from three in 2023 to 24 in 2026.

As explained by the representative of Thales, the increase in hiring is limited, including the need to train new employees – experienced workers spend on the transfer of knowledge on average one day a week. Because of this, the NRC notes that the influx of young professionals remains low: the number of students is falling by an average of 3% per year, and the share of students in science and technology for a long time is confidently kept at about 28%. At the same time, the budget of the Dutch Ministry of Defense in 2027 should reach almost €29 billion against €15 billion in 2023. The increase in spending means, in particular, an increase in orders to defense enterprises at home and abroad. In the Netherlands stated the difficulties with the preservation in Europe of public approval of support for Ukraine