Career development for young staff

Develop your skills

One-off consultation

Employees with a permanent contract are entitled to a career advice session at least once every five years. Employees with a fixed-term contract of two years or longer are offered the same opportunity.

Individual career guidance

The individual career guidance track is designed for those who are uncertain about their current career and want to reflect thoroughly, for example on questions like 'do I want to continue in this field?' or 'am I still developing enough?'. In up to six sessions, you work towards a realistic perspective: a clear picture of your qualities in relation to the job market, insight into any need for further training, and a plan of action for the short and long term.

A new job after the UG

Is your contract at the UG ending soon? Work to Work (W2W) provides support in applying for jobs and finding suitable work.

Explore opportunities within the University

Looking for a new challenge or interested in gaining experience in a different role or project? The University of Groningen offers several ways to explore your career opportunities within the organization. Check the internal vacancies for current job openings, browse the project database for temporary assignments and collaborations, or discover how Talent Development can support you in developing your talents and academic career. These resources can help you broaden your experience, build your network and take the next step in your career.

YoungRUG mentor programma

YoungRUG organizes an annual mentor programme, together with HR, where you can get a mentor (or become a mentor yourself) who will coach you for approximately half a year. A mentor is a senior colleague, who shares his/her/them experiences with you about a variety of work topics, tailored to your specific needs.

Take a look at the upcoming events to see when the next mentor programma event(s) will take place!

Corporate Academy

It is important to the UG that staff members have the possibility to develop themselves. To this end, the University offers a wide range of courses that staff members can take.

On the website of the Corporate Academy , you can find courses that fit your needs. You can find more detailed descriptions about courses per theme on the following webpages:

Quick courses via New Heroes

Did you know that every University of Groningen employee has free access to short online training courses on a wide range of topics? From assertiveness training to dealing with difficult behaviour, and from learning to plan to dealing with feedback. Via New Heroes, you can learn the most important aspects of these topics in 5 to 15 minutes.

Development days

Every employee is entitled to 3 development days per year. You can use these days to enhance your employability. These days are not considered as leave. You should also register your development days in the Leave Portal in Shared Services, under “Request Special Leave.” Select “Development Days (OD)” as the reason for leave.

Training regulations

The UG sets great store by training programmes to ensure continued performance in your current position or in preparation for a next step in your career. All University staff are entitled to training. They can submit proposals themselves and, in addition, the manager or the organization can also offer its employees training programmes, for example if needed in order to perform the job properly. Such training programmes can be made compulsory.

There are two types of training:

• For the benefit of the current position or a new position that the employee will take up in the future. The costs of such training are fully reimbursed by the employer and the training can be followed during working hours.
• In preparation for a new position that fits in with the employee’s career prospects if agreements have been made to this effect. Half of the costs of such training must be paid by the employee him or herself. The Faculty Board or management will decide how many working hours the employee may spend on such training. A maximum of one day a week is generally granted.

Travel and accommodation costs will be fully reimbursed by the University of Groningen for both types of training.

If you have any questions, please contact HR-Experts: hr-experts@rug.nl.

The University of Groningen offers a range of schemes, facilities and support to help you stay healthy, energized and in balance, both at work and at home. These include initiatives around healthy and flexible working, exercise and relaxation, workplace ergonomics, and support for work-related health issues.

There are also schemes that can help with practical matters, such as working from home, purchasing a bicycle or arranging ergonomic equipment. Discover the available vitality and wellbeing schemes and find out what support is available to you

Maternity and parental leave

If you're pregnant or a new parent, you are entitled to leave.

Flexibel working week

The standard working hours for a full-time employment contract are 38. A full-time appointment (100%) thus formally means a working week of 38 hours.

Within the framework of the Terms of Employment Options Model , you can choose to have a 36 or 40-hour working week. If you choose a 40-hour working week, thus work for 2 hours more a week, you are entitled to 96 extra vacation hours. If you choose a 36-hour working week, thus work for 2 hours less than the standard working hours, your annual entitlement to vacation hours will be reduced by 96 hours. This applies to part-timers on a pro rata basis.

Sabbatical leave

Would you like to take an extended period of leave to focus on research, study or personal development? A sabbatical leave gives you the opportunity to step back from your day-to-day work for a while and invest in yourself.