'Brain drain in Groningen? No problem!', webcast with prof Jouke van Dijk

More than half of the Groningen graduates leaves the North to go and work elsewhere, although only forty percent of the students comes from outside the Northern area. Among economics and business graduates, over 75 percent leaves, mostly for the Randstad. That is where the traineeships with large companies are. Is this ‘brain drain’ from the North a problem? Professor in Regional Labour Market Analysis Jouke van Dijk does not think so and poses this proposition in a new video on Knowledge Debate.

In the webcast, student Elisa van den Berg speaks about her research into the image of the northern labour market and business alumnus Louis Feitsma describes his quest for a job in the North.

The video of Knowledge Debate:

Within degree programmes like economics and business studies, it is often the best students who leave, taking their knowledge with them. “But this brain drain from the North is not a problem”, says prof Jouke van Dijk. “It is better if they leave than if they stay here unemployed. In the 1990s, Groningen used to have the highest educated unemployed people in the country. Moreover, in non-economic or -business study programmes, fewer people leave and the best students often stay.”

Van Dijk thinks that it is a bigger problem that after a few years of working elsewhere, people want to return to the north with their partners. “They cannot find a suitable job for both partners. They either do not come or leave again quite soon. That is a bigger problem than the brain drain.”

Image Northern labour market
Student Elisa van den Berg graduates on the image of the labour market in the North. She draws the conclusion that people might want to come to the North, but that there are not enough jobs. This is a problem that the recently graduated Louis Feitsma recognizes. He finished his degree programme business administration at the University of Groningen. His girlfriend found a job here, he is still job-hunting. It is not simple. He would like to stay here, but considers looking for a job in the West in the long run.

Do you agree or disagree with the proposition 'Groningen brain drain no problem'?
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