Expat Students - A Guide to the Different Types of Exact People

Transcription

1 Feeling at home? Facilitating expats in the process of settling, working and living in the City Region Arnhem Nijmegen A study on the composition, perceptions and needs of expats and their employers Final report This study was assigned by City Region Arnhem Nijmegen in cooperation with the Municipality of Arnhem and the Municipality of Nijmegen drs. B.J. Buiskool drs. L. Boer Project number: B3459 Zoetermeer, September 19, 2008

2 The responsibility for the contents of this report lies with Research voor Beleid. Quoting of numbers and/or text as an explanation or support in papers, essays and books is permitted only when the source is clearly mentioned. No part of this publication may be copied and/or published in any form or by any means, or stored in a retrieval system, without the prior written permission of Research voor Beleid. Research voor Beleid does not accept responsibility for printing errors and/or other imperfections. 2

3 Preface As highly skilled, technically educated employees are scarce, the international market increasingly becomes an important source to recruit knowledge workers. Currently, the local governments of Arnhem and Nijmegen strongly focus on the importance of attracting and embedding expats to the region. This focus is being realised through the development of new policy and in the B4YOU program. The B4You program with the help of 21 regional partners, including the initiators of this study want to enhance the cooperation between companies, educational and research institutes, and the government 1. The central goals of B4You are (1) to increase the number of technical students by 20 percent at both a highschool and higher education levels by 2015, and; (2) to become one of the Netherlands most innovative regions by One of B4You s five action programmes aims to make the City Region Arnhem Nijmegen a more attractive place to live for expats. To effectively attract and keep expats, it is important to understand their needs and expectations when it comes to working and living. The City Region Arnhem Nijmegen currently lacks information on these matters. This study serves as a basis for new policy and investigating new ways of meeting the needs of expats and their employers and explores the expectations and perceptions of expats in the region. The report consists of three parts. Part A includes a short version of the report with the main findings, which can be used for communication purposes to relevant stakeholders like policy-makers, employers, and expats themselves. Part B includes the main report with all the data collected during the research process. It consists of five chapters. In chapter one an overview is given of the background and goals of this study. In addition, the methodological approach is described. Chapter two provides an overview of the number and composition of the group of expats working in the City Region. Subsequently, in chapter three, an overview is given of the current supply of facilities for expats in the region. Chapter four relates expats opinions on settling, working and living in the region, while chapter five discusses employers perceptions on attracting and embedding expats in the City Region. Finally part C introduces some points for discussion for further policy making. This study would not have been possible without the help of the business community and (quasi-) public organisations, and of course, the expats working in the City Region Arnhem Nijmegen. Therefore we would like to thank the all who participated in this study by completing the web survey. Research voor Beleid 1 In B4You the following 21 partners cooperate: Platform Bèta Techniek, Kenniscentrum Bètatechniek, Hogeschool Arnhem and Nijmegen, ROC Nijmegen, Rijn Ijssel, Arentheem College, Quadraam, Montessori College, Scholengroep Rijk van Nijmegen, Alliantie Voortgezet Onderwijs voor Nijmegen en het Land van Maas en Waal, Scholengroep Over- en Midden Betuwe, LINDUS, MKB NL, Industriële Kring voor Nijmegen e.o., Kamer van Koophandel Centraal Gelderland, OKA, VNO-NCW Arnhem Nijmegen, Gemeente Arnhem, Gemeente Nijmegen, City Region Arnhem Nijmegen. 3

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5 Contents Part A Executive summary / samenvatting 7 Summary 9 Part B Main report 23 1 Background, aims and research questions Policy context The importance of expats to the City Region Arnhem Nijmegen A strong focus: B4YOU Aim of the study Defining expats and the City Region Arnhem Nijmegen Defining expats Defining the broader City Region Arnhem Nijmegen Methodological approach Research methods Response Some methodological considerations 30 2 Number and composition of expats in the City Region Estimated number of expats working in the City Region Background characteristics of expats working in the City Region Gender and age Nationality and country of origin Bringing in family to the City Region Level of education of expats in the City Region Patterns of mobility of expats working in the City Region Arnhem Nijmegen Motivation and nature of source and destination Channels or mechanism Date of arrival and expected stay 44 3 Facilities for expats in and outside the City Region Public facilities Private facilities and initiatives Settling Living 52 4 Settling, working and living in the City Region Settling in the City Region Arnhem Nijmegen Guidance by employers Guidance by a relocation bureau Guidance by government services 58 5

6 4.2 Working in the City Region Arnhem Nijmegen Professional profile Type of contract and income Professional climate in the City Region Living in the City Region Arnhem Nijmegen Housing situation in the City Region Arnhem Nijmegen School and childcare facilities in the City Region Arnhem Nijmegen Leisure facilities and services in the City Region Arnhem Nijmegen Social contacts Infrastructure and transport Medical system and services Other service providers 86 5 Employers perspective on attracting and embedding expats Attracting expats to the City Region Arnhem Nijmegen Facilitating expats in the process of settlement Quality of facilities in the region Obstacles and suggestions for improvement 92 Part C Discussion 95 6 Discussion and suggestions for short-term improvements 97 Annex 1 Nederlandse samenvatting 101 Annex 2 Respondents interviews 107 Annex 3 Data specified for Arnhem, Nijmegen and the City Region 109 Annex 4 Participating organisations 121 6

7 Part A Executive summary / samenvatting 7

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9 Summary 1 As highly skilled, technically educated employees are scarce, the international market increasingly becomes an important source to recruit knowledge workers. Currently, the local governments of Arnhem and Nijmegen strongly focus on the importance of attracting and embedding expats to the region. This focus is being realised through the development of new policy and in the B4YOU program. To effectively attract and keep expats, it is important to understand their needs and expectations when it comes to working and living. The City Region Arnhem Nijmegen currently lacks information on these matters. This study serves as a basis for new policy and investigating new ways of meeting the needs of expats and their employers and explores the expectations and perceptions of expats in the region. Estimating the number of expats working in the City Region Arnhem Nijmegen In order to achieve an overview of the number of expats in the City Region Arnhem Nijmegen and the future job growth of this particular group of workers, a survey was organised among a select group of organisations where most expats were expected to work. In total 44 of the 58 organisations (76 percent) provided information on the number of expats working for their organisation. With these results, this study can strictly speaking only make reliable judgments for the number of expats working for these 44 organisations and not for the total population of expats working in the City Region. Therefore the presented number of expats has to be seen as the minimum number of workers working in the City Region. However, in order to give a rough estimation of the total number of expats we raise the total number of expats with a factor 1,25 because we assume that the responded organisations include 80 percent of the expats working in the City Region Arnhem Nijmegen (see box below). Based on this calculation, in 2008, there are approximately 1,650 expats working in the City Region Arnhem Nijmegen (Arnhem: 150 expats; Nijmegen: 850 expats; rest of the City Region including Boxmeer, Oss and Wageningen: 600 expats ) and the estimation is that this group will grow to approximately 2,200 expats by 2013 (33 percent). All together, these numbers show that demand for expats will increase and emphasises the importance of formulating a targeted policy to attract and retain this group of workers E Background characteristics of expats The majority of expats working in the City Region Arnhem Nijmegen are male (approximately 60 percent). Comparing the results of the group of expats working in the private sector with those working for the university, one sees that the private sector is dominated by men (70 percent), while the distribution of sexes within the university is more balanced (50 percent). Looking at the age structure of the total group of expats, one sees that more than half of them are less than 40 years old. Around a quarter of the expats are between 40 and 50 years old, while a small group of about one tenth is aged 50 and above. These numbers clearly indicate that expats are relatively young (especially the group of expats working for the university). A quarter of the expats brought their partner and children to the Netherlands. Almost one fifth of the expats brought only their partner, while very few expats brought only their children. 1 A Dutch version of this summary is provided in annex 1 9

10 Two thirds of the expats working in the private sector have children, while one fifth of those working for the university have children. Of those with children, approximately half have two children. Expats working for the private sector tend to have more children than those working for the university. Most expats have a Master degree or Ph.D. (approximately 81 percent). Almost one fifth of the expats have a Bachelor or professional degree. If one compares the level of education of the expats working for the private sector with those working for a university, one sees that the latter group are higher educated (Master or Doctoral degrees). Mobility pattern of expats working in the City Region Anrhem Nijmegen Two thirds of the expats decided to work in the City Region because they considered it as a career opportunity. One third of the expats stated that the attractive scientific climate was the reason for deciding to work in the region. Almost one fifth of them indicated that study was the reason. Other reasons mentioned by around one tenth of the expats were: the social, economic, political and cultural climate in the Netherlands; a strategy to gain international experience; forced mobility by employer; the region as place of residence; and family and / or friends living in the region. Almost half of the expats used academic or professional contacts to get information about their current job. The internet (job searching sites / organisation sites) was mentioned by four tenths of expats, and personal contacts were used by approximately one third. About one tenth of the expats made use of transfer mechanisms within the company or a network of university contacts. These numbers show that most of the information about their job is provided by informal contacts between colleagues, academics or acquaintances. Information via more traditional recruitment channels like vacancy notes in newspapers, job centres, recruitment fairs and advertising campaigns were used to a lesser extent (between one and three percent). Almost half of the expats working in the City Region Arnhem Nijmegen came to the Netherlands in the last three years (since 2006) and approximately 84 percent somewhere between 2000 and present. A relatively small group of expats came to the Netherlands before the year One fifth of the expats expect to stay in the Netherlands less than two years. Almost one third of the expats expect to stay between two and five years, while approximately 13 percent expect to stay between five and ten years. Around 16 percent of the expats indicated that they are planning to stay longer than 10 years. One fifth of them have no idea how long they expect to stay and work. Facilities for expats in the City Region Arnhem Nijmegen The local governments in the City Region Arnhem Nijmegen offer several facilities for expats, such as information on settling, working and living. Nijmegen is currently best equipped for expats with its English-language website, Hospitality Centre and Meeting Point. The Municipality of Arnhem recently launched a website for expats in English and German. In addition to the Region branding Cool Region Web site, the Municipality of Arnhem, the Municipality of Nijmegen and City Region are cooperating on expanding facilities for expats. Private initiatives, apart from the relocation bureaus that offer assistance regarding settling, working and living, mainly offer guidance and information on childcare and education as well as socialising and leisure activities. The Arnhem International School is the only international school in the area. Radboud University offers accommodation for visiting scholars. At the regional level, the Foreign Exchange, the Arnhem International School International Parents Council (IPC) and the Nijmegen-Arnhem Chaplaincy of the Anglican Church 10

11 offer social activities for expats from both Arnhem and Nijmegen. In Nijmegen, expats can join the Nijmegen Expat American Meetup Group. Settling in the City Region Arnhem Nijmegen The majority of expats believe that their employer gave sufficient support with visas, work permits, health insurance, and social security (such as pensions). Expats have more diverse opinions regarding the support of their employers on procedures to bring family to the Netherlands, on culture and society, on childcare and schooling, as well as on tax issues. The expats were relatively less positive about the support of their employer in establishing their personal lives. A quarter of expats were supported by a relocation bureau when moving and settling into the City Region. Differences exist between those working in the private sector versus those at the university. Half of the expats working for the private sector used a relocation bureau compared to almost none at the university. Three quarters of expats who used a relocation bureau received help in finding a house and information on the local culture. More than half of the expats received help to get established by arranging practical issue such as TV services, utility services, insurance, and a car. Around one third of expats believe that the provision of information regarding official procedures was poor to very poor. This included information on local taxes and local services; procedures for getting visas, resident permits and extensions; and the procedures for bringing family to the Netherlands. An equal group thinks that the information provided is good to very good. Assessing the community services in general, one sees that the majority of expats consider these as good to very good. An overview of the suggestions to improve employer support and government services is provided in the box below. Support of the employer in the process of settlement More guidance by the employer in the process of settlement and living in the Netherlands, before and upon arrival, particularly regarding translation of contracts, immigration, visa procedures, housing, pension and health insurance Offer more possibilities to learn Dutch and/or accept English as the second language at the workplace Welcome expats and help them socialize and network by for example providing a welcome package, organizing after work parties or informing them about other international companies in the region* 1 Government services Provide more information in English about the process of settling in the Netherlands (for example, a welcome package) and have government web sites, forms and brochures available in English Reduce bureaucracy and simplify procedures Government organisations, such as the IND, need to be more customer friendly / service oriented and understand expat needs* Facilitate friends and family visiting for a short term better* Longer opening hours of city hall* Open a central point for expats for support and guidance: One-stop shopping * 1 The boxes showing suggestions for improvement comprise the suggestions most often mentioned by expats and fewer mentioned suggestions representing interesting ideas. Suggestions mentioned less than 5 times are indicated by a *. 11

12 Working in the City Region Arnhem Nijmegen For most expats, their current employer is the first employer they worked for during their stay in the Netherlands (approximately 79 percent). Almost one fifth of expats have worked for two employers in the Netherlands and approximately 5 percent for more than three employers. Almost half of the expats have a temporary contract, while the other half have a permanent contract. Fewer expats are working on a secondment or internship basis. Comparing expats working in the private sector with those working for a university, one sees that the latter group has a high percentage with a temporary contract, while the former often have a permanent contract. For policy-makers it is useful to make an inventory of professional conditions that need to be improved, expanded, maintained or monitored in the coming years so that the region can stay attractive to expats. Priorities can be made by comparing the average score of satisfaction with the average score of importance (see figure below). The figure shows that for almost all categories, the satisfaction score is lower than the importance score. Dividing the matrix in four quadrants one sees that the item career opportunities needs improvement, while the items scientific climate and quality and content of work may be expanded. The international business climate and the primary and secondary package of benefits need to be monitored in the coming years. Professional conditions in Arnhem Nijmegen Region 90% 85% 80% Priority IV: Maintain Priority II: Expand Quality and content of your work 75% Scientific climate Satisfaction % 70% 65% 60% 55% International business climate Primary and secondary package of benefits Career Opportunities 50% 45% Priority III: Monitor Priority I: Improve 40% 50% 55% 60% 65% 70% 75% 80% 85% 90% Importance % An overview of the suggestions to improve the professional conditions for expats in the City Region Arnhem Nijmegen is provided in the box below. 12

13 International business climate Attract more international, high tech and R&D businesses to the region Create more business networking opportunities in order to gain better access to learning institutes; support each other and better understand the Dutch business culture, by, for example, organizing after work parties Stimulate an international environment and enhance international cooperation* 1 Develop a consistent, long-term policy with regards to high-tech businesses with an active role of the Radboud University* Career opportunities More information (in English) on career prospects and job opportunities in the region* Create better opportunities to get a permanent research and teaching contract at the university* Attract more international employment agencies or head hunters for the region* Scientific climate Organise international conferences or events to provide a forum for the world s leading scientific and technical communities* Primary and secondary package of benefits Increase competitiveness of job opportunities by expanding relocation packages* Quality and content of the work More working in teams and groups rather than individual projects; more contact between researchers* The fact that expats are less satisfied with the career opportunities in the region corresponds with the results of other studies on this topic 2. Eastern Netherlands is generally considered to offer fewer job opportunities for (international) knowledge workers than Western Netherlands or abroad since less large, international companies are based in the Eastern part of the country. Housing situation in the City Region Arnhem Nijmegen One third of the expats are living in a flat. One fifth of expats live in a single semidetached family dwelling. Comparing the results of expats working in the private sector with those working for the university, one can see that in the private sector, most expats are living in a single-family dwelling (a total of 69 percent), almost equally spread between detached, semi-detached, corner and terraced house. One third of expats working for the university are living in a room, dependent housing unit or student house. Most expats rent the accommodation in which they are living (67 percent), while almost one third (28 percent) of them own their accommodation. Almost five percent live in accommodation which is rented or owned by their employer. Approximately 60 percent of expats took less than half a year to find suitable accommodation and for almost one third it took more than six months. One tenth of the expats have not yet found suitable accommodation 3. Comparing the outcomes of expats working 1 The boxes showing suggestions for improvement comprise the suggestions most often mentioned by expats and fewer mentioned suggestions representing interesting ideas. Suggestions mentioned less than 5 times are indicated by a *. 2 Research voor Beleid, Knowledge workers in Eastern Netherlands (May, 2008) 3 n=17 13

14 for the private sector with those working for the university, one sees that almost one fifth of the latter group have not yet found suitable accommodation. More than half of the expats consider the price level of houses to be poor to very poor (and 70 percent at the university). A number of expats assesses the number and diversity (37 percent), the information facilities concerning the housing supply (34 percent), the quality of real estate agents and the quality of housing supply (31 percent and 23 percent, respectively) to be poor. Expats are generally satisfied with their current housing situation and the quality of the living environment in their neighbourhood (60 and 73 percent of the expats, respectively, assess them as good to very good). An overview of the expats suggestions to improve the housing situation is provided in the box below. Number, diversity and quality Expats find it extremely difficult to find suitable (rental) housing in the City Region Arnhem Nijmegen quickly. Therefore, the supply of (rental) accommodations for expats needs to be increased, especially in the city centre and the better neighbourhoods of Nijmegen and near the Arnhem International School. Set up priority for newcomers to find housing as quick as possible* 1 Price level Decrease prices for both renting and buying Issue some form of state or municipality control of rental prices* Real estate agents and accommodation agencies More information on the housing market in English (web sites, news, media) The municipality should play a direct role in offering (independent) information and advice on housing Shorten the waiting lists of accommodation agencies* Some real estate agents should focus on expats (such as Remax Nijmegen)* Make Dutch mortgages more suitable for expats* More accommodation should be government-owned rather than be expensive private organisations* Employer Accept flexi- and tele-working, which gives expats more flexibility when it comes to selecting a house further away from the office* Other Pick up bio-garbage more often, especially during summer* The 30 percent rule reduces the tax-return on mortgages, which makes buying less attractive for expats* Improve public transport in order to give expats more flexibility when it comes to selecting a house* 1 The boxes showing suggestions for improvement comprise the suggestions most often mentioned by expats and fewer mentioned suggestions representing interesting ideas. Suggestions mentioned less than 5 times are indicated by a *. 14

15 Schools in the City Region Arnhem Nijmegen Almost half of the expats who send their children to a school in the City Region Arnhem Nijmegen send their children to a Dutch primary school. About one third send their children to the Arnhem International School s (AIS) primary department. About one tenth of this group of expats send their children to a Dutch secondary school, while four tenths of them send their children to the AIS secondary department. A percentage of approximately six percent send their children to an institute providing tertiary education. Comparing the group of expats working in the private sector with those for the university, one sees that hardly any expats working for the university send their children to the AIS. Expats working for the private sector, on the other hand, are more likely to send their children to the AIS (almost half of them). The main reason for not sending children to the AIS is proximity (mentioned by 57 percent of the expats) and the importance of learning Dutch (mentioned by 44 percent of the expats). Approximately 26 percent mentioned the student fee as a reason for not sending their children to the Arnhem International School. On the other hand, the main reasons for sending their children to the AIS was the standard of the programmes in terms of content, methods and curriculum (mentioned by 51 percent of the expats), the international environment (mentioned by 78 percent of the expats), and their proximity (mentioned by 24 percent of the expats). Concerning primary school, expats are generally satisfied with the standard of the programmes, teaching staff, proximity, safety, and the communication policy. Differences can be seen comparing the group of expats sending their children to the AIS primary department and those to the Dutch primary school. The group of expats who are sending their children to the primary department of the AIS are more negative about the quality of the building (around 40 percent thinks it is poor to very poor), hygiene (38 percent thinks it is poor to very poor), after-school childcare (53 percent think it is poor to very poor), and student fees (20 percent thinks it is poor to very poor). Concerning secondary school, expats are generally satisfied with the standard of the programmes, safety, and hygiene. However, differences can be seen comparing the group of expats sending their children to the AIS secondary department and those to a Dutch secondary school. The group of expats who are sending their children to the secondary department of the AIS are more negative about the quality of the building (around 35 percent thinks it is poor to very poor), teaching staff (19 percent thinks it is poor to very poor), after school childcare (33 percent thinks it is poor to very poor), communication policy (20 percent poor to very poor), and student fees (27 percent thinks it is poor to very poor). AIS wishes to expand social activities and improve the school s accomodation in the (near) future. Municipality of Arnhem, Municipality of Nijmegen and other regional governments and partners are interested in discussing these ideas with AIS. An overview of suggestions for improvements of schools is provided in the box below. 15

16 Pre- and after-school care (buitenschoolse opvang or BSO): Reduce the waiting list for pre- and after-school care by increasing the number of places* Reduce the price for pre- and after-school care* Offer more flexibility in the hours of pre- and after-school care* Arrange bus service to bring children to school and back* Arnhem International School: Improve the facilities and buildings of the primary school (Slochterenweg) by updating equipment, expanding the building and classrooms as well as creating a larger and safer play area Hire more qualified, international staff Communicate with parents more frequently and improve the communication on curricula, teaching hours and schedules* Combine the primary and secondary school into one building, modelled on, for example, schools in Rotterdam, Dusseldorf and Wassenaar* Lower school fees to the level of Dutch schools* Offer supplementary Dutch-language teaching and integration courses for children* Other: Enable expats to choose by setting up an international school or bilingual programs in Nijmegen Increase the information about schooling and childcare facilities in the region* Leisure activities in the City Region Arnhem Nijmegen Expats are, in general, satisfied with all leisure facilities, services and events in the City Region Arnhem Nijmegen. For policy-makers it is useful to make an inventory of the facilities and services that need to be improved, expanded, maintained or monitored in the coming years so that the region can stay attractive to expats. Priorities can be made by comparing the average score of satisfaction with the average score of importance (see figure below). Facilities and services in the Arnhem Nijmegen Region 90% 85% Priority IV: Maintain Natural environment Priority II: Expand 80% Shopping facilities Satisfaction % 75% 70% 65% 60% Pubs/nightlife/restaurants Amusement parks and play areas Theatre Museum Non-organised sports activities Cinema Library Festivals/events Organised sports activities 55% Classical concerts Popular concerts/ (pop, rock, jazz) 50% 45% Priority III: Monitor Religious services (e.g. churches, mosque) Priority I: Improve 40% 50% 55% 60% 65% 70% 75% 80% 85% 90% Importance % 16

17 The figure shows that the natural environment, library, cinema, (non) organised sport activities, festivals and events were considered as very important for the attractiveness of the City Region to expats, while museums, amusement parks, play areas, shopping facilities and popular concerts were considered as moderately to very important. Dividing the matrix into four quadrants, one sees that none of the items needs improvement. The natural environment may be expanded in order to promote the region. The shopping facilities can be maintained at the same level, as the satisfaction score is higher than the importance score. This means that for these facilities, there is no immediate need to improve their quality. The other facilities need to be monitored carefully to make sure the satisfaction score does not lower. Religious services, classical and popular concerts, theatre, museums, play grounds, organised sport activities, festivals / events, and the library may require special attention because they show a gap between the level of satisfaction and level of importance (five to 15 percent). An overview of the suggestions for improvements is provided in the box below. Offer more information in other languages than Dutch such as English and French Longer opening hours for (outdoor) swimming pools, shops and museums to meet needs of working expats Create more sports facilities such as swimming pools, fitness schools and common recreational outdoors activities* Internet (approximately 91 percent) and personal contacts (approximately 57 percent) are most frequently used for getting information on leisure activities. Newspapers, brochures, and / digital newsletters are used by 20 to 40 percent of expats. Almost one fifth of expats use an intranet at work or local television. A minor group of expats use information from the radio or other sources. The box below lists what expats would like to see improved regarding the way they are informed about leisure activities in the City Region. An up-to-date Web site listing all events in the City Region Arnhem Nijmegen; the link of this Web site should be given to each expat before or upon arrival A monthly or quarterly (e-)newsletter with activities, facilities and events sent to everyone registered as an expat Provide welcome and information packages when an expat registers at city hall * Postings on a school bulletin board, which is the link to the world for most expat moms * For tips on how to inform expats in the City Region Arnhem Nijmegen, take a look at expat books published by the American Women s Club in The Hague (Life in Holland) and the KidGids.* 17

18 Social contacts in the City Region Arnhem Nijmegen Hardly any differences in opinion can be seen between expats working for the private sector and those working for the university. Expats rate their social contacts at work and with other international workers as good (70 percent of the expats considered the quality of these social contacts to be good to very good). Around half of the expats also feel positive about their social contacts within religious organisations, clubs / associations, their neighbourhoods, with local people, and third persons like shop keepers. Around one fifth assesses these contacts as poor to very poor. Almost 60 percent of the expats rate the politeness of the local population as good to very good. A percentage of almost 10 considers the politeness to be poor to very poor. Some remarks were made by the expats in the survey about the lack of openness and acceptance of foreigners into the Dutch society. In general, other studies show, expats find Dutch people are very friendly in day-to-day interaction. However, to move beyond this superficial level can be very difficult 1. Leisure activities in the City Region Arnhem Nijmegen Logistics in the City Region Arnhem Nijmegen Most expats are satisfied with the traffic infrastructure, public transport facilities and the international connectivity in the City Region Arnhem Nijmegen. Almost one fifth of the respondents rate the quality of international connectivity as poor to very poor; approximately one tenth thinks the traffic infrastructure and the public transport is poor. Naturally, this latter group would like to see better public-transport facilities (reducing the costs and more supply), traffic infrastructure (less traffic in the city, improved fluidity) and international connectivity (direct connection by train and airplane). Healthcare in the City Region Arnhem Nijmegen Expats have a diverse opinion on social security and medical insurance systems in the Netherlands. One third of the expats is satisfied with this system (good to very good), one fifth consider the quality to be poor or very poor. Almost 40 percent of the expats consider the quality of the medical services to be good to very good. A quarter of them assesses these services to be poor or very poor. Most complaints about the medical system and services relate to the inflexibility of the medical-insurance system and waiting lists. Banking and insurance in the City Region Arnhem Nijmegen Most expats are satisfied with financial-service providers. Almost half of them assesses their services as good to very good. One tenth of the expats thinks that the quality of the providers is poor to very poor. 1 Buiskool, B.J., Grijpstra, D., Attracting and embedding inter-national knowledge workers in the Eindhoven Region: A study on the composition, perceptions and expectations (Research voor Beleid, 2006) 18

19 Perception of employers on attracting and embedding expats Approximately 38 percent of employers find it easy to attract expats; about 14 percent think it is difficult. Almost half of the respondents think it is neither difficult nor easy to attract expats. In order to attract expats, organisations use a wide range of instruments. Networks of university or business contacts and advertising campaigns are the most popular recruitment strategies amongst employers (67 percent and 62 percent, respectively), followed by transfers within the company itself (43 percent). Employers also attend recruitment fairs (38 percent). Foreign recruiters are the least popular (10 percent). Over 80 percent of the responding employers feels responsible and invests in giving adequate support to expats. Five percent does not feel responsible and 10 percent is undecided on this topic. Most employers facilitate expats when relocating to the City Region Arnhem Nijmegen, and they always support expats when applying for a work and residence permit and in administrative issues concerning the local government. Except for finding a house and support in childcare, two thirds of the employers (mainly) facilitate expats themselves. External parties such as relocation bureaus, real-estate agencies and law firms are more often hired in case of relocating or moving, finding a house and dealing with financial issues. Employers feel the most positive about the scientific climate of the City Region Arnhem Nijmegen, followed by the offer of primary and secondary schooling and finally cultural activities. Employers are generally less satisfied with housing, community services and the international investment climate. The standard of housing in the region shows the lowest score; housing is perceived as poor or very poor by one third of the respondents, 57 percent consider it average. Ten percent perceives housing as good. Community services are evaluated poor by 19 percent of the responding employers; 43 percent consider it average and 29 percent as good. The box below provides an overview of obstacles employers face in the process of attracting expats and also offers potential solutions. Most suggestions were mentioned by employers once or twice. 19

20 Bottlenecks 1 1. Immigration procedures and work permit: Procedures (for non-eu persons Legalization of certificates)* Procedures take a very long time)* Bureaucracy of the IND)* Lack of a central desk of information on procedures)* 2. Dutch language*, for example: Dutch language used by government authorities)* 3. Finances, for example: Tax structure)* Opening bank accounts )* 4. Housing Rent and buying prices too high)* Lack of housing available on short term)* 5. Professional environment, for example: Reputation of research group and research facilities)* Competition of other countries and regions in hiring highly qualified employees)* Recommendations 1. Housing Reasonably priced housing Suitable housing for expats which is immediately available upon arrival* Possibility of long-term contracts of apartments instead of temporary contracts* 2. (Centralized) Offer of information and support Central, specialised department to help with all kinds of problems, including housing* One-stop shopping for all procedures related to expats* Good information and support from city hall* Support for subscribing to social facilities (toeslagen) * 3. More (positive) attention for expats In general, positive culture / attitude towards foreigners* Meet & greet programs* Other, for example: International school in Nijmegen* Public transport to Winkelsteeg / Noviotech Campus* Other, for example: High expenses for travelling and connection by public transport to outer industrial zone)* Discussion and suggestions for short-term improvements An interesting question for policy-makers is how to interpret the outcomes of this study. Does the City Region Arnhem Nijmegen perform well or are the outcomes disappointing? Which fields need to be improved or developed in order for the region to stay attractive for expats? Ideally, these outcomes would need to be compared with studies in other regions inside and outside the Netherlands, which compete with City Region Arnhem Nijmegen to attract and retain expats (according to the principle of benchmarking). This study named a number of activities, facilities and services for settling, working and living in the City Region that could be improved. Some problems are difficult to solve on short term because they need concrete changes in policy or need long term investments and therefore careful consideration of government priorities (like e.g. building houses). Others are easier to solve like improving information facilities for expats in order to help them organise their lives in the Netherlands. From the web surveys and the suggestions made by 1 The boxes showing suggestions for improvement comprise the suggestions most often mentioned by expats and fewer mentioned suggestions representing interesting ideas. Suggestions mentioned less than 5 times are indicated by a *. 20

21 expats and their employers themselves a number of possible short-term and low-cost improvements can be derived. These improvements primarily concern communication and information. The responsibility for these improvements lies with several actors (local government, employers, Arnhem International School, Real Estate Agents, woningbouwcooperaties, head hunters and job agencies) In formulating a targeted policy for expats working and living in the City Region Arnhem Nijmegen, policy-makers must be aware that two distinct groups of expats exist: expats working for the private sector and those working for the university. Each group differs in their composition, perceptions and expectations. In general, expats from the university are much younger because this group mainly consists of Ph.D. students or post-docs, and they therefore have other needs and exhibit different behaviour. From the perspective of good policy-making, it is advisable to set targets, and monitor them. Monitoring the group makes it possible to evaluate the specific policy measures which have been put into place to attract and retain expats to the City Region Arnhem Nijmegen (input, resources, output, results, effects and impact). Organising this study on expats is a first step, as it identifies indicators in the professional, social and regional environment and measures them for the first time. Repeating similar measurements in the future would provide policy-makers more precise information on the effectiveness, efficiency and point for improvements of policy. 21

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23 Part B Main report 23

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25 1 Background, aims and research questions 1.1 Policy context The importance of expats to the City Region Arnhem Nijmegen The City Region Arnhem Nijmegen can be described as highly urbanised and knowledgeintensive. On a map showing the density of knowledge-based industries in the Netherlands, the region clearly stands out (see Figure 1.1). The region is characterized by a concentration of innovative and scientific companies, educational establishments and research institutes. The health sector in particular has a strong presence, represented by organisations like the UMC St. Radboud hospital, the Canisius Wilhelmina Hospital, the St. Maartensclinique, the Hogeschool Arnhem-Nijmegen (HAN), Mercachem and NXP Semiconductors. For this reason, regional and national governments consider the area to be one of the three knowledgeintensive regions in Eastern Netherlands and is often called Health Valley 1. Figure 1.1 The density of knowledge-based industries in the Netherlands (Bureau Louter, 2002) 2 Source: Technopolis, Eastern Netherlands: a top technological region? (Ministry of Economic Affairs, 2005) 1 As part of the regional viewpoint of the Triangle and the national subsidy program Pieken in de Delta, three areas in Eastern Netherlands have been designated as peeks or knowledge concentrations. Besides Health Valley, there is Food Valley (Wageningen) and Innovationplatform Twente or Technology Valley (Twente, Enschede). 2 Bureau Louter considers the following sectors and industries to be knowledge intensive: the pharmaceutical industry (part of the chemical industry), machinery, electro-technical engineering, as well as the car and aircraft industry (part of the transport industry). 25

26 For employers, with the exception of large multinationals, it is not always easy to attract and keep knowledge workers 1. The presence of several top educational establishments secures the region with a sufficient supply of highly trained scientists. However, many young knowledge workers move abroad or to the conurbation of Western Netherlands (Randstad) after finishing their education. As a result, Eastern Netherlands suffers from a brain drain (see Box 1) 2. Employers in the City Region Arnhem Nijmegen also meet with difficulties because of this. Causes brain drain in Eastern Netherlands The brain drain in Eastern Netherlands is caused by a number of factors: Less favourable career prospects for knowledge workers, caused by: a disadvantage in Research & Development. Like the rest of the Netherlands, the East falls behind most EU and OECD countries when it comes to private investments in R&D activities. Therefore, working abroad, where companies invest more and where innovative activity is more intense, becomes more attractive for knowledge workers. in comparison to the West and South, few large multinationals are based in Eastern Netherlands. A negative perception of the region as a place to live. Young knowledge workers, for whom a high-quality urbanized environment is important, find the region less dynamic than the conurbation of the West. Also, among international-knowledge workers, the cities Arnhem and Nijmegen are not well known. Source: Knowledge workers in Eastern Holland: listing bottlenecks, a study by Research voor Beleid A strong focus: B4YOU As highly skilled, technically educated employees are scarce, the international market increasingly becomes an important source to recruit knowledge workers. Currently, the local governments of Arnhem and Nijmegen strongly focus on the importance of attracting and embedding expats to the region. This focus is being realised through the development of new policy and in the B4YOU program. The B4You program with the help of 21 regional partners, including the initiators of this study want to enhance the cooperation between companies, educational and research institutes, and the government 3. The central goals of B4You are (1) to increase the number of technical students by 20 percent at both a highschool and higher education levels by 2015, and; (2) to become one of the Netherlands most innovative regions by One of B4You s five action programmes aims to make the City Region Arnhem Nijmegen a more attractive place to live for expats. To effectively attract and keep expats, it is important to understand their needs and expectations when it comes to working and living. The City Region Arnhem Nijmegen currently lacks information on these matters. This study serves as a basis for new policy and investigating new ways of meeting the needs of expats and their employers and explores the expectations and perceptions of expats in the region. 1 Boer, L., Buiskool, B.J., Wils, J., Knowledge workers in Eastern Holland: listing bottlenecks (2008) 2 Twenteindex In B4You the following 21 partners cooperate: Platform Bèta Techniek, Kenniscentrum Bètatechniek, Hogeschool Arnhem and Nijmegen, ROC Nijmegen, Rijn Ijssel, Arentheem College, Quadraam, Montessori College, Scholengroep Rijk van Nijmegen, Alliantie Voortgezet Onderwijs voor Nijmegen en het Land van Maas en Waal, Scholengroep Over- en Midden Betuwe, LINDUS, MKB NL, Industriële Kring voor Nijmegen e.o., Kamer van Koophandel Centraal Gelderland, OKA, VNO-NCW Arnhem Nijmegen, Gemeente Arnhem, Gemeente Nijmegen, City Region Arnhem Nijmegen. 26

27 1.2 Aim of the study The aim of this study is threefold: to gain insight into the number, composition, experiences and expectations of organisations employing expats in the (broader) City Region Arnhem Nijmegen; to gain insight into the number, composition, experiences and expectations of the expat population in the (broader) City Region Arnhem Nijmegen to gain insight into the facilities for expats in the region, in particular the (non-) use of the Arnhem International School From these aims, the following research questions were derived: 1 Which needs do organisations employing expats have concerning the support of expats during settlement in the City Region Arnhem Nijmegen? 2 How many expats are employed in the region? 3 What is the composition of this group? 4 How do expats experience the living and working environment of the region? 5 Which facilities are currently available to expats? How does the Arnhem International School (AIS) function in this context? 6 On which aspects can the City Region Arnhem Nijmegen be improved to make it more attractive to expats? A sub-goal of the study is to create a database containing contact information of expats in the region. In the future, such a database will enable the City Region to inform expats about activities. 1.3 Defining expats and the City Region Arnhem Nijmegen Defining expats In various studies expats are defined as foreigners who settle in the Netherlands for a short or extended period of time for the purpose of / motivated by employment 1. However, applying this definition risks including foreign semi- and unskilled workers in the study. As the study means to focus on foreign, highly educated employees working in the City Region Arnhem Nijmegen, we limit our definition of expat to mean international knowledge worker (see box 2) 2. 1 The concept of expats is often associated with employers working for private enterprises. In this study, however, we also mean expats working for (semi-) public organisations (such as government, hospitals and research institutes). 2 The concept knowledge worker can be defined in several ways. A well-known definition is the one based on HRST education and professions. Our study of the international mobility of knowledge workers as well as our study of knowledge workers in Eastern Holland define HRST professions as the sum of high level and scientific professions in accordance with the CBS standard Classification of Professions (SBC92), levels HRST education is defined as high-level and academic education. 27