A scene from last year’s Flinx Recruitment Expo Dutch Caribbean (FRED) in Rotterdam. Photo courtesy FRED Expo.
ROTTERDAM--This year’s Flinx Recruitment Expo Dutch Caribbean (FRED) in Rotterdam will take place May 11-12. St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) and Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIA) are slated to be present at the seventh edition of the FRED Expo.
FRED, always held at the Rotterdam World Trade Centre (WTC) since 2012, has been the recruitment and networking event for connecting the islands with Dutch Caribbean students and young professionals in the Netherlands.
The event gives Caribbean employers the opportunity to meet potential future employees face-to-face. In turn, the students and young professionals get a chance to personally learn more about career opportunities on the islands.
With more than 20 participating companies, organiser Tristan Every, who hails from Aruba, said he expected more than 500 participants to come to this year’s FRED. “In the last few years we’ve seen quite an increase in participation from Aruban companies. This is due to the strides these companies are making in the direction of innovation and technology. We can really see that from the vacancies they have available,” stated Every.
The sectors represented at FRED are once again quite diverse, with medical, legal, financial and technical companies from the islands all scheduled to be present. Like last year, FRED will have a variety of speakers and panels on the main stage. Topics to be covered range from the islands’ economies to short- and long-term opportunities on the islands. Invited guests as well as company representatives will be participating in the main stage programme.
The first day, May 11, will focus on the speakers, workshops, presentations and the job fair. Companies will be able to the hold interviews with prospective candidates on May 12. Unified St. Maarten Connection (USC) will be present at FRED with a delegation.
Every and Quincy Sintiago, an entrepreneur from Curaçao, started FRED when they were students themselves. “Despite, or maybe even because of, the adverse economic conditions of the islands, we believe it is our duty to continue to offer this platform. It’s extremely necessary to bring back our professionals to the islands to further stimulate the economy here,” Every and Sintiago said in a press release.
FRED is again this year partnering with WeConnect, an organisation in the Netherlands that helps students and young professionals secure jobs, traineeships or internships back home.
“We support and back FRED 100 per cent, since we’re both working towards the same goal, bringing back brains. We encourage our network of both employers and employees to be present at the Expo on Saturday, May 11,” stated WeConnect Business Leader Tanja Fraai, who will be moderating several panel discussions on the main stage. WeConnect and several other companies such as Ictual and Kooyman will hold a workshop.
