Student organisation ISO launches job board for extracurricular activities

Students can find vacancies for extracurricular development alongside their studies and part-time jobs on the ‘Bovenop je studie’ website from 14 November. These include volunteer roles, committee positions and board memberships. “We have noticed for some time that fewer and fewer students are doing a year on the board or participating in student representation,” says Sarah Evink, Chair of the Interstedelijk Studenten Overleg (ISO). “Some would like to do something alongside their studies, but are unsure of the possibilities.”

The student organisation hopes that the job board will provide a solution. “Students can easily see what the options are and what suits them,” says Evink.

Is the job board only open to students in higher education?

‘Vocational education student organisations are also free to post vacancies. This does not apply to internships, as these are simply part of the study programme. However, student and study associations or representative bodies, for example, are welcome to post their vacancies there.’

How can students use the job board?

“They can search for vacancies by province and nationally. For example, the province of Groningen currently has a vacancy for the board of Keiweek, the introduction week there. But there are also a number of vacancies for national board positions online. The ISO is also listed, by the way.

‘If associations no longer have a board, an important part of student culture will disappear’

You can also filter by the number of months you can commit or the number of hours you want to work per week. This is important because many students have little time. We notice that they actually want to do more alongside their studies, but still choose not to.

Why is that?

‘Many students have financial worries and want to graduate as quickly as possible to avoid high study debts. As a result, they have little time for extracurricular activities. This means that many student organisations are now at risk of disappearing, which is very worrying.

We have sent a letter about this to the Minister, but we have not yet received a response. That is why we have now taken matters into our own hands and set up this job board. But much more is needed, and the government must help with that.”

Why are those years on the board and other extracurricular activities so important?

“If the associations no longer have a board, an important part of Dutch student culture will disappear. You need students who organise activities; not just drinks, but also introduction weeks, sports tournaments, pub lectures or career events. Students experience a lot of pressure to perform and stress. If the fun activities are taken away, that doesn’t help to relieve that pressure.

What’s more, you learn a lot. I myself spent a year on the student council, where you acquire important skills that you can later apply in your work. Moreover, the student council is an important part of democracy within education. If the voice of students is missing, people will talk about them instead of with them, and that will ultimately be at the expense of education quality.”

HOP, Naomi Bergshoeff