Universities of applied sciences are laying off temporary staff

Enrolment figures are falling in higher professional education. The total number of students has fallen by eight per cent over the past three years. As a result, the number of teaching staff has fallen by 5 per cent since 2022, and support staff by 3 per cent. Those on temporary contracts have been particularly affected. Within this group, the number of teaching staff has halved over three years, whilst support staff has fallen by 41 per cent. Not all of them have been made redundant; some have been offered permanent contracts.

Differences

There are, however, differences between universities of applied sciences. Of the large universities of applied sciences (with more than ten thousand students), Leiden University of Applied Sciences has the highest proportion of temporary contracts: 16 per cent. It is also the only large university of applied sciences to see its student numbers actually increase.

The Arnhem and Nijmegen University of Applied Sciences is at the other end of the spectrum and has an ever-decreasing number of temporary contracts: just 5 per cent among lecturers and 4 per cent among support staff.

(HOP, BB)