There's plenty of talent, yet many refugees are working below their level. It's a shame, says Caroline van Blerkom of Lexicon Trainingen. In the Haarlems Dagblad newspaper, she calls on the government and employers to think more long-term. Because we can't afford brainwaste—the waste of talent.

Caroline, who recently attended one of our employer sessions on the importance of language , sees it in practice: highly educated non-Dutch speakers fill positions or work as cleaners, simply because their language skills aren't yet sufficient for their field. Caroline: "That's real 'brain waste': a waste of talent, considering that many highly educated refugees are capable of much more than just cleaning. They just don't have a strong enough command of the language yet."

 And investing pays off. Because cheap often ends up being expensive, argues Van Blerkom. "Just calculate what someone who's been on welfare for ten years costs. That amounts to around €150,000 to €200,000. The longer someone is sidelined, the harder it becomes to get into the system."

 We see this daily at the Refugee Talent Hub as well. Many newcomers want to work, but struggle due to language or cultural barriers. Think of the experiences of Jackline and Abdulrahman, or the report "Wachten of werken " (Waiting or Working), which clearly illustrates this. Our director Wilma Roozenboom also emphasized in the Financieel Dagblad that investing in newcomers pays off.

 Need help? Make use of subsidies

 Fortunately, there are resources available to help you as an employer, such as the SOWIS subsidy (Subsidy Scheme for Supporting Employers in the Use of Status Holders). This subsidy provides additional support to status holders in the workplace, aimed at reducing language and cultural differences. Good to know: a new application round opens on June 2nd. This presents a great opportunity to work towards sustainable recruitment.

 Want to know how it works? We previously wrote a blog post with tips and tricks about the SOWIS subsidy.

Curious about Caroline van Blerkom's full article? Read it here on the Lexicon website or read the full article in the Haarlems Dagblad .

 Want to know more?

• FD article: Newcomers must be able to participate from their first day in the Netherlands
• Labor participation of asylum seekers: wait or work?
• A job gives newcomers control again