What Be an Engineer does

Be an Engineer was a Dutch retraining and employment program that helped professionals transition into technical careers through a paid work-and-learn (omscholingstraject) model. The program matched candidates seeking career change with companies facing staffing shortages in technical sectors, and was delivered in partnership with five Dutch universities of applied sciences (hogescholen): HAN University of Applied Sciences, Hanze University of Applied Sciences, Hogeschool Saxion, Hogeschool Utrecht, and Hogeschool van Amsterdam. Each university provided regional account management and coordinate student placement, and the program was operated under No Waste Services B.V. as the parent entity.

The core offering was a single unified work-and-learn program — the company itself functioned as the platform linking candidates to technical employers. No proprietary technology, product modules, or AI capabilities are described in the source material; the underlying technology footprint appears to be limited to a standard WordPress-based website. No pricing model is disclosed, and the source notes indicate the platform was a publicly-supported retraining initiative rather than a revenue-generating commercial product.

In 2024, the decision was made to phase out Be an Engineer and consolidate its operations into FastSwitch, a flexible retraining program covering technical and other shortage-sector careers. As a result, the program is no longer accepting new candidates or employer matches, login has been disabled, personal data is being deleted, and the website redirects users to FastSwitch (Techniek) for continued service. The operating status is recorded as closed.

Name

Be an Engineer

Legal name

Be an Engineer

Website

https://beanengineer.nl

Company type

Private

Operating status

Closed

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Be an Engineer was a Dutch publicly-supported retraining program that helped professionals transition into technical careers via a paid work-and-learn model, operated by No Waste Services B.V. with five Dutch hogescholen. The program was phased out and merged into FastSwitch in 2024.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Workforce Development and Career Transition Services

NAICS

Apprenticeship Training (611513), Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Professional and Management Development Training (61143), Employment Placement Agencies (561311)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Apprenticeships, Internships & Work-Based Learning Programs (BPACANAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Career Transition & Reemployment Services (Job Search Support) (BPACAOAD), Internship-to-Apprenticeship & Early Talent Pipeline Programs (EDAMAKAL)

Keywords

• Workforce reskilling programs
• Technical career transition
• Paid learning and working
• Engineering talent pipeline
• Retraining initiatives

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Core offering

Be an Engineer operated a paid learning-and-working (omscholingstraject) retraining program that helped professionals transition into technical careers by matching candidates with Dutch companies experiencing staffing shortages in the technical sector. The program was delivered in partnership with Dutch universities of applied sciences (hogescholen), which provided account management and candidate coordination. The initiative has been phased out and merged into FastSwitch.

Product overview

Be an Engineer was a single unified paid learning and working (omscholingstraject) program that helped professionals transition into careers in technical sectors. The company itself functioned as the primary offering—a retraining platform that connected candidates with companies in the technical industry. The company is now being phased out and merged into FastSwitch, which continues similar retraining services for technical careers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Be an Engineer Omscholingstraject

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• HAN University of Applied SciencescoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartner institution providing account management services. Contact: Hetty de Jonge ([email protected]). Facilitated student placement and coordination for the retraining program.
• Hanze University of Applied SciencescoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartner institution providing account management services. Contact: Laura Sluijk ([email protected]). Facilitated student placement and coordination for the retraining program.
• Hogeschool SaxioncoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartner institution providing account management services. Contact: Ralph Baalhuis ([email protected]). Facilitated student placement and coordination for the retraining program.
• Hogeschool UtrechtcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartner institution providing account management services. Contact: Joyce Hornikx ([email protected]). Facilitated student placement and coordination for the retraining program.
• Hogeschool van AmsterdamcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartner institution providing account management services. Contact: Zamani Melcherts ([email protected]). Facilitated student placement and coordination for the retraining program.
• FastSwitchflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerBe an Engineer is being phased out and merged into FastSwitch, which is a flexible retraining program for professionals transitioning to sectors with labor shortages, including technical fields. FastSwitch continues the mission under the FastSwitch Techniek (Technical) program.

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights1 record

Broad incumbents

• UWV (Uitvoeringsinstituut Werknemersverzekeringen): Dutch government employee insurance agency that includes reemployment and reskilling services for workers, including pathways into shortage sectors. Provides publicly-funded alternatives to Be an Engineer's offering.
• NCOI Groep: Large Dutch provider of professional and vocational education including technical and management programs. Comparable in serving adult career-development needs, though broader and more established than Be an Engineer.
• Springest: Dutch comparison and marketplace platform for professional training and education. Adjacent to Be an Engineer as a channel for adult learners seeking retraining, though broader in scope.
• LinkedIn Learning: Global professional upskilling platform with extensive technical course catalog. Indirectly comparable as a broad incumbent alternative channel for technical reskilling of professionals.

Emerging players

• Codeur (voorheen StudentenBureau): Dutch platform connecting technical talent with freelance and contract work, with adjacent retraining/upskilling content. Shares the technical-career-transition target segment with Be an Engineer.

Direct peers

• Wijkamp Omscholing: Dutch retraining agency that helps professionals transition into shortage occupations, including technical roles, using a similar work-and-learn model. Operates in the same Dutch omscholing market.
• Capabel Onderwijs: Dutch training and retraining provider offering vocational and career-transition programs in healthcare, education, and technical fields. Comparable in its focus on adult career switchers and pathway-to-employment offerings.
• ITvitae: Dutch IT retraining program that places candidates into technical roles through a work-and-learn model, often with public-sector support. Directly comparable to Be an Engineer in mission, target persona, and delivery approach.
• FastSwitch: Successor platform that is absorbing Be an Engineer's retraining mission, including the Techniek (technical) program. Operates the same work-and-learn model for professionals transitioning into sectors with labor shortages in the Netherlands.
• TechGrounds: Dutch bootcamp and retraining provider focused on placing career switchers into technical/IT roles. Competes in the same Dutch reskilling-to-employment space as Be an Engineer.

Market position

Strengths3 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/beanengineer-nederland

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Be an Engineer