What & Why
Young Expert Programmes consists of YEP Water and YEP Agrofood, and YEP Tailor-made. YEP Energy ran from 2020-2025, and is currently no longer part of our programmes.
The main goal of the programmes is to offer young Dutch professionals the opportunity to gain experience abroad and to offer young national professionals the opportunity to gain experience with working in an international environment through Dutch organisations. Additionally, YEP Programmes rejuvenates the Dutch international cooperation sector and provides organisations with highly skilled young professionals.
YEP Introduction
The YEP Programmes offer viable opportunities for young professionals, as well as for the Dutch water abd agrofood sectors. These sectors have a clear need for capacity building at an international level and are striving for more international young professionals who can contribute to knowledge transfers, innovation, new technologies and rejuvenation in these sectors. Therefore, YEP Programmes strives to assure the continued availability of international professionalism and expertise in the Dutch water and agrofood sectors.
In a podcast episode of Baanbrekers by Podkasteel, the YEP Programmes are explained in more detail, and Young Expert Bram Berkelmans shares his experiences as a Young Expert.
The deployment of Young Experts is strongly related to one or more of the following themes of the Dutch development cooperation policy:
Water
- Efficient water management, in particular in the agricultural sector
- Improved river basin management and safe estuaries
- Access to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Innovative Water Technology
Agrofood
- Eradicating of existing hunger and malnutrition
- Promoting of inclusive and sustainable growth in the agricultural sector
- Creating of ecologically sustainable food systems
SDGs
YEP Programmes contributes to the Sustainable Development Goals:
Joining YEP Programmes
Dutch companies, knowledge institutions and social organisations that are involved in the policy for, and implementation of, development cooperation activities outside the Netherlands can submit a project proposal for the deployment of a Young Expert. The period of deployment is a minimum of 1 year and a maximum of 2 years.
During their programme the Young Experts receive intensive training and coaching as part of the learning agility approach. With a focus on self-awareness, the Young Experts identify opportunities for professional development and personal growth, to be able to focus in their work on change, stakeholders and results.
Find out more during our information sessions for organisations.
YEP Tailor-made
Public Private Partnerships
YEP Programmes consists of YEP Water and YEP Agrofood. These are Public Private Partnerships (PPP) involving the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Inclusive Green Growth Department (IGG) in cooperation with the Personnel and Organisation Department (HDPO)). For YEP Water this PPP includes the Netherlands Water Partnership (NWP), and for YEP Agrofood the Netherlands Food Partnership (NFP). For YEP Energy (2020-2025) the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) was included in the PPP.
Parties in the Dutch water and agrofood sector
YEP Progammes meets the water and agrofood sectors' need for Young Experts who have acquired international experience. The seconding organisations not only invest in young talent that can be deployed within their organisation, but also assist in the development of a network for the future , the creation of a pool of talented professionals and, ultimately, increase the sustainability of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ approach to selected development cooperation and the number of opportunities available for cooperation. The water and agrofood sectors and the government make joint investments in the training of Young Experts.
The parties in the Dutch water and agrofood sectors which take part in the programme (the organisations) assist YEP Programmes by making their expertise available for courses and providing facilities for training and on-site visits.