Ambassadors in Netherlands
Esajas Mitchell
There exists a considerable gap in educational achievement and employment between ethnic minority youths and their native peers in the Netherlands. This makes people with an immigrant background more vulnerable for economic downturns like the current financial crisis we are facing. From primary school to higher education, ethnic minority youths former face serious educational disadvantages compared to their native-Dutch peers. Despite an intergenerational increase in enrollment of ethnic minorities in higher education the gap in educational achievement persists. This disadvantage in the educational system translates into a weaker position on the labor market which is reflected in higher unemployment rates and lower paid positions compared of ethnic minorities.
To make a change in this situation I set up the New Urban Collective, a network for students and young professionals and youths from diverse cultural backgrounds. We aim to encourage students to the best of their abilities in the areas of education, employment and personal development. Since we began in 2011 we grew to a network with 300 members, more than 1000 young people attended our events. We have organized conferences, debates, workshops and mentoring programs on a diverse range of topics.
