WILLEMSTAD, KRALENDIJK, ORANJESTAD – In addition to reforms at the university level, the Dutch government is expanding regional vocational healthcare education to reduce dependence on foreign labor and curb brain drain.
Programs for doctors’ assistants and pharmacy assistants are being launched simultaneously in Curaçao, Aruba, and Bonaire, with support from Dutch ministries. These initiatives are designed to anchor healthcare training within the region while maintaining recognized certification standards.
The Caribbean-based training model builds on earlier success stories, including joint hospital programs and a regional collaboration in sterile processing education that has been operating successfully since 2023.
Officials describe these initiatives as pilots for a broader vision of a Caribbean education region, in which talent is trained, retained, and professionally developed closer to home.