Feb 19, 2012 Feb 19, 2012 Press release Breda, January 2012 --- As trade and industry have made known that there is a large demand for highly trained maintenance personnel, Avans University of Applied Sciences and HZ University of Applied Sciences will start a part-time Bachelor programme in International Maintenance Management in Breda on 1 September 2012.

The part-time Bachelor programme Maintenance Management (IMM) will focus on professionals who already have some years experience working in maintenance, either in trade and industry or with the government and who have a minimal level of MBO 4. Content-wise, the curriculum of the part-time programme closely follows that of the fulltime Bachelor programme IMM, but the part-time students will study in their own time while they will attend classes at school for a couple of daily periods per week. Increasing demand Both trade and industry and the government have a great demand for Maintenance staff on HBO level. The part-time Bachelor programme IMM aims to fulfill this demand. Due to the increasing outflow of technical staff as a result of the sharp rise in the ageing population, linked to the smaller supply of qualified technical staff, the demand for highly trained professionals is growing quickly. Therefore, trade and industry and the government have an interest in investing in their employees. This can best be done by offering staff career perspectives based on suitable training. International Maintenance Academy On the initiative of Avans University of Applied Sciences and HZ University of Applied Sciences the International Maintenance Academy was set up, consisting of two main components: training bachelors in maintenance management and setting up a research centre for applied research. The latter aims at stimulating research in this sphere of work. The International Maintenance Academy offers the fulltime Bachelor programme IMM since 1 September 2011. Since 1 November 2011 Lex Daan is appointed as the associate professor. His main task is making sure the part-time Bachelor programme IMM can start on 1 September 2012. Note for the press If you would like additional information, please contact ir. H.A. (Lex) Daan, Associate Professor International Maintenance Academy, M. 06-205 38 297, E. ha.daan@avans.nl.