Windesheim University of Applied Sciences is one of the largest universities of applied sciences in the Netherlands, with campuses in Zwolle and Almere. Together, they serve more than 27,000 students across multiple domains, including Technology, Health & Social Work, Education, and the Almere domain.
Within the Almere campus—home to roughly 4,500 students—programmes work closely with industry partners to prepare students for their professional careers. At the heart of this collaboration is the Practical Training Office Almere. The team supports, coordinates and advises programmes on all aspects of work-based learning and internship management. Under the leadership of Margreeth Drenth, the team has taken major steps in the past year to professionalise and digitalise the internship process—using OnStage as the foundation.
The Challenge: Fragmentation and Lack of Overview
“For a long time, we lacked a clear overview within our Social Work programme,” Margreeth recalls. “Students were sometimes literally ‘missing’: nobody knew exactly where they were doing their internship, who their supervisor was, or whether their documents were complete. We worked with Excel lists, scattered notes and emails everywhere. If someone was sick, the entire administration came to a halt.”
Other programmes within the Almere domain each had their own systems, lists and working methods.
“Everyone did things slightly differently,” she continues. “One programme used a spreadsheet, another used a Word document. This lack of uniformity led to a huge amount of unnecessary administrative work.”
A central internship history was also missing.
“We couldn’t see where students had interned in previous years or whether they had met all learning objectives. That made targeted guidance very difficult.”
Communication with internship organisations added another layer of complexity.
‘’Companies received different formats and documents depending on the programme. It was confusing and unprofessional. We wanted one recognisable, consistent way of working—internally and externally.”
The conclusion was clear: Windesheim Almere needed one platform that supports the entire internship process, from matching and approval to supervision, communication and reporting.
The Solution: Structure, Collaboration and Buy-In
Windesheim started implementing OnStage in 2020. For Social Work, Margreeth took the lead.
“My goal was clear: one place where we could find everything—overview, history and streamlined communication. No more loose files, but a reliable system that genuinely makes our work easier.”
In 2021, Social Work, PABO, and Health began actively using OnStage.In 2025, the remaining programmes in the Almere domain followed.
“We chose to start with one basic structure, a template, that applies to every programme. From there, programmes can expand their own process. This created clarity, calm and a shared way of working.”
The implementation wasn’t without challenges.
“Many colleagues were used to their own approach. It takes time for a change like this to really land,” says Margreeth. “That’s why we invested heavily in training and explanation. I visited teams, gave demos and helped colleagues one-on-one. Once they saw how much time it saved and how much clarity it provided, they were convinced.”
A major success factor was the role of the Practical Training Office.
“We make sure students and supervision groups are correctly set up in the system, that everything remains organised and that teachers get the support they need. If someone has a question, we’re there. That really boosted the adoption rate. Everyone now works in OnStage, and it works smoothly.”
OnStage also proved to be user-friendly and flexible.
“Students register their internship themselves, enter their contact details and track their progress. Once an internship is approved, all documents are automatically generated and sent. Communication is automated, too. You no longer have to think, ‘Did I send that email already?’ Everything is in the system, making the process much more transparent for everyone.”
The Result: Less Administration, More Quality
The difference compared to the past is huge, Margreeth says enthusiastically.
“We now have one system and one way of working. All information about students, companies and supervisors is stored in one place. We know exactly where everyone is and how far they are in the process. It saves so much time and frustration.”
The administrative burden has dropped dramatically.
“We used to spend a lot of time manually entering data. Now everything is updated automatically. Students are responsible for their own files, and we can monitor and assist when necessary. The process is not only more efficient but also much more reliable.”
Communication has also improved significantly.
“Emails and reminders are sent automatically, and because everything is in one place, everyone knows the current status. Companies receive clear, uniform messages, and teachers no longer have to guess where things stand.”
Completing internship requirements is also faster.
“In the past, files could sit unfinished for weeks. Now we can see immediately where action is needed, and once everything is approved, confirmations are sent automatically. That creates a lot of peace of mind.”
According to Margreeth, OnStage has improved both the process and the image of the Practical Training Office.
“We come across as more professional toward our industry partners because we communicate faster and more consistently. Companies know they can rely on accurate information.”
The system is also scalable.
“Whether we have 100 or 1,000 students, OnStage remains clear and manageable. We can generate reports, detect trends and respond quickly to changes. In the future, we also want to integrate OnStage even further into our system landscape.”
Margreeth concludes:
“We’ve gained grip, clarity and peace—for students, teachers and our industry partners. We can now focus on what truly matters: high-quality supervision and meaningful learning experiences for our students.”