Described are a number of national and local initiatives that are taken to motivate young people to choose for technical education. From the local initiatives we focus on the area where Fontys and Actemium are located; the southeast of the Netherlands. Not only governmental organizations and foundations are active in this field but also (industrial) companies become more aware of the fact that creating interest for professions in technology should start at the earliest possible age. History shows that initiatives become more effective when not only directed to promotion, but accompanied by appropriate projects. We conclude with an example of a technology event and a discussion of the effectiveness of the initiatives.