Several new jobs experiments will be rolled out across the north in the coming months: the municipality of Groningen will introduce a pilot of providing “basic jobs” for people struggling to find work otherwise, and Drenthe business owners will be collaborating with the unemployment service to bring employers and job seekers together.
Translation by Traci White
According to Dagblad van het Noorden, the Groningen experiment aims to create extra job opportunities – between 40 and 50 jobs – for individuals who have be unable to find paid work. The local government hopes that the experiment, which should roll out over 2020, will improve the liveability in the area.
Alderperson Carine Bloemhoff told the Dagblad that the pilot is meant to provide new opportunities through meaningful work. It is not clear exactly who the job recipients will be or what qualifies as having a hard time finding paid work.
The types of jobs that the municipality is looking to create are focused on improving quality of life in the city, such as maintenance and upkeep in public spaces, community centres and activities in health care and academic facilities. The pilot will run for four years.
Job seekers and employers
RTV Drenthe reports that Drenthe business owners and the UWV, the Dutch unemployment agency, are planning to work together more closely in the future to put job seekers and employers in touch with each. The Park Management for Business Business Parks in Emmen Association (VPB-Emmen) and the UWV in southeast Drenthe signed a partnership agreeing to a close collaboration for two years.
The association represents 300 companies in the region, and the collaboration aims to make it easier for participating business to get in touch with job seekers with the skills they are looking for.
