AMERSFOORT LIVING LAB UPDATE: THE CHILDCARE AND ENERGY SECTOR
The Amersfoort Living Lab is now well underway. Since the 3rd quarter of 2023 the Living Lab has managed to form a coalition with the goal of producing an influx of job seekers and advancement of existing employees. This approach is based upon the ‘The Engine.’
‘The Engine’ is the main approach that SYNCLSUIVE is applying throughout all four Living Labs for their design and implementation. This approach results in tailor-made integrated packages of interventions at various levels and directed at different stakeholders, attuned to each other (e.g. training of supervisors of organisations to develop the talents of their personnel and create an inclusive work environment, policy measures to mitigate discrimination in recruitment and promotion procedures, and coaching of job seekers).
Currently, the Amersfoort Living Lab is operationalizing the application of The Engine within two key sectors of Amersfoort: Childcare/Education/Care, and Energy/Construction/Engineering.
Childcare/Education/Care
Within this sector, there is the ambition to introduce job seekers to the sector with a tailor-made programme. This programme is targeted specifically at (migrant) women, that are recruited through UWV (Uitvoeringsinstituut Werknemersverzekeringen; ‘Employee Insurance Implementing Body’, in English), as well as through local community centres and additional public spaces.
The programme is a cooperation between the municipality, the employer, and a local school. It offers a fast track combining learning and working, with a special focus on proficiency of the Dutch language and so called ’employee skills’.
In addition to onboarding new employees, the employer also highlights strategies to stimulate the development and retention of current employees. At this moment, the organization is examining ways to promote team cohesion and offer better career opportunities. For instance, this includes combining roles in childcare with supplementary roles in education or elderly care.
The current progress includes data collection and research at the childcare organisation, Ska Kinderopvang since April 2024. The objective is to concentrate on effective methods within the work-learning process and ascertain the requirements of current employees concerning team cohesion and multifaceted roles. The Living Lab is currently gathering feedback from individuals participating in the work-learning programme at Ska Kinderopvang as well as from their existing employees. This will be completed via the administration of a questionnaire and conducting supplementary interviews. Moreover, the Living Lab has been engaging in extensive discussions with the director of childcare at Ska Kinderopvang, to refine the questionnaire according to the specific circumstances of the organization. Subsequently, this questionnaire will be distributed across the entire organization to establish a baseline measurement.
Energy, construction & technology sector
In mid-March 2024, the Amersfoort Living Lab held a meeting for this sector, welcoming several new partners into the Amersfoort Living Lab coalition. These fresh additions hold promise in contributing significantly to the formulation of an action plan for this sector. Various avenues were explored during the meeting, including the potential for involvement in the Energiefixers development path scheduled to commence in Autumn 2024.
The immediate focus for this sector is on identifying additional (commercial) employers to collaborate with the Living Lab. This serves two primary purposes: Firstly, it assists in discerning professions suitable for gradually training job seekers and identifying additional partners required for this endeavor. Secondly, it aids in crafting developmental pathways to foster the retention and growth of current employees. Recruitment efforts targeting employers and other stakeholders are scheduled for the summer of 2024, enabling the implementation of the action plan and the commencement of research in Q3 of 2024.
Follow-up
For now, actions for the various lines are being initiated with the relevant partners. As soon as the next steps have been executed and initial results are able to be shared, the Amersfoort Living Lab will plan a new coalition meeting with all parties.