Focus on European services

EURES
Focus on European
services
Preface
Working on a European
perspective
UWV offers an international perspective
together with partners from over 30 other
European countries, by taking part in the
EURopean Employment Services (EURES).
Bruno Bruins
EURES offers jobseekers access to over
two million vacancies in Europe. In addition
to vacancies, the EURES portal and
werk.nl/eures contain a wealth of
information on all aspects of living and
working in another European country.
Moreover, when jobseekers indicate at
the time of registering that they are willing
to work abroad, they may also be invited
to fairs and placement projects.
Employers can also turn to EURES if they
are unable to find the right candidate for
a specific vacancy or if they need to fill
multiple vacancies within a short period
of time.
Earlier this year I visited the Emigration
Expo, an annual event where jobseekers
can find answers to all their questions
about living and working abroad. The Expo
is living proof that ‘migration’ is a hot topic.
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With approximately 10,000 visitors a year,
it is clear that the UWV’s EURES service offer
meets a real need among Dutch jobseekers.
And why shouldn’t it? The right preparations
may open doors in Europe and ensure that
jobseekers do find the job they’re looking for
and that employers find the staff they need.
Just read Rob’s story and how he turned
his life around and seized opportunities
in Switzerland. And find out how Agripool
effortlessly found its way to EURES.
Temporary employment agencies and EURES
work closely together in the Netherlands.
That’s exactly what the European
Commission wants to encourage: more
job offers by more market parties, more
opportunities and more people with a job.
And UWV is happy to play a part in that!
I hope you enjoy reading this edition of
the EURES yearbook and will be inspired
by the stories!
Bruno Bruins
Chairman of the Board of Governors UWV
About EURES
The European Employment Services
(EURES) was set up by the European
Commission and the EEA member states
to allow the free movement of workers.
Every member state has its own EURES
service. In the Netherlands, EURES is
part of UWV. Implementation of EURES
services is the responsibility of the
WerkgeversServicepunten, dedicated
service desks for employers.
EURES provides recruitment and
mediation support across Europe. Over
1000 EURES advisers are in daily contact
with jobseekers and employers. They
are specialised employees of UWV or
work for parties in border regions.
Jeannette van Yperen
EURES advisers use the online platform,
the EURES portal, on a daily basis.
This European database contains
vacancies in member states, CVs of
jobseekers and information about living
and working conditions in all EURES
countries. At the time of publication
of this yearbook, the portal contained
1.785.265vacancies, and 120.030
jobseekers from across Europe have
posted their CV.
More information about EURES
www.werk.nl/eures en
www.eures.europa.eu
A more effective
EURES network
Changes as of 1 January 2015;
an interview with EURES manager
Jeannette van Yperen
As of 1 January 2015, the EURES
network will undergo a number of
changes. From that moment on,
each member state will have its own
National Coordination Office (NCO) and
EURES partners. What impact will this
have on the service provision and the
organisation of the network? EURES
and NCO manager, Jeannette van
Yperen, explains the reform.
What is the objective of the EURES
reform?
Jeannette: “Via this reform, EURES aims
to improve opportunities on the job
market through intermediary services,
matching and recruitment. We want to
create an even more effective network
for matching supply and demand.”
EURES management and operation will be
separated. What does that mean?
Jeannette: “UWV will be playing two
different roles: that of manager of the
Dutch EURES network and that of partner
in implementing services. This separation
of roles will be rolled out to grant other
organisations access to the network. At
the moment, we assume that we will
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partner up with the cross-border network
Scheldemond. In the future, there may be
other parties that are interested and meet
the requirements.”
The reform also brings about a change
in the way in which EURES is financed.
Can you tell us a little more about that?
Jeannette: “As of 1 January 2015, national
EURES activities will be paid entirely out of
national budgets rather than by Brussels.
The advantage is that we will only need
to take national regulations into account
regarding how we wish to spend our
budget. However, we will still be obliged to
report on projects at a European level.”
What consequences will this have for
you as NCO manager?
Jeannette: “The reform will not make my
work any easier. We expect there will be
more partners, which means I will be less
directly involved with the implementation,
as the partners will be responsible for
implementation themselves.” However,
Jeannette is convinced that client
service will be improved and will not
become buried under regulations and
organisational obstacles. “This service is
what the EURES network is all about!”
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Theme:
Focus on EURES service provision
This yearbook comprises concrete examples from the day-to-day practice
of EURES advisers. Sixteen best practices
illustrate how EURES services are used to
match supply and demand. Three EURES
advisers will introduce themselves.
Marco: “Right before I started this job I
went to a Euregio meeting and I got a good
impression of the German job market.”
Marco has since successfully participated
in a European job fair in Italy.
Working in the Dutch-Belgian
border region
New at EURES
EURES adviser, Marco Graat, joined the
national EURES team on 1 July 2014. He was
looking for a job that would bring him into
personal contact with clients within an international context. In addition to cross-border
recruitment and placement, he was also
drawn to the opportunities in Germany.
Marco Graat
Vera Peek has been working as a
EURES adviser for 15 years. One of her
responsibilities is EURES Scheldemond, a
cross-border cooperation between Flanders
and the Netherlands. Like all EURES advisers,
Vera also works together with other parties
for transnational employment services,
recruitment and placement.
Vera: “This partnership works on mobility
on a project basis. We do this together with
the VDAB (the Flemish Public Employment
Service), the Bureau for Belgian Affairs, the
Dutch Tax Administration’s Cross-Border
Employment and Enterprise Team, and the
Interregional Trade Union Council. Together
we organise meetings and job fairs in
the border region. We are also mapping
the opportunities in the cross-border
job market.”
Working in the Netherlands-German
border region
Herman van Lith has been working as
a EURES adviser since 2012. He boasts a
wealth of experience as a member of
steering committees in the Meuse-Rhine
and Rhine-Waal Euregions. He has worked
in the Dutch-German border region for
ten years. He makes arrangements with
the German Agentur für Arbeit (Federal
Employment Agency) and other parties on
how to handle and fill vacancies together.
Herman: “Working in another country
may offer opportunities for jobseekers,
particularly for specific target groups. The
Netherlands, for example, has a surplus of
care workers, and the number of vacancies
in this sector is increasing in Germany.
At the same time, differences in social
security, pensions and healthcare are a
source of uncertainty for jobseekers. EURES
offers advice and identifies these obstacles
by working closely together with parties in
the border region”.
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Table of contents
16 Best practices:
• 3 EURES job fairs in more detail: online and face-to-face
• EURES services: from the Netherlands to Europe and vice versa
- 3 x technical industry – capitalising on opportunities in the industry
- 2 x temporary work – gaining work experience and seasonal work
-2 x from large to small – from large-scale employers / multiple vacancies
to individual, specific demand
- 3 x exchange with CEE countries
- 3 x recruitment, placement and matching in a border region
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Spotlight on EURES job fairs
Matching supply and demand in Europe
requires technology as well as creativity.
Job fairs are the perfect place to match
supply and demand on the spot, both
online and face-to-face.
Erdal: “Publishing and promoting this
event allowed us to reach some
70 jobseekers; over half of them came
to the meeting and another 15 later
indicated their intention to apply for
vacancies in Germany and Switzerland.”
Information day with speed dates
TMI-Interim is also very enthusiastic:
“We are pleased with the attendance.
The group was quite diverse: from doctors,
nurses, geriatric helpers and surgical
nurses to physical therapists. We see ample
opportunity to place a number of them in
Germany or Switzerland. This is evidence
of sound collaboration between EURES
and TMI!”
Autumn 2014, EURES organised an
information day with speed dates together
with TMI-Interim, a major secondment
company that specialises in healthcare.
TMI-Interim places care workers from the
Netherlands in Germany and Switzerland.
When TMI-Interim heard from UWV that
there are around 1,000 Dutch care workers
on unemployment benefit, they contacted
EURES adviser, Erdal Egin.
Erdal Egin
Online fairs: Europe, a home away
from home
An online fair is the perfect means to reach
a large group of jobseekers. EURES has
been organising online fairs for two years
to bring jobseekers and employers into
contact with each other. Two examples
are Nordic Working and ICT Mobility Day
Amsterdam.
Scandinavia’s appeal
Nordic Working recruits for the Scandinavian market. Scandinavian countries hold
large appeal to Dutch jobseekers and the
job market is favourable there. There are
many vacancies for care workers and highly
qualified technical staff. Nordic Working 6
was the first entirely virtual job fair.
TMI recruitment day visitors
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Arend Mud
EURES advisers working together with a special European Commission team during ICT online
This year saw the 7th edition, again an
online fair. A prime example of how EURES
advisers work together. Advisers from the
Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Finland
and Norway were closely involved.
of EURES adviser, Erdal Egin. He signalled
a huge demand for qualified staff among
ICT employers in Amsterdam. He also knew
that there are many qualified but unemployed ICT workers in Southern and Eastern
Europe. An online event can help to match
supply and demand. Distance does not
play a role here. For the fair, Erdal worked
closely together with two other EURES
advisers, one of whom is Arend Mud.
“Companies were in the same online
lounge as EURES advisers, promoting
EURES services and introducing employers
to EURES colleagues in other Scandinavian
countries,” explains Norwegian EURES
adviser Marinella van Welsenes.
The fair attracted some 2,500 visitors and
resulted in about 360 chats between the
13 employees from Scandinavia and the
candidates. The Netherlands organised
the event, which will be organised by
Scandinavian countries from 2015 onwards.
Distance can be bridged virtually
ICT Mobility Day Amsterdam is an initiative
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Arend: “Some 407 jobseekers registered
for the fair; most of them were outside
the Netherlands and particularly from
Southern Europe. Thirty-seven vacancies
were available. Which amounts up to in
some 64 job offers. Candidates could chat
directly with employers and apply for a job
afterwards. In terms of employers, only
Amsterdam-based IT companies registered
for the event.”
Reaching the right target group is the key to
matching supply and demand. For that reason,
social media were very effectively used for
both online fairs.
EURES adviser Els Hollander: “To reach
jobseekers, I announced the event on Twitter
three weeks in advance and posted one or
two Tweets a week after that. One of the
Tweets was even picked up by former EU
Commissioner, Neelie Kroes. Information was
also shared via Facebook. The employers,
however, tended to use LinkedIn more often.”
1h: An ICT job in Amsterdam?
Check out the list of vacancies available
at the ICT mobility Days and register
online at bit.ly/ICTAmstJobs
Neelie Kroes’ Tweet
Intermediary services in and
between European countries
3 x Capitalising on
opportunities in Europe shortages in the technical industry
There are many job opportunities
in the technical industry in Europe.
Dutch jobseekers with experience can
more easily find employment abroad.
A bonus for jobseekers aged 50 and
over. Moreover, Dutch employers have
difficulty filling vacancies for qualified
ICT and technical staff.
Portugal > The Netherlands
Portuguese technician
lands dream job in the
Netherlands
Qualified electrical engineer, Pedro Pereira,
knew that there is a huge demand for people
with his kind of knowledge and experience
in other European countries. So when he
became unemployed in his own country, he
decided to look abroad. That took him to the
EURES online portal. He visited the website
to look for jobs within his area of expertise in
Europe. He also registered for the ‘Engineers
Mobility Days’ fair held in Lisbon.
Pedro Pereira
This fair brought Pedro into contact with
Xelvin, a Dutch temporary employment
agency that specialises in the secondment
of enterprising technical workers.
The agency has been in business with
EURES Portugal for some time now, with
assistance of EURES adviser Peter van
der Grinten. Following the fair, Managing
Consultant Maikel Meijers interviewed
Pedro by way of a videoconference. A
few weeks later, Pedro travelled to the
Netherlands for a face-to-face interview.
Xelvin introduced Pedro to the Dutch
employer and arranged the application
interview. And the rest is history!
Pedro Pereira has been seconded by Xelvin
as a Programme Engineer at Airpack, a large
company in the province of Zeeland, for over a
year now. His contract was recently renewed
and he had his family come to live with him.
“My job fits me like a glove. I love doing this
work and it matches my qualifications. I was not
used to working in a horizontal organisation,
but I like it a lot. It gives me the freedom to plan
my own activities. Compared to Portugal, the
Netherlands is a very organised country, with a
sound infrastructure and happy people. What I do
miss about Portugal is the weather and the food.
Having my family with me almost makes up for
that,” says Pedro.
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European service
provision
EURES services for jobseekers and employers
10
From the Netherlands to Europe,
from Europe to the Netherlands
Seizing opportunities
Facilitating the right to free
movement of workers
The EURES network offers matching,
placement and recruitment,
information and advice
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The Netherlands > switserland
Mobility over age
Rob Verheijen contacted EURES adviser
Hannie Eilers in 2013. He was looking
for information and advice on a trial
placement with Aquamarine Technologies
in Switzerland.
Rob Verheijen was offered a permanent
contract with Aquamarine Technologies
after one month, in compliance with Swiss
law. He still works there, to everyone’s
satisfaction, as Benelux project manager.
The Netherlands > Europe
Rob: “I’d been out of work for over two
years. As I am over 50, it’s not easy finding
a job on the Dutch job market. I reviewed
my network and contacted my relation
in Switzerland. I then approached EURES
adviser Hannie Eilers for information and
advice on living and working in Switzerland.
Her involvement helped me get a trial
placement. Amazing, to say the least!”
EURES adviser Hannie Eilers: “Rob was
happy to have found a vacancy with the
Swiss company Aquamarine Technologies.
He was looking for information on a
potential trial placement and the conditions
involved. I discussed this with him and
contacted the Swiss employer. As the
forms and related information for a trial
placement are in Dutch, this proved a
good solution.”
“As a EURES adviser you need to be able
to quickly change gear between national
and European affairs, you need knowledge
of the procedures and the regulations
and speak the languages necessary to
convey this knowledge to employers and
jobseekers,” explains Hannie.
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Wanted: Dutch railway
carriage builders for the
European railways
Temporary employment agency, Allright,
was asked by a company in Germany
to look for Dutch engineers for the
construction and commissioning of
trains and railway carriages across
Europe. Allright had no experience in
intermediating between employees and
employers in Europe and didn’t have any
contacts in the border region. They got
in touch with UWV Venlo through Arno
Frederiks of Servicepunt Flex.
EURES adviser Peter van der Grinten
organised a recruitment day for Allright.
To that end, he worked together with
Employer Services Adviser, Monya Zeroual,
who selected suitable candidates. Peter
gave information about working abroad.
After that, Allright’s Jos Min interviewed
the candidates.
The result was just the beginning. Three
jobseekers found themselves a job
immediately. Jos Min: “We still receive
Hannie Eilers
CVs from suitable candidates. A good
example of how close cooperation can
lead to placements.”
2 x temporary work
A brief period abroad offers valuable experience. It helps jobseekers to increase
their chances on the job markets in the
Netherlands and Europe.
people in particular are attracted to
working abroad for a few months.
There are also vacancies for longer
periods of time or that offer prospects
of a permanent job. Henk maintains
regular contact with six large companies
in the entertainment industry in the
Mediterranean.
The Netherlands > Spain
Winter jobs and
summer jobs
UWV/EURES also offers seasonal
vacancies on its website werk.nl. The
vacancy newsletters for winter jobs and
summer jobs can be downloaded from
werk.nl. EURES adviser Henk Smolders
has been recruiting, mediating and
placing seasonal jobs for years. Young
He organises casting days on which
selected candidates can put in an
application with the employer. In
addition, jobseekers are informed about
living and working in another member
state. “As a EURES adviser, your task
is to find and offer concrete prospects
and that is very satisfying. I especially
appreciate client contacts and the
international, multilingual side of
my job.”
Danique van de Kruijs (19) is one of the
jobseekers who was helped by Henk. When
she saw a vacancy on werk.nl for a seasonal
job on Majorca, she didn’t have to think
twice. “I’d rather work in Spain than in the
Netherlands. I love the people there, the
work and the atmosphere,” says Danique.
She applied and was hired. This summer
she worked on the entertainment team
of a large hotel. The application procedure
was very simple: Danique wrote a letter
to EURES, which selected the candidates
for Spanish seasonal jobs from the
Netherlands. Danique was selected and
invited to an interview at the EURES offices
in the Netherlands and heard she was
hired after only a week.
Danique van de Kruijs
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and set out on an adventure and move to
a different country. Working in another
country requires the right attitude.”
Cindy Sijmonsma
Roelof van IJken was open to other
options as well. He had difficulty finding
a job after graduating in History.
Following an interesting job with a
US translation agency, he wanted to
continue as a translator. The job at
The Loc People appealed to him. He
wanted to get back to work, to gain work
experience. “I’d rather work in Ireland
than slouch on the couch at home,”
Roelof says.
The Netherlands > Ireland
An adventure requires
motivation
At the end of 2013, translation agency
The Loc People contacted UWV to
help them find suitable candidates for
translation jobs in Dublin, Ireland. By
way of the employers service desk, the
vacancy ended up with Dutch EURES
adviser Cindy Sijmonsma. She introduced
The Loc People to EURES Ireland and
arranged the required forms to register
the vacancy.
The vacancy turned out to be very
popular. Out of the many applicants,
Roelof van IJken eventually got the job.
Cindy: “I really like my work as an
adviser, as it puts me into contact with
people who would love to get to work
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After eight months in Ireland, Roelof
is now back in the Netherlands. Again
looking for a job. “It was a great
experience and I’ve learned a lot. I’m
currently looking for employment in the
Netherlands, but if I can’t find a job I’ll go
abroad again.”
Does Roelof have any advice for
jobseekers planning to take a look across
our borders? “Make sure you get all the
necessary information. The more you
know about the country and the culture,
the easier you will settle in and get to
know people. Another tip: know your
rights as a EU citizen. The information
that I received from EURES adviser Cindy
Sijmonsma was very helpful.”
2 x from large to small
EURES advises, intermediates and
recruits, both for large commercial
companies and for individuals.
The Netherlands > France
A holiday for some
people, a European job
for others
EURES has been organising casting days
for Disneyland Paris for over ten years now.
These casting days serve to recruit dozens
of candidates for various vacancies every
year, from entertainers to booking office
employees.
EURES is responsible for publishing the
vacancy and pre-selecting candidates.
While on a visit to the European Job Days in
Peter de Leede
Silvio Zangarini
Paris, EURES adviser Peter de Leede, visited
Disneyland’s back office in Marne la Vallée.
Here, initial agreements were reached on
recruiting staff for the booking office in the
Netherlands.
Peter: “Interested candidates are tested
for such things as linguistic skills. We also
contact jobseekers who responded to other
vacancies in France.”
Italy > The Netherlands
Focus on networking
Italian photographer Silvio Zangarini
visited EURES adviser, Pieter van der Valk,
of UWV Utrecht for advice. What to do?
Look for a regular job or continue with his
profession as a photographer? He was also
looking for more commercial opportunities
in the Netherlands.
Pieter van der Valk: “I explained to Silvio
how networking works in the Netherlands.
I advised him to use social media and
told him that his website is his calling
card. Because he is a great photographer,
he was given an opening exhibition at
the Photography Gallery in Utrecht. This
was followed by an exhibition in Tilburg
and he is now at the KunstRAI art fair in
Amsterdam.”
Silvio has secured a firm foothold in the
Netherlands. Updating his LinkedIn and
adding more photos to his website and
Facebook page brought him into contact
with the Eduard Planting Galerie. This
gallery took his works to several major art
fairs, including the KunstRAI and the PAN.
Silvio also established contacts with other
Italian artists in the Netherlands, with
whom he organised a group exhibition in
Amsterdam.
“In Italy, information on the web is
nothing more than contact details. In
the Netherlands, online possibilities are
used much more extensively. Pieter van
der Valk made me aware of this and
that in turn helped me get started in the
Netherlands. He also told me I should
build up my accounts base by visiting
fairs and openings. That worked for me as
well,” Silvio explains.
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3 x Exchange with Central
and Eastern Europe window of opportunity
boosts collaboration
It’s already been ten years since the first
‘new member states’ joined the EU. There
has been an intensive exchange with
various CEE countries within the EURES
network ever since.
Poland > the Netherlands
Applying for a job
through Skype
Aelbers Personeel is a Dutch company
that regularly recruits international staff.
The Netherlands, for instance, has a major
shortage of concrete engineers, while
Poland has a surplus of unemployed
qualified workers in this field. Contacts
Barbara Gorter-Zahuta
with UWV had already been established.
And, needing a partner in the field of
international recruitment, the company got
into contact with EURES adviser Hannie
Eilers.
When Aelbers Personeel had multiple
vacancies, Hannie Eilers quickly referred
to fellow EURES adviser Barbara GorterZahuta. Barbara is specialist when it
comes to Poland and she suggested
organising an informative video session
in Poland. The Polish colleagues in the
EURES network proved willing to select
candidates and invited a selection of
jobseekers to a meeting. In addition to
receiving information on living and working
in the Netherlands, candidates also had
the opportunity to apply via Skype with
Dominika van de Burgt, international
recruiter at Aelbers.
“Last year, we recruited 46 concrete
engineers this way. Ten of them still work
for Aelbers. The Polish workers often return
home once the job is done. We contact them
again when new suitable vacancies arise,”
says Dominika van de Burgt.
the Netherlands > Poland
Great opportunities for
people aged 50 and over
Employers in many European countries
are interested in experienced candidates.
This offers great opportunities for people
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Polish illustrated invitation to an online fair
with Dutch employers
aged 50 and over! EURES adviser, Barbara
Gorter-Zahuta, shares the inspiring case
in which a qualified jobseeker aged 59
found a job with an international company
in Poland. “Henk had been out of work
for two years and learned about the
opportunity to work in Poland at a fair in
Amersfoort. That’s how he found me.”
After an interview, Barbara introduced him
to Cap Gemini in Poland and discussed his
experience and salary without hiding his
age. There was a click, and Henk was hired
in a senior position. After he had worked
there to everyone’s satisfaction for some
time, his wife also decided to look for a job
there. And found one too.
Janine: “My application interview went
well. They called me within 48 hours to tell
me the job was mine! Soon after I started a
training course for all new employees. My
husband loves working in Poland! He is in
a team with a lot of Dutch speakers, but is
starting to learn some Polish as well.”
Poland > the Netherlands
Everything is going digital
and consequently much
faster
There is a lot of seasonal work in agriculture
and horticulture in the Netherlands, so
recruiting workers abroad can be the
perfect solution. However, this requires
specific services. Owner of the Polish-Dutch
employment agency, Agripool, Daniel Janus
hails from Poland himself and knows what it’s
like to work far away from home. Specialised
in recruiting for the agriculture and
horticulture industries, his agency also has
other customers, including a cheese plant.
“Initially, we did everything from recruiting
to housing ourselves. But when Agripool
continued to grow, we went looking for
a partner to select suitable candidates.
I found EURES adviser Barbara GorterZahuta through the EURES website.
I’ve regularly sent her vacancies ever
since, particularly when I need to recruit
experienced staff for major assignments.
I currently have two vacancies for
seasonal workers, for pepper and cabbage
Artur Maliszewski and Daniel Janus at the cheese plant
harvesters. Basically, these are permanent
types of vacancies because it is specialised
work and it’s hard to find good staff.”
Barbara: “The EURES network brings me
into close contact with the EURES advisers
in Poland. We exchange information on the
job market, for instance. A lot has changed
in the past five years. People have more
experience and know more about working
in another country. Besides, everything is
more and more digital and consequently
much faster. One example is the use of
video conferencing.”
During the videoconference with Daniel Janus,
candidate Artur Maliszewski was introduced.
Through his online interview he got a job
in the Netherlands and has been working
at a cheese plant for six months now. “My
experiences are positive. I like my job. What
do I do? I perform quality inspections and
check the cheese-making machine. People in
the Netherlands call each other by their first
name much more often than in Poland. I like
it here and would love to stay.”
Artur worked as a seasonal worker in
the Netherlands on a previous occasion.
At the time, he didn’t really know what
to expect and returned to Poland earlier
than expected. “This time I had all kinds of
information about everything. I knew my
terms and conditions of employment and
the details of what work I would be doing.
They even found a place for me to live. I’ve
got EURES as well as Agripool’s methods to
thank for that. A very pleasant experience.”
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3 x recruitment,
mediation and matching
in a border region
search area without
borders
The Netherlands > Belgium
Options on both sides
of the border
As of 2011, over two hundred Dutch
jobseekers a year found a job through
AGO-Interim. This was the result of the
collaboration between WerkgeversServicepunt Zeeuws-Vlaanderen, a joint venture
of UWV, municipalities and small and
medium-sized businesses.
Jobseekers frequently find jobs as production, assembly or warehouse personnel.
Many of them are aged 50 and over and
have been unemployed for six months or
longer. Moreover, many people entitled
to benefits under the Work and Social
Benefits Act have found employment in
our neighbouring country.
EURES adviser, Frans Buter, developed an
information kit that helps employers inform jobseekers about working in another
country. “Initially, jobseekers get a lot of
information through email and websites.
Where necessary we offer individual
advice. We also organise presentations
and workshops as well speed dates with
employers”.
18
The Netherlands > Germany
Accept a new way of
working
Fair Personeelsdiensten, is a specialised
temporary employment agency offering
work in both the Netherlands and Germany.
The company has a training centre in the
German town of Ahaus. There are many jobs
for welders in the Dutch and German border
regions. This prompted the organisation to
hold a speed date session together with
Fair Personeelsdiensten in 2014. Throught
his session, training places were found
in Germany for six of the 12 selected
candidates.
EURES adviser Wim Evers: “The goal of the
speed dates was resumption of work or
training to improve the cv of the candidates”
welding experience to give them better
opportunities on the Dutch and German job
markets. After completing their training, the
candidates are fully qualified to find work
in Germany. Through Fair, they can get jobs
in either the Netherlands or Germany. Our
intention is to offer them a contract for at
least six months.”
Thanks to media attention, EURES adviser,
Wim Evers, is constantly contacted by
interested jobseekers. All expectations
were exceeded. Two people found jobs
immediately, five others started the welding
training in Ahaus. All jobseekers have since
earned their diploma and the successful
project is set to continue.
Wim Evers
Employee Jeffrey Wolsink: “I currently
work for the German company 2G in Heek,
Germany, through Fair Personeelsdiensten.
I was offered the opportunity to attend the
welding training by Fair, aided by EURES’
mediation. After completing this training,
I started working in Germany. The culture
and hierarchy there are different than in
the Netherlands. My advice to anyone who
wants to work in Germany is to be open
to this and accept their way of working. It
has stood me in good stead and I hope to
continue working for this German company
for a long time to come!”
A participant receives her certificate following the ‘Speaking German at work’ training course
The Netherlands > Germany
German language course
paves the way for work in
Germany
UWV’s service desk for employers in Emmen,
the Agentur für Arbeit and Stenden University
of Applied Sciences together set up a
language and job application course: ‘Speaking
German at work’. According to EURES adviser
Tjerk Mulder there are many opportunities in
Germany for Dutch jobseekers in the border
region. However, there are obstacles, such as
cultural differences and a lack of knowledge of
the German language.
The ‘Speaking German at work’ course largely
removes all these obstacles, allowing people to
find jobs in Germany more easily. The approach
proved very effective, as over 50% of those
who attended the language and job application
course have since found a job. “Why fish in
a pond if you can also fish in the sea?” is how
participant Marco Adamse aptly puts it.
Carlijn Oostenbrink also found a job straight
away after completing the course. She
graduated in physical therapy a year ago
but soon found out that jobs in her field in
the Netherlands are few and far between at
the moment. Fellow students told her about
work opportunities in Germany. She applied
a few times, but was never invited for an
interview. After visiting a fair she was put
into contact with EURES adviser Tjerk Mulder.
Only one week later, Carlijn joined the course
to increase her chances of finding a job.
you don’t call anyone by their first name,
not even your colleagues. And in Germany
I am a real specialist. People take me at
my word and accept that I know what is
right for them. That is a really pleasant way
of working!”
Tjerk Mulder
“The course taught me that my German
wasn’t that bad at all and that helped me a
lot when applying for jobs. The difference
with working in the Netherlands? First of all,
19
PUBLICATION INFORMATION
Design
Kris Kras context, content and design
Editing
Isa Tenhaeff, Jeannette van Yperen, Evelyn Ploeg,
Joke Wevers and Mijanou Edink
Photo of Jeannette van Yperen
Pieter Rijnaard
Photo of Danique van de Kruijs
De Beeldredaktie
Photo of Silvio Zangarini
Silvio Zangarini
Photo ‘Speaking German at work’ certificate ceremony
Boudewijn Benting
Photographs of EURES advisers
Claudia Kamergordoski
This booklet is a publication by UWV and EURES. The publication was made
possible through a financial contribution from the European Commission.