One counter, one sound: this is what the labor market of the future looks like

By our partner LWV

The labor market is under pressure. Shortages are increasing, the inflow lags behind and laws and regulations do not make things easier for employers. How do you keep an overview? The reform of the labor market infrastructure should provide more clarity. And the Limburg Employers' Association (LWV) plays a connecting role in this on behalf of all employers in Limburg.

"The labor market challenges have become too complex to be solved by one party," says Cecile van Eekelen, project manager at LWV. "Municipalities, UWV, education, unions, business - nobody can do this on their own. We have to do it together."

Structural cooperation

The foundation for reform was laid during the corona pandemic. That's when 35 Regional Mobility Teams (RMTs) were established in the Netherlands. The goal: To quickly guide people who were suddenly out of work to other work. In Limburg, this led to successful transfers, for example from the hospitality industry to logistics.

"In our province then, thousands of people were helped into new work through temporary training and guidance programs," Cecile says. "We saw that regional cooperation works, especially when all parties involved act together. So the conclusion was: this has to become structural."

That is happening now. The temporary mobility teams have been transformed into regional councils in 35 labor market regions, including three in Limburg (North, Central and South). These councils are working on setting up regional work centers: central physical and digital desks where job seekers, employees and employers can go with all their questions about work and development.

More oversight for employers

For employers, the work center will soon be the central point of contact. Whether it concerns retraining, help in filling vacancies, information about subsidies or guidance in the intake of people distanced from the labor market: through the work center they will be linked to the right partner such as UWV, trainers or industry organizations.

"There is so much information available, but most employers simply don't know where to turn," says junior project manager Floor Salden. "The work center offers one entrance, with a guide to show the way. That makes it clear and effective."

Existing initiatives, such as the Employer Service Points (WSP), also merge into this new infrastructure. Away from the fragmentation, toward a clear, accessible labor market.

LWV: the voice of the entrepreneur

In each regional council, representatives of public and private parties sit at the table: central municipalities, UWV, educational institutions, trade unions and LWV as the representative of all employers in Limburg.

"We bring in the voice of the business community. We speak on behalf of members of the LWV, MKB-Limburg, LLTB and other employers in Limburg," Cecile explains. "We make sure entrepreneurial issues are on the agenda and bottlenecks and questions from employers reach the right place."

LWV is not only represented administratively, but also substantively through the so-called policy tables. This is where the translation from vision to action is made: the drafting of multi-year agendas, policy proposals and concrete implementation programs per region.

"We are now working on a regional analysis: how many people are available? Where are the biggest shortages? What transitions are at play, for example around sustainability and digitalization? That information forms the basis for our efforts," said Cecile.

Creating opportunities

The new structure offers opportunities for better coordination, more efficient use of resources and smarter connections between sectoral and regional initiatives. Think projects for green jobs, digitization and AI, training pathways or lifelong development.

"We want to get rid of what we call the 'administrative spaghetti,'" says Cecile. "Everyone has to play their own role. Public parties will not sit in the chair of employers - and vice versa. The goal is to help entrepreneurs faster and better, without them getting lost in the maze of schemes and agencies. This requires direction, cooperation and a clear structure."

This is why cooperation covenants are concluded in every deliberation. These state who is responsible for what, how the decision-making process will take place and how parties will cooperate. In the coming months, this will be built upon with multi-year agendas and concrete implementation plans for each region.

Practical reform

For entrepreneurs, this reform must become particularly noticeable in practice. Fewer counters, less ambiguity, more targeted advice and better guidance. Employers must feel helped with questions about inflow, throughput, outflow, retraining or personnel challenges due to digitalization and AI, among other things. The labor market infrastructure of the future works on skills, agility and future-proof employability.

"Employers can no longer see the forest for the trees. There is a lot of help available, but no one knows exactly what or where," says Floor. "We want the benefits of regional cooperation to really be felt in the workplace soon. That's what we're doing it for."