Social Innovation Stories

ABU / DOORZAAM

Work-To-Work Training Vouchers

While many sectors came to a standstill because of the measures taken to contain the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, others were in dire need of staff with the right qualifications. Thanks to its bipartite training fund, the Dutch agency work sector was able to offer training vouchers to enable agency workers who had lost their jobs due to the Covid-19 crisis to reskill and find a new opportunity in a sector in demand.

  • #Social Dialogue

  • #Skills

  • #Active Labour Market Policies

  • #Job Mobility

  • #Covid19

The challenge

As the Covid-19 pandemic hit the Netherlands and the country had to take measures to limit the outbreak, much of the work has come to a standstill in sectors such as catering, aviation and horticulture. At the same time, sectors like healthcare, transport, logistics, distribution and agriculture were in dire need of staff, in particular staff with the right qualifications.

Solution

DOORZAAM, the bipartite fund established by ABU, the national federation for private employment services agencies, and the trade unions representing agency workers, offered “work to work” vouchers of a value of 500 euros to enable agency workers who had lost their jobs due to the Covid-19 crisis to reskill and find a new opportunity in a sector in demand. The voucher can be used for a course, training but also for training on the job, induction period or on-boarding at the client or regular employer, therefore enabling immediate re-employment.

Key numbers

1100

workers benefitting

Outcomes

The initiative allowed to keeping agency workers employable for a short and long-term period in a flexible or permanent job.

Country/ies of implementation
Partners
  • Trade unions
  • Employment Agencies
  • Public Employment Services
  • City of Amsterdam
  • Schipol Airport