Working together towards a sustainable start in the labour market
- Research stories
How can we ensure that status holders not only find their place in the Netherlands, but are also able to participate sustainably in the regional labour market? That is the central question within the research project MILEstone. In this international research project, Hanze University of Applied Sciences, Alfa-college, municipalities and other partners work together to learn what works and what does not when it comes to integrating newcomers into the labour market.
Arjen Edzes, project leader of MILEstone and professor of the Regional Labour Market at Hanze, explains how the project is developing. Lina Avila, an employee at the International Welcome Center North and once a newcomer herself, shows how important a network and community are for people building a new life in the Netherlands.
From research to action
“We first conducted a so-called baseline study,” explains project leader Arjen Edzes. “Through this, we examined the issues and challenges that status holders experience when integrating into the regional labour market.”
This was followed by an international peer review. Experts from several countries came to Groningen to look at the Dutch approach and provide advice.
“Based on that international feedback, we developed an action plan,” Edzes explains. “We discussed this plan with our stakeholders, such as the municipalities of Het Hogeland, Groningen and Westerkwartier, as well as with our partner Alfa-college. We are now in the process of implementing it.”
Learning from other countries
The international collaboration produced valuable insights. Experiences from Scandinavian countries showed, for example, that it is important to involve status holders themselves in policy and practice, for instance through a migrant council or client council.
It also became clear how important it is to connect professionals more effectively with one another. Many organisations work on integration, but often do so separately. By sharing experiences and knowledge, successful approaches can be implemented more quickly.
Another key insight was the importance of a one-stop approach’: a central place where newcomers can go with various questions and receive different types of support.
If you want to achieve sustainable integration, you have to keep learning from what happens in practice.
The importance of communities
An important part of the MILEstone project is the development of communities. According to Edzes, this can happen on two levels.
“On the one hand, there are communities of status holders themselves, their networks, and the people who help them move forward. On the other hand, there are communities of professionals. By connecting those groups, you can learn much better what works in practice.”
By exchanging experiences and continuing to learn together, support for status holders can gradually improve.
First an overview: the role of a database
Before such a community can function effectively, an overview is needed. That is why the project is working on a database of initiatives and organisations that support status holders.
“There are an incredible number of initiatives, but it is often difficult to know who does what,” says Edzes. “With this database, we map that out. It helps us connect people and organisations with each other.”
The database therefore forms an important foundation for building a strong community.
How a network opens doors
One organisation that already works according to the principle of a central access point is the International Welcome Center North, based in Groningen. Here, international newcomers can receive help with practical matters such as residence documents, municipal registration, and information about living and working in the Northern Netherlands.
But the centre does more than provide practical support. It also organises events, clubs and activities to connect newcomers with one another and create a sense of community.
For Lina Avila, an employee at the International Welcome Center North, the importance of such a community is very recognisable. In 2019 she moved from Colombia to the Netherlands for love.
“In the beginning it was difficult,” she says. “I hardly knew anyone, and the language was a challenge. What I needed most at that time was a community.”
By actively seeking contacts and joining different groups, she slowly built a network. Through a choir in which she sings, she eventually met someone who pointed her towards her current job.
“Thanks to my network, it ultimately worked out,” she says.
According to Lina, communities can help newcomers tremendously. “When you’re not sure how to move forward, it’s reassuring to know who you can turn to. Personal contact is very important in that.”
A community can help enormously when you’re no longer sure how to move forward.
Towards a smoother start
The ultimate goal of the MILEstone project is clear: better and more sustainable integration of status holders into the labour market.
In the short term, the project hopes to strengthen the conversation between professionals. By sharing knowledge and experiences, organisations can more quickly discover what works. In the longer term, the ambition is even greater.
“We hope that status holders will have a much smoother start in the Netherlands,” says Edzes. “That they will have easier access to employment and that employers will welcome them with open arms.”
He also emphasises that an open attitude from society remains crucial. “Newcomers bring talent, knowledge and experience with them. If we work together on good support and greater understanding, they can find their place here more quickly. Ultimately, the whole of society benefits from that.”
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