Labour Mobility Centres Maarten Dolfing (SZW) ESF Age Network: labour mobility centres, april 2011

The crisis: What to do? At first: financial crisis Then: economic downturn Dramatic increase in unemployed people Forecast: unemployment wil rise to Three measures: 1. reduction in working hours 2. part-time unemployment benefits 3. Mobility centres

Policy-instrument 1: reduction working hours Why? To keep skilled staff available for the recovery 2009 (first half year) Temporarily reducing weekly working hours Advice on training and improving skills 896 companies employees ESF Age Network: labour mobility centres, april 2011

Policy-instrument 2: part-time unemployment benefits Why? To keep skilled staff available for the recovery Temporarily issuing unemployment benefits for (at most) 50% of working-time Advice on training and improving skills of employees 2009, 2010, first half of companies employees ESF Age Network: labour mobility centres, april 2011

Policy instrument 3: Mobility centres Why? Finding new jobs for people in danger of dismissal (prevent unemployment) UWV as contractor Started in march points of public private partnership Complementary to private initiatives Pro-active approach to employers Facilitating work-to-work transitions Tailor made solutions ESF Age Network: labour mobility centres, april 2011

Participants Organise the joint implementation of agreements between public and private partners: Municipal authorities, regions and sectors Educational institutions Temporary and secondment agencies Professional education-business knowledge centres Re-integration agencies Industry associations Outplacement organisations ESF Age Network: labour mobility centres, april 2011

Activities Finding new jobs Preventive re-integration implementation of “from-work-to-work” arrangements on behalf of the employer Specific services: Information on labour market Information on vacancies Matching with vacancies Speed dates and meetings with employers Projects Training ESF Age Network: labour mobility centres, april 2011

Results: employees in 2009 en 2010 found a new job Over companies received assistance A boost to co-operation in regional networks Temporarily budget untill Method is now structurally embedded Unemployment at this moment: people ESF Age Network: labour mobility centres, april 2011