‘We can still prepare so much untapped talent for the manufacturing industry’
The manufacturing industry has a constant need for new skilled workers. As the population ages and the number of students in technical vocational education declines, the pressure on companies to keep their production lines running is increasing. At the same time, there is a large group of people who would like to work in this sector but do not yet realise that metalworking is a realistic and promising option. It was against this backdrop that the Reskilling Metaal project was launched: a public-private partnership that provides training for the roles where demand is highest.
‘For years, we saw retraining programmes that were far too broad,’ says Martine Dubling, co-initiator and director of Brainport Industries College. ‘“Something to do with engineering” is simply too vague. You end up losing good candidates and companies lose interest. We’ve turned it on its head: we first identify where the specific demand lies and then provide highly targeted training for that.’ That focus resulted in a retraining programme for the specialism of machining, a field in which many manufacturing companies are urgently seeking staff.
Careful selection is key
People retraining start the process with an information session and an in-depth assessment. Re-integration partner Peijnenburg plays a key role in this. ‘We want to match genuinely motivated people with companies,’ emphasises Martine. ‘That is why they look beyond CVs and employment history. It is precisely intrinsic motivation, learnability, personal circumstances and talent that are the deciding factors. The better we get to know candidates, the greater the chance of a lasting match.’
Once the intake process has been successfully completed, the training programme begins. This training is currently provided by our partner Techniek Centrum Brainport (Ter AA).
According to Ward Overeem, national project leader on behalf of the sector funds OOM, A+O Metalektro and Doorzaam, the AMN talent scan provides essential insight. ‘That scan shows how someone learns. That makes it so much easier for companies to provide proper support. If you know that someone learns visually or, conversely, practically, you can adapt accordingly.’
Involving employers early on
A key feature of the programme is that employers become actively involved from week five onwards. Candidates then spend two days a week shadowing in a company, potentially whilst retaining their benefits. This lowers the threshold for giving someone a chance. ‘We don’t just ask employers for work placements, but also to present themselves in an attractive light,’ says Ward. ‘During a breakfast session, we showed them: these are the candidates and this is their profile. It’s up to you to show why they should choose your company. That interaction works extremely well.’
Natasja Muskens, employer advisor at Werkcentrum Zuidoost-Brabant, understands the hesitation some business owners have about taking on people from different sectors. Her advice: ‘Start small. Begin with one retrainee, make that a success, and then build on it. And above all, talk to fellow companies that are already doing this. Such conversations are far more convincing than a leaflet or presentation. In addition, labour market professionals at the employment centre play a key role in recruitment for the metal sector preparatory programme. They speak to jobseekers on a daily basis and are uniquely placed to inspire them. Through collaboration, the programme is better tailored to the target group, increasing the likelihood that jobseekers will actually choose this pathway, with the ultimate goal of securing a long-term position in the technical sector.’
Challenges
The success of the first edition has whetted our appetite for more, but growth is not a given. ‘The biggest challenge? Long-term funding,’ says Ward. ‘The ESF+ grant fund is currently making this intensive approach possible. But if we want to make this sustainable, local authorities and regional job centres really need to co-invest.’ Natasja adds: ‘A grant is a shot in the arm, a catalyst to get things moving. After that, we need to have a discussion together: how do we embed this in the region?’
A formula that works
Despite the challenges, enthusiasm is high. Candidates are finding new prospects, employers are gaining motivated new recruits, and the region is developing a formula that can be applied more widely. ‘Training skilled workers is, and always will be, a bespoke process,’ says Martine. Ward adds: ‘If we stick with this, we can prepare a great deal of hidden talent for the manufacturing industry.’ And Natasja? She sees opportunities beyond metalworking: ‘My hope is that there will soon be a menu of retraining programmes in Brainport: metal, infrastructure, healthcare… so that a jobseeker can simply choose which direction they want to go in. This project shows that it is possible, because employers (including those from the Brabant Engineering Coalition), education providers, labour market professionals and a reintegration partner such as Peijnenburg Re-integratie BV have been working together from the outset.’
This initiative ties in seamlessly with the ESFplus project ‘Working together for more skilled workers’, which is supported by the Training and Development Funds OOM, A+O Metalektro and Doorzaam. For the metal technology and mechatronics sectors, this was a key reason to deploy the available ESFplus funds in a targeted manner.