On Wednesday, April 12, Minister of Social Affairs and Employment, Karien van Gennip, visited Refugee Talent Hub for a discussion with Microsoft about the skills gap on the Dutch labor market. The visit took place in the context of the action plan for Status Holders at Work, which will be discussed in a committee debate in the House of Representatives on Thursday, April 13.

Please note: this article was translated using a translator app

Challenges on the labor market

 In the Netherlands there are approximately 80,000 status holders who are willing and able to work. At the same time, there are also 35,000 open IT vacancies, a number that is steadily growing. There is an enormous shortage in the labor market and there is a significant challenge in filling these roles in the coming years, partly due to the aging population and the skills gap in the field of IT. It is therefore increasingly important that Dutch employers look for untapped talent on the labor market, such as status holders.

 Anke den Ouden (General Manager Microsoft Netherlands): 'We need more IT-trained people to realize the digitalization and innovation ambition of the Netherlands and Europe. A lack of digitally trained people is a brake on this development. The IT talent pool needs to be expanded and that is why Microsoft established the Azure Academy in 2019, where untapped talents - such as status holders - are trained and mediated into work in IT. We do this together with Refugee Talent Hub, among others.'

Van Gennip: "It is essential that status holders are given the opportunity to start work quickly"

 Minister of Social Affairs and Employment, Karien van Gennip: “You learn the Dutch language and culture fastest in the workplace. It is therefore essential that status holders are given and seize the opportunity to start work as quickly as possible. With a paid job, status holders can lead their lives independently and contribute to society. This is of great importance for status holders themselves and for mutual solidarity in our country. We will be more actively helping status holders with this, together with municipalities, employers, education and social organizations.”

Read and listen too

•  Karien van Gennip's LinkedIn update about her visit to Refugee Talent Hub
•  The article in the Financial Dagblad following the visit
•  Karien van Gennip during the committee debate on integration and integration

 There are a number of challenges that status holders and employers encounter, making it difficult for both parties to find each other on the labor market. For example, a poor command of the (Dutch) language, unfamiliarity with laws and regulations regarding working with status holders and unconscious prejudices. But ultimately one of the biggest obstacles is the lack of a relevant professional network: employers and status holders simply do not know where to find each other.

 That is why Refugee Talent Hub and advertising agency 180 Amsterdam started the 'Refugee LinkUp' campaign last month. Twenty-five high-level professionals, including Anke den Ouden (General Manager Microsoft Netherlands) and Josanne Verdonk (HR director G-star), shared their LinkedIn network with a status holder for more than two weeks.

 Wilma Roozenboom (director of Refugee Talent Hub): “Many status holders would like to work, but cannot find a job. A loss for them personally, and a shame for society as a whole. The fact that this is often due to the lack of a relevant professional network was the hook for this awareness campaign.”

"Doors have opened"

 The reactions and results were beyond everyone's expectations. More than 2 million people saw the campaign on LinkedIn, and the campaign posts were shared frequently. Within the duration of the campaign, five participants had found a job, and the majority of the other participants had arranged job interviews, networking activities and coffee appointments. Moreover, the network of each participating status holder has multiplied. Canan Bozdas, one of the participants, says: “This campaign has opened doors for me that were previously closed.”