Municipal Development Center in Flexiforum officially opened
Under the motto "Your success, our goal," the Development Center at the Flexiforum officially opened on Sept. 5, 2024. This center, a municipal initiative, offers residents with Social assistance benefit benefits intensive guidance on their way to sustainable employment participation. The focus is on developing both workforce skills and specific vocational skills, with particular attention to lifestyle and health.
The Flexiforum Development Center offers various work apprenticeships in the Health, green, facilities and retail sectors. These are realized in close cooperation with Woonzorg Elisabeth Stift, the municipality's urban management department and the Exchange Shop.
The Development Center was created in response to a changing client base and shifting labor market demands. In recent years, it has become clear that traditional methods of job placement are no longer adequate to effectively serve all target groups. There is an increasing need for customized and targeted counseling, both among job seekers and employers.
An important part of the program is the so-called Work First approach. This means that candidates actively participate in the development center from day one. Through targeted coaching, training and customized practical experience, candidates are guided to a suitable workplace.
"By immediately getting to work in the Development Center, candidates become familiar with the requirements and expectations of the modern labor market, which significantly increases their chances of finding sustainable employment," said Alderman Roland during the official opening. "This initiative not only helps us to increase labor force participation, but also to create a society where everyone has the opportunity to participate."
The existing Employment Participation Program, already successfully coordinated from the Flexiforum, remains an important part of this new approach. Various activities, such as speed dates with employers, workshops and company visits, are organized here to make the labor market more accessible.
The Flexiforum Development Center is an important step toward a future in which everyone, regardless of background or situation, has a chance in the labor market.