In the context of the collaboration between the Dutch central government and Parkstad Limburg (Regio Deal Parkstad Limburg) and under the Cross-Border Cooperation Theme (GROS), Brightlands Institute for Smart Society (BISS) together with the Institute for Transnational and Euregional cross border cooperation and Mobility (ITEM) and Brightlands Smart Services Campus (BSSC) initiated in September 2020 a project aiming to improve secure data sharing between several parties in Germany and in the Netherlands in the field of cross-border recruitment.
In line with the priorities set out in the “Grenslandagenda 2019 Nederland – Nordrhein-Westfalen”, efforts are made to further develop the functioning of the cross-border labor market and education. In the Netherlands, the Cross-Border Employment Service (SGA) employs German and Dutch consultants to help employees find suitable work on the other side of the border and support employers in finding suitable personnel in the neighboring country. To do so, SGA cooperates with UWV, The Bundesagentur für Arbeit (coordinated with Jobcenter/Städteregion), WerkgeverServicePunt Parkstad, Stadsregio Parkstad, Gemeente Vaals and Podium24. These involved partners have identified several shortcomings in their work due to the difficulties in day-to-day data exchange. For instance, inabilities to match calendars, schedules and work plans have been registered and there is even a difficulty matching applicants and job offers which results in matching inefficiency.
In order to solve these shortcomings, BISS and ITEM, in cooperation with SGA, are going to develop a methodology that enables data exchange. BISS and ITEM will first collect the shortcomings of the several parties and then analyse the organizational, technical, strategical and legal obstacles that prevent the efficient exchange of data. On the basis of the previous analyses, it will be decided what technology(ies) to be used. This project will contribute to the creation of a more integrated cross-border labour market and will be able to serve as an example for other theme fields as well.
This project should make a concrete contribution to better cooperation between the partners in the Euregion Meuse-Rhine and, above all, to an improvement of the situation of employers and jobseekers in Parkstad Limburg / Städteregion Aachen.
