“More than 500 job seekers were assisted in counseling interviews and initial contacts with employers, and 300 job seekers received assistance in their job interview.” Maastricht municipality writes this. According to the municipality, this makes the cross-border recruitment brokerage trial in Belgium and Holland Limburg.

Work across borders
That is why the various parties involved, including the UWV, the municipalities of Maastricht and Stardeglin, have decided to continue with the point of service in the coming years. “SGA has proven to be an effective way to stimulate cross-border action,” said Vivienne Haegen, a Maastricht economics provincial councilor and chair of the collaboration in recent years.

study and work
Despite the close economic ties between the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium in the European region, according to the SGA, borders often remain an obstacle to studying or working across borders in practice. “The employers wanted it, but often they didn’t know how,” says Ramona Corsius, SGA Maastricht project leader. “And for the employees working across borders, it was often scary.”

Genk
Workshops, webinars and around twenty events have also been organized to promote cross-border action. “The three buses from Maastricht, Heerlin and Sittard were the most striking. This allowed 70 Dutch job seekers to meet employers at a talent event at the T2 campus in Genk. This was a unique way of working together,” says Tene Lumlin, of the county Director of the Flemish Employment and Vocational Training Department.