Milestone for the "Talent op Maat" Project

The “Talent op Maat” initiative, in which Voorschoten Alderman Paul de Bruijn plays an active leading role, has reached a new milestone. The project will be incorporated into the WIJIJ cooperative and will continue under that name. Thanks to support from the South Holland Human Capital Agenda and contributions from Holland Rijnland and mboRijnland, the business case has been finalized, and the project will be rolled out across the entire Holland Rijnland labor market region.

Councilman Paul de Bruijn (Voorschoten) and Henk Bakker (chairman of WIJIJ)
Councilman Paul de Bruijn (Voorschoten) and Henk Bakker (chairman of WIJIJ) (© photo: Buro JP)

Like Talent op Maat, WIJIJ will match people’s skills and motivation with job openings. In doing so, it looks beyond just diplomas. Experience gained through (volunteer) work or a hobby also counts when looking for a job. This approach makes it easier to help people transition from one job to another or switch industries.

Assessing Skills 

Paul de Bruijn, alderman in Voorschoten and the driving force behind Talent op Maat through Economie071, is enthusiastic: “By focusing on people’s skills, employers gain access to a new pool of suitable candidates. This is desperately needed, because good staff are hard to find. Candidates are already coming forward. The first skills profiles have already been created. I hope the business community will also get on board and join the WIJIJ cooperative. I also think this milestone is a good example of how we, as the Leiden region, can design and roll out projects together through Economie071. It’s very important that we tackle economic issues in our region together. I’m also pleased that we in Voorschoten can contribute to this regional collaboration.”

Economie071 Logo

WIJIJ Cooperative

The WIJIJ cooperative helps employers in Holland Rijnland find suitable employees. Among other things, this means that employers can become members of the WIJIJ cooperative and post all their job openings there. For those looking for (different) work, WIJIJ offers an online platform for creating a personal profile, useful tools such as a “Job Market Explorer,” personality tests, and access to training courses. Based on a skills profile, the system matches candidates with available job openings. This allows employers to connect with candidates they might not have considered before, and helps job seekers find the job that truly suits them.

 Want to learn more about WIJIJ and what it can do for employers and job seekers? Then visit wijij.nl.