New Work Centres open nationwide to speed up job and training placements
Job seekers and employees in the Netherlands can now access faster support for work or training through newly launched Work Centres. These hubs, located in local communities, connect people with employers, reducing unemployment risks and filling critical vacancies in sectors like healthcare and technology.
| Key Data | Details |
|---|---|
| Launch Date | 23 March 2026 |
| Initiated by | Minister Thierry Aartsen (Employment and Participation) |
| Locations | Nationwide, including shopping centres and libraries |
| Access | No appointment needed; online services available |
| Partners Involved | Municipalities, UWV, employers, trade unions, SBB, educational institutions |
| Funding | Structurally funded and legally enshrined |
| Target Groups | Job seekers, employees transitioning between jobs, employers |
| Sectors with High Demand | Technology, education, healthcare |
The Dutch Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment oversees labour market policies, including initiatives to reduce unemployment and match job seekers with vacancies. Work Centres are part of the government’s strategy to streamline employment services and address labour shortages through collaboration with public and private partners.
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Read the full translated article below
Job seekers get to work or training faster through Work Centres
To help people find a job or training more quickly, they can now visit Work Centres across the country. The cabinet aims to fill vacancies and get more people into work or education. Minister Thierry Aartsen (Employment and Participation) officially launched the Work Centres in Amsterdam.
Minister Aartsen: “In a strong country, we leave no one behind. We also need everyone in this tight and changing labour market. So everything must be geared towards helping people find work quickly, pursue training, or transition to new jobs. We have more open vacancies than job seekers. In sectors such as technology, education, and healthcare, we will need an enormous number of people in the coming years. There are plenty of opportunities for sustainable employment. The Work Centre brings this together in one place by identifying what job seekers and employers need.”
Services close to home
The Work Centres are located throughout the Netherlands in easily accessible places, such as shopping centres or libraries. No appointment is needed. Guides help people find the right information about jobs and training. Employers can visit one central location for assistance with recruitment, regulations, and subsidies. Often, there are multiple locations within a single labour market region, ensuring services are always nearby. The Work Centre also offers online services.
Public and private parties work closely together in the Work Centre, including municipalities, UWV, employers, trade unions, SBB, and educational institutions. This joint service provision is structurally funded and enshrined in law. One advantage is that parties can share data with each other under certain conditions, enabling them to better assist job seekers, employees, and employers. This can lead to faster and better-matched placements between employers and job seekers.
From job to job
The Work Centre also supports employees in transitioning from one job to another. This is important to reduce the risk of long-term unemployment, which can occur as the labour market changes rapidly and acquired knowledge and experience may no longer suffice. The Work Centre helps employees with additional training or retraining. Employee and employer organisations play a key role in this. For them, the Work Centres complement existing sector agreements on job-to-job transitions.
National campaign
Minister Aartsen opened the Work Centres alongside Rutger Groot Wassink, alderman of Amsterdam (on behalf of the municipalities), Judith Duveen (UWV Board of Directors), Jacco Vonhof (chairman of MKB Nederland), Jan-Pieter Daems (board member of CNV), Caroline Weber (on behalf of FNV), Adnan Tekin (chairman of the MBO Council), Hannie Vlug (chairman of SBB), Ciel Stevens (director of NRTO), and Ingrid Hoogstrate (director of Inclusive Society at VNG). With the official launch, a public campaign begins to raise awareness of the Work Centres.