Description
Country
Focus area
Techniekpact (the pact for the technical sector) is a key measure to address shortages in the technical sector. In 2013, administrators from the education sector, the business community, employers and employees, the regions and the government signed the Techniekpact. The goal of the Techniekpact is to use a structural approach to ensure a well-educated workforce and increase the number of technicians and to strengthen beta, technical and technological skills on the Dutch labour market. . The techniekpact is linked to both the UWV tension meter and de Labour Market Information System forecasts main initiatives.
Implementation level
At what level is the initiative implemented?
National
Legal base
Legal base (E.g. Law, regulation, implementing provision, other)
The Techniekpact agenda was The Cabinet has determined the implementation of the Technology Pact for 2021. Four themes (intake, teacher shortage and professionalisation, public-private partnership and life-long learning) are addressed with national agreements and regional technology pacts and actions.
Starting period
TIMESPAN: In what year did the initiative commence?
2013, most recently in 2020 a renewed version of the Techniekpact was signed
Perspective
PERSPECTIVE: is the initiative based on evidence derived from skill forecasts or foresight activities?
The techniekpact is linked to both the UWV tension meter and de Labour Market Information System forecasts main initiatives. Current forecasts are that in the long term 30,000 extra technicians are needed annually to meet the growing need for technical staff.
Policy area
To which POLICY AREAS(s) does the initiative apply?
Funding
How it is funded?
Funded by national government
The Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment, The Ministry of Economy and the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science
Other
technical labour market funds fund some of the initiatives related to upskilling and reskilling. Some Techniekpact related initiatives and projects are funded on a regional level
Skill mismatch
Skill mismatch target
What type(s) of skills MISMATCH does the initiative aim to addresses?
Skill shortages (employers cannot fill their vacancies due to a lack of skills in the labour market)
Skill gaps (worker's skills are below the level of proficiency required by their employers and jobs)
Skills matching focus
How does the initiative address skills mismatches?
Techniekpact also focuses on upskilling and reskilling for the technical professions as part of lifelong learning and upskilling teachers in technical subjects and training programmes
The main goal of the Techniekpact is to address current and growing shortages of technical workers mainly through education and getting more young people to choose a technical educational programme and job.
Methods
Methods
What methods of undertaking skills assessments and / or skills anticipation does the policy instrument utilise?
The Techniekpact makes use of skills forecasts and current labour market information produced by main initiatives as the basis of their own monitor.
Skills forecasting
Labour market information system
Real-time labour market information (e.g. big data analysis of job advertisements, CVs)
UWV tension meter
Use of skills intelligence
How is labour market information / skills intelligence used within the initiative?
Labour market information is used to determine in which technical professions there are expected shortages. The information is regularly updated in the monitor Techniekpact. This information serves as input for partners in the Techniekpact to develop initiatives on regional and sectoral level.
LMI is used to develop up-to-date educational programmes
Educational institutions use the information to develop initiatives to attract more students for relevant educational programmes
The technical labour market funds use the LMI to develop their own reskilling and upskilling initiatives
Stakeholders
Main responsible body
Main body or organisation with overall responsibility for the initiative.
National ministry
The Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment, The Ministry of Economy and the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science.
Other involved organisations
Which other organisations have a role in the initiative?
There are many organisations involved in the Techniekpact. It is a national strategy to tackle shortages in which more than 60 stakeholders participate
National ministry
The Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment, The Ministry of Economy and the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science coordinate the Techniekpact.
Regional agency
representatives of the Dutch regions are part of the National Steering Committee Techniekpact
Social partner: employer organisation
signed the Techniekpact
Social partner: trade union
FNV and CNV are part of the National Steering Committee Techniekpact
National PES
UWV is part of the National Steering Committee Techniekpact
Training Providers
umbrella organizations of training providers are National Steering Committee Techniekpact
Research centres, universities
umbrella organizations of educational institutions on alle educational levels are part of the National Steering Committee Techniekpact
Other
many other stakeholders signed the Techniekpact such as technical labour market funds who fund initiatives related to upskilling and reskilling
Beneficiaries
Who are the intended beneficiaries?
Young people making the transition from education into work
Technical education is one of the pillars of the Techniekpact which includes better preparing students for a transition into working in a technical profession
Adults in employment with upskilling potential
The Techniepact is also linked to life long learning initiatives which stimulates adults in de the technical sector to upskill
Adults in employment with reskilling potential
The Techniepact is also linked to life long learning initiatives which stimulates adults in de the technical sector to reskill
Other
The beneficiaries are a broad group of people, including youth deciding on training for a profession. Techniekpact is a strategy that address all groups that could be trained, upskilled or reskilled to a technical professions, initiatives are developed on sectoral and regional levels to align with regional labour market needs.
Sustainability
Success factors
SUCCESS FACTORS in the implementation
The strengthened public-private partnership is an important aspect of the success of the Technology Pact. The commitment of the three ministries and the joint approach from national policy as well as the cooperation with the regions is seen as added value.
Monitoring and evaluation
MONITORING and EVALUATION: Is progress measured regularly? What are the indicators used to measure progress of the policy instrument? Have any evaluations been conducted?
The Techniekpact itself was evaluated for the period 2013 - 2020 in the year 2020, it concluded that bottlenecks that the Pact focuses on have been improved in a number of ways through the efforts of a very broad spectrum of players at national and regional level in a number of ways. Nevertheless, a large number of the bottlenecks from 2013 still apply today.
Updates
UPDATES: whether there have been any major updates of the initiative since it has been implemented?
A renewed Techniekpact was signed in 2020.
No
Effectiveness
EVIDENCE ON EFFECTIVENESS: How effective is the policy instrument?
The 2020 evaluation noted that the direct impact of the Technology Pact on the realisation of the objectives cannot be demonstrated with hard effect measurements.
Sustainability
SUSTAINABILITY: How sustainable is the policy instrument? Do you expect the instrument to continue over the next few years and why?
The Techniekpact will most likely continue over the next few years due to the forecast of remaining shortages for technical professions, the quickly changing skills required in technical professions due to technological advancement and the need for coordination of all relevant stakeholders.
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