Substantial and continuous shifts in skills demands urge us to rethink education, labour market and reintegration policies and practices. In this article, we argue for a more skills based approach to (re)integration. This skills based (re)integration practice is based more on up-to-date, complete and validated skills sets of candidates, than on diplomas and other, more or less, outdated and incomplete proxies to one’s current skills. Such a new reintegration practice seems feasible if the actual and complete skills set of an individual becomes the starting point for both matching, guidance and (up/re)skilling efforts. Intersectoral mobility, alternative career pathways and suitable training and development routes can be designed on a more fine-grained skills basis, with occupations considered more as dynamic sets of tasks requiring specific skills. This new (re)integration practice presupposes a common skills language, which is being developed in the Netherlands, Competent NL. Sectoral and intersectoral experiments with skills instruments using this language, such as skills passports, are conducted to optimize their quality and effectiveness. Since first experiments with skills instruments seem promising, we argue that more room for experiment is required. So that integration in the labor market can be sustained and reintegration practices can be prevented.
This chapter aims to place the employability related outcomes of this study in the context of other current employability studies. For this purpose, seven recently published employability studies were selected from a range of contexts and with different methodological approaches. Within the literature there is a distinction made between employment skills and employability skills. The former are limited to a specific profession or discipline (sector skills) while the latter are ‘transversal’ and apply to all professions. These skills go by other names such as ‘soft’, ‘generic’ or ‘transferable’ (Jones, forthcoming). The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) defines employability skills as follows: “The transferable core skills that represent functional and enabling knowledge, skills, and attitudes required in today’s workplace. They are necessary for career success at all levels of employment and for all levels of education”. (http://www.hefce.ac.uk/glossary/).
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate possible differences in the degrees of employability, leader–member exchange (LMX) and innovative work behaviours in a comparison between Belgium and the Netherlands. Although neighbouring countries, disparate national cultures between the two are assumed to influence the amount of employability, LMX and innovative work behaviours among their respective working populations. Furthermore, this paper aims to validate a mediation model across the two countries to test whether employability (partially) mediates the relationship between LMX and innovative work behaviours. Design/methodology/approach Data from employees and their immediate supervisors working in small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Belgium and the Netherlands supported the hypothesized model. Structural equation modelling was used to investigate the mediation model using a multisource approach. Findings The amount of employability and innovative work behaviours of employees appeared to differ significantly between Belgium and the Netherlands. Furthermore, the results suggested that for both countries a positive relationship with one’s immediate supervisor (LMX) is beneficial in the light of workers’ innovative work behaviours, through its impact on employability, which was found to be a full mediator in this relationship. Research limitations/implications Future studies using a longitudinal approach could give more insight into the model relationships. Moreover, the variation in systems, national contexts and managerial practices in the Euroregion calls for more cross-national comparative scholarly research. Practical implications SMEs often do not employ professionals to manage human resources, that is, supervisors themselves have to carry the responsibility to encourage employees to further develop themselves and to enhance their innovative work behaviours. This while the challenge of more cross-national cooperation encourages a boost for innovations in the Euroregion. Originality/value This study is the first cross-national validation of a mediation model wherein a competence-based measure of employability is incorporated as a possible mediator in the relationship between LMX and innovative work behaviours.
Ecosystemen voor missiegedreven innovatie zijn een belangrijk middel om via cycli van onderzoek, experiment en uitrol, maatschappelijke transities te versnellen en innovaties en verdienvermogen op te schalen. Human capital en regionale inbedding zijn belangrijke aspecten van de Kennis- en Innovatie Agenda (KIA) Maatschappelijk Verdienvermogen (MV). Deze SPRONG-groep richt zich op die wisselwerking. De noodzaak voor human capital innovatie is groot vanwege drie kernproblemen op de arbeidsmarkt: • Onvoldoende en ongerichte economische groei door krimp van de beroepsbevolking en onvoldoende arbeidsproductiviteitsgroei; • Verschuivende vraag naar arbeid op de arbeidsmarkt als gevolg van verschillende transities; • Toenemende kloof tussen de toekomstige arbeidsvraag en de skills van de huidige beroepsbevolking. De afgelopen jaren zijn meer en minder succesvolle (regionale) experimenten/programma’s gerealiseerd voor ontwikkeling en benutting van human capital. Maar lessen worden nog onvoldoende gedeeld tussen regio’s en sectoren, werken nog onvoldoende door in het mkb, bereiken te weinig de doelgroep van praktijkopgeleide medewerkers, en hun effectiviteit wordt te weinig onderzocht. Dit SPRONG-programma adresseert die opgave door een landelijke onderzoeksgroep met vijf lectoraten en belangrijke partners uit bedrijfsleven, overheid en onderwijs te ontwikkelen: • Lectoraat Dynamische Talentinterventies Fontys (dr. Marian Thunnissen); • Lectoraat Employability Transition Saxion (dr. Stephan Corporaal); • Lectoraat Human Capital Hanzehogeschool Groningen (dr. Harm van Lieshout en dr. Arjen Edzes); • Lectoraat Leren tijdens de beroepsloopbaan HAN (dr. Jos Sanders); • Lectoraat Leven Lang Ontwikkelen Windesheim (dr. Menno Vos). Onze ambitie is om een toonaangevende onderzoeksgroep en een gewild internationaal partner te worden die dankzij een met onze consortium-partners doorontwikkelde onderzoeksinfrastructuur bijdraagt aan versterking van het maatschappelijk verdienvermogen via human capital innovatie op drie niveaus: individuen, bedrijven en netwerken/regio’s. Responsiviteit is daarbij hét sleutelwoord. We werken samen aan professionalisering en versterking van kwaliteit, volume en impact van ons onderzoek. Daarnaast versterken we de inbedding van ons onderzoek in het onderwijs.
I-DEMO aims at supporting EU tourism professionals in acquiring and developing key competences in game-based tourism in order to foster innovation and improve overall tourism organizations’ performance. Societal IssueIn the tourism sector occurs skills mismatch between offer and demand. The tourism market presents new needs, such as increasing employability of the tourism workforce. i-DEMO will foster and provide grounds for national and cross-border cooperation in the field of professional competencies.Benefit to societyThe specific objects on i-DEMO are: Enhancing specific skills and competences of DMO professionals and VET students in relation to creative game-based tourism.Designing an innovative and needs-oriented on-line training course “Game-based Tourism”, offered through an online platform, which integrates several sector-specific and transversal skills, including digital, entrepreneurial, and soft skills.Providing DMO professionals and VET students an I-DEMO toolkit to apply gamification and creative strategies in planning innovative and inclusive tourism offer and services. The toolkit includes guidelines and a Visual Virtual Map of EU good practices of creative strategies linked to game-based tourism.Enhancing the replicability potential of project results outside of the partners’ destinations.Collaborating partnersTIMESIS SRL, Italy (Lead Partner); The Phoenicians’ Route – Cultural Route of the Council of Europa based in Italy; Associazione Culturale Tuo Museo, Italy; Pafos Regional Board of Tourism, Cyprus; Stichting Breda University of Applied Sciences, Netherlands; Hellenic Open University, Greece; ACIF – Industrial and Commercial Association of Funchal – Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Madeira (Portugal); Wojewodztwo Kujawsko Pomorskie, Poland.
i-DEMO aims at supporting EU tourism professionals in acquiring and developing key competences in game-based tourism in order to foster innovation and improve overall tourism organizations’ performance by: enhancing specific skills and competences in game-based tourism; designing an i-DEMO course "Game-based Tourism"; creating an i-DEMO toolkit to apply gamification to tourism; enhancing the application and replicability potential of innovative game-based solutions.Societal IssueThe tourism and hospitality industry has rapidly evolved with technological advancements, especially through ICT and the rise of the sharing economy. Digital platforms, social media, and mobile technologies have popularized gamification in tourism, creating engaging experiences and enhancing consumer loyalty. Gamification immerses tourists in simulated travel worlds, improving satisfaction, behavior, and involvement. Benefits include increased visitor engagement, loyalty, improved marketing, and support for sustainable tourism. However, despite its potential, gamification adoption remains limited in tourism. To address this, initiatives like i-DEMO aim to enhance skills and competences, improving employability in the evolving tourism market.Benefit to societyThe benefits that gamification can offer in the travel and tourism industry are: 1: More Engaged Visitors: we must not underestimate the immersion level that games can offer to travelers; 2: Increased Visitor Loyalty: when somebody is truly satisfied with their experience, they are much more likely to come back; 3: Improved Marketing for Hospitality and Tourism: tourism and hospitality have been the biggest ones impacted by all of the lockdown restrictions; consequently they are using all kinds of marketing methods to motivate people to start travelling; 4: Sustainability: gamification could help promote more environmentally, socially and culturally sustainable forms of tourism, supporting the twin green and digital transition.
