Interreg

SMEs in border regions experience disadvantages in comparison with businesses in central areas when it comes to attracting employees. Differences in language and culture, employment services, and laws and regulations make hiring employees across the border very complicated.
UNLOCK aimed to better match supply and demand on the cross-border labour market. This allows the region to deal with the expected lack of specialists (shrinkage!) and cyclical fluctuations in the workforce.
On the one hand, various marketing activities were carried out, such as participation in job fairs and other measures affecting the public (in particular within the framework of GrensWerk). In addition, various fact sheets and information materials were developed and editorial contributions published in print and internet media, on radio and TV as well as in social media in order to achieve a positive attitude towards cross-border labour mobility through more knowledge. A joint website for the GrenzInfoPunkte was also created, which brings together important information on the topics of working, living and studying in the neighbouring country.
Partners and networks from the fields of work, placement and training were brought together on one platform. Existing regional and supra-regional contacts with, for example, the employment agencies, local authorities, universities, the EURES network, the border network and contact with other GrenzInfoPunkte were consolidated and used. The intensification of cooperation with regional employment agencies led, for example, to the establishment of GrensWerk, where the agencies, the city of Enschede and Werkplein Twente, UWV and EUREGIO work together.
In addition, a GrenzInfoPunkt was set up at EUREGIO as a central regional contact point (front office) for employers and employees on issues relating to living, working, business and studying in the neighbouring country. Around 1,300 entrepreneurs and over 17,000 people were advised by the GrenzInfoPunkt. The consultation took place on the one hand in the central contact point at EUREGIO, but also in 228 external consultation hours with a total of 4,848 visitors. In addition, approx. 170 information events for employees and employers were organised and 14 sub-projects on various topics such as professional recognition were approved and accompanied.