Successful collaboration to help job seekers find work at Schiphol extended

Labour market region Greater Amsterdam and Royal Schiphol Group are continuing their successful partnership to help job seekers find work at the airport. The collaboration is being extended to 2026 and focuses primarily on jobs for people with a background in practical education, such as in catering, retail, baggage handling, security, cleaning and logistics. 

Around 70% of job vacancies at Schiphol are filled by people who followed practical education. The partners bring employers and job seekers, for whom the labour market is still at a distance, together (and in sometimes innovative ways) in order to facilitate recruitment.  

This collaboration is successful as it focuses on job seekers who need help finding and keeping a job. In January 2020, a special jobs programme called Banenplan Schiphol was launched by the municipality of Amsterdam and Royal Schiphol Group. Between 2020 and 2022, 549 people found work through this programme. The partnership therefore made a valuable contribution to the strengthening of the local economy and ensured that vacancies were filled. The recent signing of the declaration of intent represents the extension of this collaboration. 

“Everyone who works at Schiphol makes an important contribution to the creation of a pleasant experience for the traveller. Schiphol offers many people in the region a place to work, meaning that Schiphol is of societal and economical importance within the Greater Amsterdam labour market region. One of our priorities is a qualitatively good workplace: enjoyable, safe and healthy. And we consider it important that people at a distance from the labour market can also work here.

Ruud Sondag, CEO of Royal Schiphol Group

“Everyone deserves a chance at work, unfortunately there are still many jobseekers who do not find a job. This requires good cooperation between various parties. The results of the Banenplan Schiphol are good, which is why we are happy to continue along this path.

Rutger Groot Wassink, Councillor social affairs of the municipality of Amsterdam

This declaration of intent not only marks a renewal of the cooperation with Schiphol on the topic of work, but also responds to the current tightness in the labour market by broadening the target group from jobseekers on benefits to all residents of the Greater Amsterdam labour market region. This is an important step in making the connection between the Haarlemmermeer labour market and education even better, with the aim of creating a solid foundation for our labour market.

Charif El Idrissi, Councillor of the municipality of Haarlemmermeer

Collaboration 

On 8 December 2023, the declaration of intent was signed by Ruud Sondag, CEO of Royal Schiphol Group, and Councillor Rutger Groot Wassink, who is also chair of the Greater Amsterdam labour market region. Also present was Councillor Charif El Idrissi of the municipality of Haarlemmermeer (where Schiphol is located). Representing the implementation of this collaboration are Schiphol Aviation Community (LCS), Greater Amsterdam Employers’ Service Point (WSP) and Greater Amsterdam Regional Job Centre (RWC).