Adam Galijašević recently started working as Human Capital programme manager at The Economic Board. Why did he choose this work and what would he like to achieve?
Amsterdam Nijmegen
Galijašević (pronounced: Galiejáaswietsj) is from Nijmegen, studied in Amsterdam and worked for many years at Amsterdam City Council as a programme manager and team leader for Education and the Labour Market. He is now back in Nijmegen. He was drawn here by the better prospects for attractive housing and the green surroundings. “This region simply has so much to offer. The advantages of a big city, and the cosiness of a village. In Nijmegen and Arnhem, you’ve got it all. Nature, a friendly atmosphere, culture, sport. Yes, I’m glad to be back – I can certainly say that.”
In Amsterdam, he studied European policy and, at the same time, set up his own company specialising in the installation and maintenance of ventilation systems. In 2022, he had to step down from the company to pursue new ambitions. He became a city councillor in Nijmegen and, in 2024, Programme Manager for Human Capital. The move was driven by his desire to work on issues that are socially relevant and have a socio-economic dimension.
Creative solutions: Study financing in private education
At the City of Amsterdam, for example, he was already working on the Codam project. In this initiative, private organisations offer free IT training to people from disadvantaged backgrounds. However, as it is a private course, the students were not eligible for student finance. The rules of the Participation Act proved to be an obstacle here. Galijašević took up the challenge and set about investigating how he could arrange an income for these students whilst they were studying, so that they could complete the course. After extensive research, the solution turned out to lie in a collective of employers that guaranteed a paid work placement and, as a collective, provided a job guarantee.
Galijašević: “It really was a very creative process of exploring possibilities within the bounds of the law, and I’m actually quite proud of that. It works both ways, after all: there was huge demand for these people, and at the same time there is talent that, due to all sorts of circumstances beyond their control, is not being utilised. And that really inspires me. In these times of labour shortages, we must make the most of every talent and look at this creatively together with employers. That’s what I hope to do here too, because it’s just as necessary here. Perhaps even more so, because talent from this region often ends up moving to the Randstad.”
“I sometimes struggle with the stigma attached to people who are distanced from the labour market. Are they distanced from the labour market, or is the labour market distanced from them? Sometimes they don’t even need help, just a slightly more flexible work or study timetable, for example. For instance, one of the most talented students at Codam had dropped out of mainstream education due to a lack of flexibility. She has now completed her course and found a good job. So it’s also about employers looking at their talent in a different way, or educational institutions tailoring their curricula to students’ needs. And that’s simply essential, because we can’t just conjure up more people.”
He explains that here in the Arnhem-Nijmegen region, we’re also facing major labour shortages and need more people. That calls for a fresh perspective on the effective deployment of the (future) workforce. There are also plenty of people working in jobs where they no longer feel at home, who could be retrained. Perhaps they are working below their level, no longer find fulfilment in their current work, or are stuck in all sorts of flexible contracts, which leave them without security or stability. They could move into professions where there is high demand and, moreover, better prospects on the labour market.
Galijašević is keen to connect with people in his network: “If you’re willing to think creatively and outside the box, and to collaborate on exciting, innovative concepts and ideas, then get in touch!”
