Human Capital is a central theme in the life of Renate Bouwman, Labour Market Strategist at The Economic Board. It is a demanding field of work with challenges that call for flexibility, creativity and perseverance. And that is precisely what she delivers.
“I’m fascinated by the ever-evolving labour market and the talent it requires,” says Renate Bouwman enthusiastically. “If you want to achieve your goals – whether as an organisation or as a region – you need people who do what they’re good at, who enjoy their work and who continue to develop, in a (working) environment that offers them the space to do so. I particularly love seeing how energised people become when they put their skills to good use.”
Super interesting
Renate Bouwman is committed, in various ways, to a labour market that accelerates a sustainable, inclusive and innovative economy by making the best possible use of talent. She does this as an independent entrepreneur running her own talent agency, the Droombaanfabriek, as an associate at consultancy firm KplusV, and as a Labour Market Strategist at The Economic Board. She focuses in particular on Lifeport Regio Arnhem Nijmegen.
“At The Economic Board, I try to stimulate collaboration between entrepreneurs, the education sector and the government by bringing people together and driving the process forward,” she explains. “At KplusV, I work on programme development for lifelong learning, attracting and retaining talent, and an inclusive labour market. Through my own company, I mainly help managers, their teams and individual employees to match talent with work, which is a completely different perspective. For me, that’s a perfect combination.”
Uniting forces
The labour market is a dynamic and demanding field characterised by shortages and growing challenges, whilst major transitions are underway. For Bouwman, this is precisely what drives him. “The current challenges are incredibly interesting. How can we ensure there is enough talent so that these transitions can take place? Between now and 2030, 15,000 additional jobs related to the energy transition will be created in our region. To fill them, we need to get all parties on the same page and join forces.”
She is striving to make a significant contribution to this herself. Through The Economic Board, she worked alongside the Green Metropolitan Region and the province of Gelderland to develop a regional Human Capital Agenda, with the primary aim of linking existing initiatives and, where necessary, supplementing them with knowledge, support and resources. This ultimately led to the Human Capital Agreement, which was signed in 2023 by around thirty organisations: public authorities, knowledge institutions and commercial enterprises. An important step, says Bouwman. “This gives us a very solid foundation on which to build partnerships. There were already many excellent initiatives, but these were often very local in scope, or confined to a specific field of work. Different parties were running their own projects. Now there is much more collaboration, and that gives me hope for the future.”
There are several initiatives in the pipeline. “We’re working on a major talent plan for the semiconductor industry. For the energy cluster, we’re developing a similar plan, as we want our region to stand out through energy innovation. Grid congestion is a challenging issue in that sector, and you need skilled people to tackle that too. We’re also holding discussions on how we can help status holders and asylum seekers find work. For them, this is also the best way to integrate. We plan to launch a pilot scheme on this soon.”
Nice steps
Bouwman has a good feeling about what she sees happening in the region: "Nice steps are being taken. Everyone feels the urgency and is aware of the challenges. In some areas, we can really be an example for the rest of the Netherlands. We are making good efforts here on a number of themes, with associated transitions such as the energy transition, the care transition and the food transition. I am delighted by the collaborations I see. If we want to tackle this topic properly, we need to put our shoulders to the wheel with entrepreneurs, education and government by working together and having a good plan. That is the only way to deal with this big challenge. It is not something you are going to solve overnight. But with enough stamina and a long-term focus, a lot is possible."
