Education, internships and job vacancies on one website.
An interactive career website aimed at multilingual candidates has been enriching the international character of The Hague Region since its launch at the end of 2009. The portal ‘Together Abroad’, created by Linda Groener and Irina Eschbach, is meant to fill a gap in the market by culling together information about educational programmes, internships and job opportunities in The Hague Region.
The site is already getting between 8,000 and 10,000 visitors a month, some 200 job vacancies are listed on it, and more than 1,000 candidates have registered for the portal’s services. A large number of internationally-mined companies and organisations as well as institutes of higher education are working together with the portal in order to offer concrete employment and educational opportunities.
At the end of March Deputy Mayor Frits Huffnagel (City Marketing and International Affairs) of The Hague rewarded the initiative with a start-up subsidy because the portal ‘can raise international employment opportunities and the assimilation of internationals in The Hague’.
‘Wonderful initiative’
According to Huffnagel, ‘Finding work here is the easiest way to participate in the local community. You meet people and make contacts.’ The alderman says the international career portal is a ‘wonderful initiative’.
Together Abroad founder Linda Groener explained the motivation behind the career portal. ‘We wanted to offer a single portal with the entire gamut of international educational courses, internships, volunteer work and paid work. And it has really taken off.’
Transparent and up-to-date database
Together Abroad candidates can register for free and companies can advertise at reasonable prices. The result is a transparent and up-to-date database. Expats as well as their partners and children can find answers to all kinds of questions such as how can I find work, an international educational programme or internship during my stay in the Netherlands.
Groener and her Russian business partner Eschbach also provide career counseling to internationals. The duo also recently signed a contract with the Public Employment Service (Uitvoeringsinstituut WerknemersVerzekeringen, UWV) so that internationals who have lost their job can reintegrate into the Dutch employment market. Together Abroad is already working on behalf of their first candidate, Jean Claude Djedis, a French IT professional.
For more information visit the portal Together Abroad.
Source: denhaag.com