A new Regional Skills Partnership future-proofs North Holland for the climate transition

North Holland is dealing with a continuous and increasing lack of workers who have technical or technological skills, which poses a serious risk to the region’s goals for environmental sustainability. The problem stems from many individuals leaving either during their studies or after entering the workforce, making it even harder to meet the demand for qualified talent.  

Technical roles, especially those in clean energy, sustainability, digitalisation, and industrial transformation, are increasingly difficult to fill. This shortage affects sectors like construction, mobility, energy, industry, agri-food, and digital, all of which rely on skilled workers for the green transition.

The ambition

The Regional Skills Partnership for North Holland will aim to build a resilient, inclusive and future-ready labour market. By 2030, the RSP envisions a North Holland where learning, work and innovation are seamlessly connected.

The RSP aims to build a transparent skills ecosystem that enables people of all ages and backgrounds to continue developing their skills throughout their lives. 

In addition, employers, education providers and public authorities will collaborate closely to ensure a strong pipeline of talent for the green and digital transition. Together, these actions aim to position North Holland as a leading European hub for green and digital skills.

In this context, the ambition aligns fully with the Manifesto Working and Development 2030 North Holland and complements broader national and European initiatives, including the Pact for Skills, the European Green Deal, Europe’s Digital Decade and the Just Transition Platform.

The commitments

To meet its ambitions, the RSP will expand and scale training pathways in key technical and technological fields, with strong support for small and medium-sized enterprises.

By building a flexible and modular education ecosystem, the RSP will strengthen lifelong learning infrastructure. It will also focus on ensuring people’s skills are recognised as well as encouraging mobility across sectors. Additionally, by using regional labour market data, the RSP will ensure training and innovation stay aligned with evolving sector needs.

To deliver these ambitious commitments, the RSP will develop and scale modular training programmes through regional campuses, field labs and public-private partnerships. It will also establish regional learning communities that bring together employers, education providers and public actors.

Are you inspired by this RSP's work? Find out more in the Partnership Declaration and the Manifesto below: